the Journey

If you're free early on Sunday morning... church on the streets

That's our gear right there for the 8 am service in Linn Park. The van was donated- and then painted. The Trailer was built from scratch (see the video below). 

Each week, we take church outside to the streets before our 10:30 service at the warehouse, inside. There are many homeless in Birmingham (2,400, according to The Birmingham News), and so we go to them, and to many families who know that we will be outside and will be available to assist whatever needs may arise. 

In the past year, we have used this venue to take people off the street and provide them with housing and jobs. Others have been placed into the program at The Village. Others have been assisted in other ways...

If you're free that early, feel free to join us. It's one of the highlights of Noah's (5) week. And, at this age, he is already convinced that he can help a homeless person find Jesus, find housing, and find a job... b/c he's been with me when I've done it. 

(You can email me if you want more info.)

Here's what The Trailer looks like from concept to implementation:

As well, here's a short overview of what we did with the Trailer one Sunday when it rained and we had to take the thing under the bridge, under I-20/59 near the west side of the Civic Center/ 19th Street)- yes, we do this rain or shine, regardless of how hot or cold it is....

The Trailer- in action (22-second video)

Here's a few seconds of the Linn Park service from this past Sunday. This is before everything really begins... I shot 20 seconds, after I figured out how to use the video function on the phone. Then uploaded, without editing, straight to YouTube from the phone. 

At this service (which begins at 8:00 am each Sunday, usually in Linn Park- under the 19th Street cross of Interstate 20/59 near the Civic Center if it's raining, such as this past Sunday), we worship... someone preaches... then we serve food off the trailer... I'll get an edited version up soon.

The Trailer gets its groove on this weekend

[Posted by Andrew Jenkins]

The Trailer (it doesn't have a real name, so we just call it what it is... a trailer) gets rolling this weekend (today, actually). Friday & Saturday it will be involved with A Day to Make a Difference... and, then Sunday it will be stationed at Linn Park for the outdoor worship service that happens there each week (Sundays, 8:00 am). 

No worries if you haven't seen it. We'll have plenty of pics and place a video online soon! Oh, I've posted previously on the trailer on this site, as well, if you want to learn more.

The Trailer @ 90%

[Posted by Andrew Jenkins]

Here's the trailer - a brief slide show. We''ll use this to feed people downtown, etc... It has the ability to feed 300 people per hour, as well as store food, tools (for disaster relief), etc... has its own hot water, power capabilities...

Check back in a few days and we'll have the final pics up, along with the trailer in action!

The church... outside?

A few months ago, I started going to Linn Park each Sunday morning. There's a worship service, of sorts, that meets in that park. We've been able to help some of the men- the ones who want help that are there, for not all of them do- off of the streets, into a home, and to a job. 

There is something unique about being outside. Something about taking the church to the wounded and weak, those needing repair. Of course, we're all like that in many ways... but, those of us in our own homes tend to have more hidden and covert issues than those on the streets- even if they are the same issues deep down.

Anyway, something drew me to this...

A few years ago, I attended seminary at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary. Finished in two  years with the Master's of Divinity, got married in between the two year... moved to Houston to help plant a church after graduation. Something in smashing what should take 3-4 years into 2, I missed a few things... like stopping and smelling the roses, or stopping and catching my breath.

There as a church I never visited, but one I saw. It was somewhat like the Linn Park thing... but more organized and more bold... and with more visible and directed leadership. It was called The Church Under the Bridge.

I never experienced it, because I never had time. And, to be honest with you, I wouldn't have gotten it anyway. I didn't. That's why I didn't make time.

I was waiting for a meeting at Beeson Divinity School this week (I was there early) and began checking emails through the trust iPhone. Relevant Magazine had sent a few teaser lines about a story they did on the church. As I read (here's a link to the article)... and having just come from the Easter service at Park Place... and having just had discussions with my wife about this very thing... all of it started coming back to me.

I wonder, and I don't have the answers... but am chipping away at it...

Why is there so much that we see in the Gospels that we don't see in the Church today?

And why is there so much in the Church that we don't see in the Gospels?

Have we created a church full of coffee bars and instant sermon CDs and indoor playgrounds and age-graded children's ministries and nice parking signs and manicured landscaping and missed the bigger picture?

Have we been working on things that make us feel "emotionally" stable and comfortable, but missed the things that truly bring spiritual vitality and life, things that are on the precise mission of God?

And what does this mean...?

More to come.