Earlier this year, a new 'town center' opened near our church. Known as 'The Greene' this town center is a retail shopping district, complete with stores, entertainment, and luxury apartment living. The complex looks like an old downtown district complete with a town square and the ambiance is really cool. Since it opened, Maya and I have been contemplating the need for ministry in a place like this. There will soon be lots of people living there, not to mention working there and shopping there. Have you ever considered the unique ministry opportunity that exists for people who work in retail? Anyways, we recently found out about a ministry being coordinated at the Greene by a group called Groundz4living. This group has garnered support of the developer who owns the Greene as well as many of the store managers to conduct ministry at the Greene. They plan to offer occasional Christian music offerings in the town square, as well as Christian teaching opportunities for workers, shoppers, and residents of the Greene. The Greene has let them operate a Live Nativity for the Christmas season! Pretty cool stuff! If you google Groundz4living, you'll find some info on them. They don't have a website yet to my knowledge. I think that it is an interesting approach to ministry, but a bold one, to step outside the walls of the church, and go out to the market, rather than building all your programs etc in your church and waiting for people to come to you. Maya and I plan to connect with this group and will update you as to what else we find out. To my knowledge, this is a unique ministry that has not been tried elsewhere.
God bless,
Rich
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