Archive for the 'Planning' CategoryPage 2 of 3

Am I going to get a call?

Published
by
Melissa DiPento
on June 2, 2008
in Community and Planning
. 3 Comments

During my senior year of high school in Bucks County, I felt like I was being called to go to school in Philadelphia and pursue my passion for writing and following what was going on in the world. So I went to Temple University for journalism.

During my years at Temple, I had spent most of my time covering sports for Temple’s student newspaper. Somewhere in the past year or so, I felt called to branch outside of sports and to write about news, Philadelphia, politics and the local communities surrounding Temple—things that I cared a lot about.

And now I’m waiting for something else.

I just graduated from Temple last week and am now faced with the daunting task of finding my first real job.

Philadelphia is everything I had ever hoped for in a city and to have the chance to write about the news here is my dream. I care a lot about the city and am very interested in writing about things that are important to the people who live here.

I am trying hard to stay here in Philadelphia. I’m part of a wonderful community here at Circle and I feel closer to God now than I ever have been. My family and friends are all here, too. I feel so compelled to stay here, yet I feel like the outside world and the demands of my chosen career are telling me the opposite.

Since Philadelphia is in the Top 5 media markets, it is hard for me to find a secure job here in what I want to do. I’ve applied and interviewed at places that are certainly not close enough to commute from Philly. I went into one job interview last week in Central Pennsylvania with the premonition that I was going to hate it. I actually really liked it and could see myself working there and enjoying the job.

I realize I am going to have to make sacrifices for a job, but I’m not sure if I can sacrifice leaving Philadelphia. I was brought up to think that making money is not the most important thing in life and that being close to loved ones and doing a job you enjoy and love are more important.

I guess at this point in my life, I expected that God would be calling me to be doing something specific, somewhere specific. And now that I’m at the point where I have to start making some big decisions, I feel stressed and burdened by the choices I have to make.

After the interview yesterday, I called my dad and he was surprised when I told him I could actually picture myself working there. A couple of weeks ago, he told me that God would be with me no matter where I lived and worked. It seems obvious, but at the time, I had a temporary brain malfunction and had forgotten that simple, but true concept.

Even still, I am continuing to struggle with the idea of not feeling called to be anywhere. I know I am called to do something, but I am struggling with where I need to be to do it. Does it matter where I use my talents?

I have been trying to pray about it lately and that has cleared my mind. At this point, I’m just praying and trying to leave it up to God.

Why Plant Circle of Hope in Camden?

Published
by
Nate Hulfish
on May 6, 2008
in Action, Community, Dialogue and Planning
. 7 Comments

It is the poorest city in America. In 2007, it was the 5th most dangerous city in the country (it was the most dangerous in 2004 and 2005). It is home to less than 80,000 people. It has 3 college campuses downtown and a bevy of developing local attractions. It is ethnically and culturally diverse. It is growing. It has unimaginable needs. It has untapped resources. It is passed by and passed through on a regular basis by people with no consciousness of the needs or the potential. It is made up of and surrounded by an ever growing population of people who simply need hope. Some of them have already entered our circle. They are in our cells, they frequent our public meetings. You probably know them.

One of our friends called it, “just like Philly without any of the good stuff.”

We are the good stuff, Circle of Hope. We have good stuff to offer. Let’s bring the good stuff. Because people need Jesus. Our God is saving the world and there are thousands of people who might partner with him to embrace hope and bring hope if they were just asked the simple question…“do you want to help God save the world with Jesus?”

We are a circle of hope in Jesus Christ called to be a safe place to explore and express God’s love. We build the church for the next generation by the power of the Holy Spirit, multiplying cells that are authentic expressions of life in Christ, forming congregations as diverse as the kingdom of God, and constructing a reconciling network to bring hope to the challenges of 21st century urban life.

Wow!

That’s who we are and what we do. Are you ready to be who we are and do what we do in Camden? It’s a good mission to have. Camden is a good place to have that mission.

Perhaps you’ll pray with us…perhaps you’ll plant with us…we’re doing it together. I can’t wait to see where God takes us!

