Group led by George Suriya

So what does it look like to be missional in your community? What does it mean to know the culture around you? Well, we prayed about it. Inspired by Pastor Mark’s prayer series, we took a prayer walk around the Phinney Ridge neighborhood where our community group meets. We prayed over Green Lake to the east as the sun set on all the joggers, strollers and dog walkers. We prayed over Ballard to the west for all the growth and transition taking place there. We prayed for the 9 coffee shops on Greenwood between the two Starbucks on 67th and 85th. We prayed for the schools in the neighborhood and the Zoo. And we prayed for the Phinney Neighborhood Center across the street. This center is a significant outpost to the Phinney and Greenwood neighborhood. Hundreds of people walk through those doors every week for classes, workshops, daycare, co-op preschool, Farmer’s Market, concerts, festivals, etc.

As we walked around we noticed a group of people working in the garden and park area. We learned that they were a group of volunteers cleaning and landscaping the park. They were volunteering over the next few Mondays and coincidentally enough, our group meets on Mondays. What a perfect opportunity to come alongside our fellow neighbors and serve the community in this small way.

The following Monday evening, after we ate dinner together, with trowels and shears in hand, we weeded and trimmed the Heart of Phinney Park on a perfect August summer night. We pulled weeds, had great conversations, and met a few neighbors. Not life changing by any means, but significant enough to open our eyes to future opportunities in our neighborhood.

We tend to want to go from Christian event, to Christian meeting, to Christian social outing, etc. We compartmentalize our calendars. But being missional means integrating yourself into the pulse of the community, not isolating yourself in a Christian bubble. We hope to become more integrated within the fabric of the Phinney neighborhood and participate in the lives of our neighbors.

The harvest is right outside our front doors and it’s time for us laborers to get to work.

~Dani, Jessica, Jacob, Justin, Katylin, Kellen, Lindsey, Paul, Paula, Priscilla, Rosemary, Sally, Travis, and George