The Reality of Spread

After a year of prayer & preparation we finally began the launch of our second campus!

This is a tradition that began and was even commissioned by Jesus himself;  “Go therefore and make disciples.” How fulfilling it is to see this taking place in our city. The work isn’t behind us, but before us. As rewarding as it was, it was definitely the hardest work I have ever done. Oh my… from putting together a team, finding meeting places, getting finances together… wow.

We have spent hours walking up and down the streets of our new neighborhood asking the Father to show us something that is missing in this part of town. So many folks have asked, “What’s next?”  I respond, “This is the year of listening.” We must take some time to walk with these neighbors and listen to their stories. Hear what the needs are and what isn’t being done yet from other churches or ministries in this city. There are plenty of needs, and a particular reason the Spirit has sent us here.

We have spent hours walking up and down the streets of our new neighborhood asking the Father to show us something that is missing in this part of town. So many folks have asked, “What’s next?”  I respond, “This is the year of listening.” We must take some time to walk with these neighbors and listen to their stories. Hear what the needs are and what isn’t being done yet from other churches or ministries in this city. There are plenty of needs, and a particular reason the Spirit has sent us here.

I walked into the Neidhammer Coffee Co., the coffee shop in the same building we meet, and one of our newest members was already there to meet me for our chat. The baristas finished up our cups of coffee and we got to learn each other’s stories of how we got to Indy and eventually found ourselves working with Diversity Church. I asked the same questions I do often, “What do you believe the greatest need is here in the city?”  She took a moment; even though she has only been living in Indy for a year, she was confident in how she was going to respond.

“Addiction,” she said,  “I’ve lived in Chicago and I’ve seen all kinds of things there, but I’ve seen things here I’ve never seen before. Sometimes I look at someone walking down the street as if in a ‘haze’. Like there is a sense of hopelessness I’ve not seen in other cities.”

As I continue to meet with people over the next few months, we will also be doing things like free movie nights in the park.  We'll be having days at the local laundromat that we as a church sponsor so folks can get their laundry done for free. We’ll be going to poetry nights, and other events to meet as many people as we can. We will learn their stories and share ours with Jesus as the center.

-Cheers.

Jon Collier

Jon serves as a Campus Pastor and the Director of Missional Communities at Diversity Church.