Urban Farm Team Update

Published
by
Matt McFarland
on March 6, 2008
in Action, Circle Venture, Community, Dialogue and Planning
. 0 Comments

However inappropriate it may seem right now, Spring has been on our minds. The Urban Farm team has put in our seed order, is setting up the florescent lights in the basement Grow-Lab and is trying to get our plan in place for the upcoming season. Our friend, Dan, has been working over the winter adding more plating space, paths and a whole new design to the south side of the garden, we can’t wait to see how it turns out. For the past few years, we’ve been working on adding a little bit of color to Frankford Avenue by working on our large garden, growing a variety of flowers, vegetables, and fruit trees. It’s a place where we can be reminded that there’s more out there just than concrete and brick, experience a change of season, and maybe get a fresh bite to eat. There’s always people around, and we’ve made so many friends from people just stopping by and wanting to do some work outside. We’ve always relied on the help from all of you: the weeding, new construction and clean up of the relentless tide of trash the blows in - and this year is no exception. Please, drop in to help out, or just drop in to walk around or hang out. If you’re interested in joining the team and being a part of the next stage where we start a small scale urban vegetable farm, drop us a line.

Another way to help out this year is by participating in our nursery sale fundraiser. As we’re starting seeds to plant in the garden, we’re also starting some to sell to help us cover the costs of operations. This spring, we’ll be selling:

  • Market Pack Veggies (6 pack): 2 Tomatoes (slicing & cherry), 2 Bell Pepper (Orange & Red) and 2 Eggplant.
  • Market Pack Herbs (6 pack): Classic herb mix of Italian basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano & other culinary herbs.
  • Also, individual seedlings of Cucumber, Zucchini, Rainbow Chard, herbs, tomatoes, peppers and Eggplants.

All you need is a sunny spot in your backyard, on your roof or balcony or even your front stoop and a container, and you can just transplant these packs and enjoy fresh veggies all summer while you also help keep the garden running for another year. Free compost is available from the Garden Center on Frankford Ave, and any bucket, enamel-ware pot from Circle Thrift or simple raised bed structure (with good drainage!) should be enough for any of these plants. We’re also going to be selling a pot-culture dwarf pea, called Tom Thumb, that can be grown inside on your window-sill. We’ll have complete care guides to go with any plants you take.

The sale will be in mid to late May, just as these plants are getting hardy enough to be put outside. We haven’t come up with the price for these yet, but the market packs should be under $10, and the individual pots will be just a couple bucks. We’ll post info on the dialogue as we get closer. These plants would make great gifts for your neighbors or family, and please spread the word!

To help us start the right number of seeds, it would be really helpful if you could let us know what you’d be interested in getting this Spring. Email us at urbanfarmteam@gmail.com with the quantity you might want, we won’t hold you to it, but it’ll help prevent us from having too few or too many seedlings come May. So enjoy your last few weeks of Winter and we’ll see you in the Spring.

music is not the only part of the PM

Published
by
Lauren Stichter
on February 21, 2008
in Community, Creative Arts, Dialogue and Planning
. 1 Comment

About a year ago, Joshua asked me if I’d like to “step-up” and become the Public Meeting Coordinator. As a PM Leader who loves to organize, teach and facilitate things, this offer made sense to me, and I easily accepted. Over the past year Joshua and I have been figuring out exactly what that role means. Currently Circle of Hope does not have this role defined yet. Because of this, I often bumble around trying to figure out what is mine to facilitate, and what is not. In an effort to begin to clarify this role, I have begun to think about exactly what I do as the PM Coordinator. I co-lead a team of musicians, organize love feast music, organize Evensong, recruit musicians, meet with the PM Leaders once a month, help create and maintain the PM team covenants, I got the L&A team rolling, etc. Nothing is in writing yet, and some of these responsibilities will change too, but I like that by thinking about these things and discussing them with Joshua, I get to figure out exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

The one thing that became confusing about this new title of PM coordinator was that I often got emails from other teams (hosting, children’s, tech.) telling me that they couldn’t be in that Sunday, or asking me where to find someones email address from their own team. “That’s not really my job” I thought, and I often redirected these people to the coordinators of their own teams. I mentioned my annoyance about this issue to a friend recently and they said “but you’re the PM Coordinator, of course they think they should check in with you.” I responded by saying “well, I don’t actually coordinate the whole PM, I coordinate the PM teams.” To which they replied, “well I’m not a musician, but I think that my team IS a PM team. I help facilitate our Public Meetings too.” True! The music teams, aren’t THE PM Teams. We have lots of teams that help facilitate our Public Meetings- thank goodness! I wonder if my title should change, and if the title of our music teams should simply be that- Music Teams.

