Flooding Out Into the Community
Shepherd’s Heart Anglican Church in Fairfax, VA has been flooding out into the community in creative ways over the last six weeks. Due to a water leak in our fellowship space in early August, and the subsequent damage, we have had to get creative in how we engage one another and the surrounding community after church on Sundays.
The first Sunday, we were out of our space, we had a cook out at a neighboring park, Ratcliffe Park in Fairfax Virginia. There we engaged the community and invited families that were enjoying the park to join us for lunch, getting to know and to love our neighbors and making new friends along the way.
The second Sunday, we were out of our space, we reserved a local restaurant, The Coyote Grill—a neighborhood institution and had them cater a celebration of the life, marriage, and ministry of Fr. Jerry and Kathie Brown, who have been married for 56 years, and who have served Shepherd’s Heart faithfully for decades. At lunch, we had the opportunity to celebrate the Browns, connect with one another over food and fellowship, and to get to know the wonderful people who serve at the Coyote Grill.
On the third Sunday, we met at Fair Oaks Mall after church to have lunch together and to pray and to meet people in the community. We enjoyed many conversations with people who were curious about who we were and what we were doing. We met many people and had many wonderful opportunities to share the love of Jesus, to pray over the mall, and to pray for people. Not to mention the food options were delicious!
On the fourth Sunday, we went to Van Dyke Park in Fairfax City for a Labor Day cook out. We grilled and we hung out together. We also got to meet a Muslim family who was doing their annual family reunion and cook out, and we were able to share about who we were and to share about our church with them. Everyone enjoyed a celebratory time together, and we acknowledged several birthdays and had cake.
On the fifth Sunday, we had “Take Someone to Lunch After Church Sunday” where everyone was encouraged to get to know someone new by taking them to lunch at their home or favorite restaurant. Our group went to Señor Tequilas where we had some amazing food and fellowship. Many people who had not spent time together before had the opportunity to get to know one another on a deeper level. It was a fantastic time.
This Sunday, we are doing coffee and donuts in our office space and sharing books from the church library and from our personal libraries with one another. I suspect this will be a caffeinated, sugar-filled, and intellectually stimulating time of food, fellowship, and sharing ideas with one another.
Winston Churchill knew a thing or two about crisis and is credited with saying “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Shepherd’s Heart Anglican has leveraged our little crisis of a water leak, and our temporary exile from our fellowship space, to flood out into our community and into one another’s lives, and I believe we are better as a result.
What are you and your church doing to connect with one another and your community these days? If you are looking for some ideas, feel free to share in what we have been up to.
Now, what will God have in store for us next week?
In Christ alone,
The Rev. Robbie Pruitt , Rector of Shepherd’s Heart Anglican in Fairfax, VA.
