I am often asked, “how do you talk with someone who is homeless?” I have come to believe the question behind this question is “how do I talk to someone who is a stranger?” We are taught early on not to talk to strangers. Everyone finds comfort in talking with friends who they have a lot in common and for me- I am not a very extroverted person, so I would prefer to go really deep with fewer friends. But when I am volunteering, I have often been told meaningful relationships can help people get to a place where they are ready to get back on their feet. When you volunteer at the Mission there are many opportunities to just talk and hang out with the guests (people in program). For some people t
We are still getting reports in from the awesome CityServe events that took place this summer (with more to come), not only in Seattle Public Schools, but also in other districts in King County. This week we have a blog post from a Principal of one of the schools served. What a great testament to the gospel when it is applied in service to our neighbors! Thank you Principal Holtgraves for this week's write-up: Early Saturday August 11th, dozens of volunteers from Lake Burien Presbyterian Church arrived at the Seahurst Elementary campus ready to tackle our neglected landscape. Adelle orchestrated the event by ensuring that there was enough bark/compost being delivered by Burien Bark. Thei
The numbers are still coming in on how many folks served, but the fact is multiple churches from around Seattle served 19 schools in the Seattle Schools this summer. This past weekend, we toured West Seattle, where six congregations served four schools: Madison Middle School, Chief Sealth High School, Sanislo Elementary and Highland Park Elementary. Dawn Zern writes about the experience... We have all heard it said, “like oil and water, some things just don’t mix.” Right? And then we go and make salad dressing. Vinaigrette is made by blending two liquids that are immiscible: oil and vinegar. The fancy name for it is emulsifying. We emulsify things that don’t blend together naturally. We oft