I assume Circle started the title PM Teams to steer away from calling our music teams, worship teams. Rightfully so, the music teams aren’t the only groups worshiping either. All of our teams, and basically we as a whole body and community, create an environment for us to worship in, and I love that music is not the only part of the PM at Circle of Hope.

West African Drumming Class and Black History Month

Published
by
Jay Beck
on February 16, 2008
in Action, Circle Venture, Community, Creative Arts, Dialogue, Friends Projects and Planning
. 2 Comments

I want to share with you some classes coming up and to reflect a bit on why I am so passionate about it and why you should be too! I was really excited last week when Johnny Rashid brought up at our Public Meeting what the Reconciliation Team has been discussing. I am so grateful that we have a team concentrating on issues of cross-cultural understanding and healing.

As some of you already know, because you took the class last year or because you are just brilliant, music is a powerful way that we can begin to communicate and understand each other across cross-cultural dividers. When we learn and try to hear what people from other cultures are expressing in their collective artistic communal voices, it can sometimes be a bright light that illumines our understanding of the way they see the world and also their struggles and joys.

So, I want to offer a drum class this year as an extension of meditating on and actively learning something active about Black History. I know this month is specifically focusing on African-American history, but it truly should not be separated. The world –views and cultural truths and strengths of the African peoples whether still in Africa or not are connected and are in desperate need of recovery and understanding here in America by both blacks and whites and everybody. These are timeless truths and long-tested ways of communicating that should be celebrated by all peoples.

The Reconciliation Team needs some help right now, so please if this resonates with you—get up and do something about reconciliation. Move with your body and mind to understand others and to bring healing.

Class Info:

Learn the intense and exciting polyrhythmic drum music from west africa.

Class will cover history, technique, cultural significance, and musical traditions of the djembe, dununba, sangban, kenkeni, gonkogui, and shekere.

8 week class beginning Feb. 27
7:00-9:00pm
wednesday evenings
@ 2130 N. Hancock St.
Philadelphia, PA. 19122
$15 a week

contact: jay beck
734-945-3225
jay@psalters.org

any skill level welcome
some drums provided, but bring your own if you have one.

(expanded version of this post at Jay’s myspace here.)

Click here for more info about psalters, here for more info about Circle Venture or our other mission teams such as the Reconciliation team and psalters.

birthing the Next Thing

Published
by
Dave Valentine
on February 14, 2008
in Community, Dialogue and Planning
. 2 Comments

Well, here we are almost a year later and we’ve come to the close of one process, and the beginning of something great for Circle. The search for the Director of Operations is at its end and within a couple of days we will be able to announce the person who will lead us into one of our next phases of development as a body. As the person who’s had the pleasure of shepherding the selection process I am even more amazed at how we partner with Jesus to do what we do, and how honoring it is to people.

We spent the last month and a half gathering the names of six great people who decided they wanted to pursue this impossible role. Very different people, all with varying degrees of experience and connection to the community, but at the same time all of them had, in their own way, a lot of passion about serving the community and finding a way to integrate their faith with their work-life.

Our interview team took on the task of handling the first round, and did it in style. The team was made up of members from both congregations, and consisted of people with a lot of experience as well as some for whom this was their first time interviewing someone. It was a great process that allowed people the chance to participate in something that they may or may not have the opportunity to in their places of work. I was impressed by the questions people asked and the seriousness with which they approached these discussions. Especially since many of them were interviewing their friends! Capping the process was a feedback mechanism which ended with four of the six being selected to go to the final round with the coordinators. Kudos to the interview team for all of their hard work and discernment.

During the interviews one of the things that was refreshing for me was the honesty with which we were able to communicate with the candidates. They reciprocated by being honest with us about their apprehensions and things that, in a different setting, they might have been inclined to come up with some grandiose way to massage an answer. This process was honest, and organic, and allowed the candidates to really grapple with what it was going to mean for them to attempt to meet the call of this role.

As we entered the final night of interviews with the Coordinators I felt a great sense of relief that the Next Thing was about to be birthed. And the night felt like it had that sense of birthing a common discernment. One of the special things was seeing candidates hug each other as they passed on their ways in and out. Watching the camaraderie of them really pulling for each other, and also their statements of support for whoever was selected, was very Jesus like and encouraging to watch.

I was honored to be a part of this time for Circle and I’m excited to see the fruits of all the work we’ve accomplished over the last year. I’m glad that we try to really follow the growing pattern that Jesus lays out for us. Fruit. Vines. Wheat. The seeds coming up out of the good soil, with plenty of water and sunlight. We should cherish the organic nature of how we discern with each other through the Holy Spirit. We can trust it, and grow in the safety of it.

working with Jesus during Advent

Published
by
Joshua Grace
on December 14, 2007
in Action, Community, Dialogue, Family and Planning
. 2 Comments

I can’t believe that we’re half way through the season of Advent-it’s gone by quickly for me.  There are a lot of themes going on, surprises (see earlier post), as well as Jesus looking to make a home in us/looking to make a home in Christ.  I hope you haven’t been missing out, and it’s not too late for something meaningful to transpire by any stretch.
I have been talking to a lot of people this week about how they are preparing for Jesus to come or where Jesus needs to come.   I’m really interested in how we’re helping this child get birthed, kinda like like Mary & Joseph all those years ago.

Some people are new to having a season that means more than their family traditions (some meaningful, some not so much).  For others it’s the highlight of the year.  This year I started off kinda rough, with some sick extended family and other reminders of how broken I am.  After those first couple days, I am deciding to let the hurting places, the broken relationships, and my hope for restoration be the landing pad that I pray for Christ to come.

Everything might not get put back together the way that I want, but me changing me-going from hopelessly sitting with my hurts to being where I’m broken and giving it to God is transformative.  Wherever and however he comes will be miraculous, and I hope to do my part to help with the birthing process.

Where is the baby coming this year in us?  Where in you does the baby need to come and bring healing, hope, and new life?

Dec 24, at 10:45pm we’ll get together at 1125 s. Broad to welcome in midnight, to welcome in the Savior (see earlier post) .

surprises

Published
by
Rod White
on November 29, 2007
in Community, Dialogue and Planning
. 2 Comments

Our whole advent/12 days of Christmas at Broad and Washington is devoted to the thought of being “surprised by joy.” God manages to get to us in the most unusual ways and at the strangest times. I have been noticing Him doing that in relation to all the stimulating talk we are having about developing into a more capable church.

Thank God we did not hire the Pastor of Operations when we wanted to, last June! We weren’t ready. At the time, I was disappointed, but now I am surprised. We managed to fall into a very helpful transition period that I wish I would have planned! The Discernment Group process has reaffirmed how good this period has been for us as I see people catching up with what God has made of us and getting excited about the future. The creation of the CoHOp and several new teams has created all sorts of dialogue, called forth new leaders and awakened us to all our potential. It is very exciting.

As I have been pondering what we are becoming, I have been focused on three “A’s.” Anarchy. Ambition. Apprenticeship. I have been hearing a call for them as we have our dialogue about the future. Each “A” is full of the surprises that will mark our future joy, I think.

Anarchy is the way to our future. I don’t mean utter chaos, or dissatisfied people wrecking the status quo to make a point. But I do mean enough chaos and some holy dissatisfaction that gets people creating what’s next. Right now we are having a small discussion about how we care for children because our children’s cell at B/W needed to multiply! That caused logistical and relational shifts. It caused a Coordinator and our Children’s Team to lead. It got us thinking. That’s what we need.

Ambition is also the way to our future. I don’t mean Michael Douglas in Wall Street ambition. But I do mean being “greedy” for good deeds, for eternity, for making a difference. At the Discernment Group meeting the other night, one of the small groups suggested a goal that read something like, “Do compassionate service, with feeling this time.” That’s the spirit! We have so many gifts and talents. We have people who can lead things. We should imagine what we can do and risk what we’ve got to do it.

Apprenticeship is elemental to our path to the future. I don’t mean perpetually being second-in-command, or waiting for someone else to take the initiative or tell you what to do. I mean being people who apprentice others — primarily in faith, being people who help others become apprenticers, being people who freely give the good we’ve been given. We’re already kind of good at it — we have 43 cells with a leader and an apprentice. And we are getting even better. There is a whole cadre of 30-40 something people among us (not exclusively that age, of course) who are glowing on the Vine like ripe fruit, stepping into leadership. They are just ripe for the picking — either they will give their fruit to be mashed up in the economic machine, or they will find creative ways to extend the kingdom (even by using that economic machine! — thank you Circle Thrift and UndaWater!). They are going to make an even bigger difference and bring others with them.

I guess a fourth “A” is Advent — Jesus is coming. When he comes in each of us, it is often such a surprise! — but a good one. And I can see him coming this Advent. Things are happening among us right on time in so many ways. Because Advent is about the chaos of change (babies in mangers). It is about the passion for more (following stars in the East). It is about the humility to be a vehicle for eternity (“May it be to me as you have said.”). I’m expecting all sorts of things I can’t expect.

In the autumn, in a season for changing

Published
by
Joshua Grace
on November 16, 2007
in Community, Dialogue, Family and Planning
. 1 Comment

Wind blows the dry leaves
Accenting the rich scarlet
For its time has come

Last week I got to go spend 30hrs or so at my favorite local hermitage. I’m still learning how to retreat well, and how to keep my regular discipline about getting away to be alone with God.

Sitting on the little deck of the hermitage, I was right on the edge of the woods. The wood was magnificent, leaves in the midst of changing color and falling off into a winter blanket for the earth. The air was crisp and cool, I was really in full readiness for Jesus to deliver to me my theme for the retreat and for the next couple months so that when I was asked by my friends “how was it” I wouldn’t just talk about how nice the bathrooms are there or something and talk about what Christ is saying.

Well, I waited for a while, journaled, read a couple books, drank tea and slept a bunch. I couldn’t get away from these trees (they were everywhere! kind of like Kensington!) and what they might be meaning. I didn’t get my one-liner, though…so what am I do? What can I do but wait on God, and be where I’m at.

It wasn’t until a week later that I began to understand the image a little more. The trees were being trees in a season of change, part of the ecosystem and doing their part. And it was beautiful. I want to be there, too.

The past few years I’ve been going through a lot of changes, especially 07 and looking at 08 it’s time to change more. It’s a season for Circle of Hope to change again. In the season for changing, I’m praying through a few statements.

1. I don’t want to fight to hang on to what I think I was like or the church was like during last season (try to be the green leaf tree in the middle of winter).

2. God is taking us into a new season, and I want to be that change and trust the Spirit’s ecosystem to put it all together.

3. We are like the forest. Letting things fall off and die is part of living. Spring will come, but first we must winter.

Our mapping process and Discernment Group meetings give us a lot of opportunity to process what we’ve been doing well and what we can do better. With that sense of God dwelling in us and the Spirit leading us we can be present to the changes and move to what’s next.

Worn out in a good way

Published
by
Rod White
on November 1, 2007
in Community, Dialogue, Partnerships and Planning
. 1 Comment

When I was talking to Eric the other day, I had to stop at one point and say, “You know, you were here when there were about fifty people in the church. Now there are about 450. That’s a good thing!” (That’s 450 in both congregations combined, for those who don’t know we are 1 church in 2 congregations and 42 cells, right now). I was sort of reminding myself, too, that it is a very good thing. Eric agreed that it has been a fun and productive decade. We dreamed we might get to do some of what we do. Having gone through the process of seeing our dreams realized, it is more amazing than we imagined! And it was hard, too.

Being changed, changing people, and working with God as he transforms people from the inside out is more than just hard. Relying on miracle everyday and then seeing them happen all the time can wear you out, but in a good way. What I mean is: it wears out my ability to not rely on miracle and wears out my ability to keep myself at the center of things. The process of watching Circle of Hope grow and change rather uncontrollably, most of the time unpredictably, has worn out my ability to claim I had a whole lot to do with it, really (although Eric and I did show up for it!). Seeing people stick with God and the church and complain and criticize even as they love and nurture, seeing them claim they can’t do it and then triumph repeatedly, seeing someone after someone resist the Holy Spirit and then give in to God’s persistent love, has just worn out my ability to doubt that God is with us. What a blessing.

Now we are blessed with changing some more. It is wearing people out. At 450 you can’t be involved in everything our even know everyone. Some leaders (like me) need to start doing things and relating differently. We need new structures (like CoHOp is building) that bring more entrepreneurs and managers into the leadership. Caring people who were comfortable with the old days need to get new insight, step up, and take their new opportunities (like Eric, and Forest, and Zach, and Tracey, and Lauren, and Jesse, and Liz and Jonny, and so many others are doing – amazing!). What is coming up next year will give us ample opportunity to step up; we’ve been trying to warn you. It could be a big, tiresome mess, as usual. How wonderful to have much more opportunity for God to be revealed.