Community Outreach

[Gregory Matthews]

The Boulder SDA Church is attempting to become an active participant in the life of the community.  As part of its reorganization, it has a section of leadership the is dedicated to developing new methods of reaching out to the community. This group of leaders consists of a broad spectrum of its members--youth, retired, health care employees, Phd. scientists and more.  AS part of this evaluation, this group considered the fact that this area is known for it emphasis on healthful living to include vegetarian/vegan diets.  So, it decided to attempt to reach this community.

 

A website has been established where people with vegetarian/vegan interests can meet and communicate:

 

http://www.meetup.com/boulder-vegetarian-cooking-community

 

It is not an exclusive SDA website.  Rather it is a website where such people can meet and communicate.  But, it will have a SDA  presence.  You will note that it has only been open for a short period of time.

 

As such,  it was decided that a professionally responsible cooking school would be held which focused on a "plant based" diet rather than a vegetarian/vegan diet.  People would be invited to attend, and

the school would be live-streamed over the Internet would allow for Internet viewing at a later time.  That school was held yesterday evening (January 24, 2015).  More than 30 people attended, which include some non-SDA, community people. 

 

That was the first step.  In an additional outreach, members to the community are invited to attend the monthly potluck that the Boulder congregation has at 12 Noon, once a month.  Community people are invited to bring their favorite vegetarian/vegan dish to share.  You will find the announcement of the next (February 14) potluck listed on the website.

 

As the website is intended to be a community website, you may find announcements posted that might not be posted in a SDA Church.

 

In any case, this is an innovative outreach to the community.  Yes, it does have some aspects of a traditional SDA approach.  The Boulder congregation wishes to combine the new with that which has worked well in the past.  It does not automatically throw out what has been done in the past.  It is willing to experiment and see what works.

 

For those who wish to view congregational meetings, they may be viewed at:

 

https://new.livestream.com/bouldersdachurch

 

To view the congregational events stored on the above website you will need to either sign in through Facebook, or you can sign in through listing your e-mail address and a password.  The password is:  SDA7sda

 

The cooking school, is available for viewing as well as other congregational services.

[JoeMo]

A "grass roots" group from several area churches (mostly SDA; but not all) now get together in a park near downtown Denver on the 1st and 3rd Sabbaths of every month to feed the poor and homeless, and to pass out clothes and sundry items.  Some come drunk or stoned (mostly the homeless - not many church members  ); but that's OK!  They get a good meal, some clothes, some music, and a sermon!  We get some rough customers (the police have checked us out on occasion) but everyone seems to put on their "happy face" and good behavior when we're there.

[Gregory Matthews]

Sounds good to me.  As I previously posted,  The Boulder church houses the homeless one night a week, in cooperation with other area churches.  We had 72, recently.  The people we house are those  who are beyond the capability of the local agency to house.

[JoeMo]

If we had a church building, we would likely do the same; but we're homeless ourselves - we rent the Comedy Club off I-25 on the south side of town on Sabbath mornings.  It's a funny place to go to church (pun intended).  Bible class at 9:15 am; worship at 10:30.

[joeb]

A "grass roots" group from several area churches (mostly SDA; but not all) now get together in a park near downtown Denver on the 1st and 3rd Sabbaths of every month to feed the poor and homeless, and to pass out clothes and sundry items.  Some come drunk or stoned (mostly the homeless - not many church members  ); but that's OK!  They get a good meal, some clothes, some music, and a sermon!  We get some rough customers (the police have checked us out on occasion) but everyone seems to put on their "happy face" and good behavior when we're there.

JoeMo,

 

The way you wrote part of that it almost sounds like the police are the "rough customers".... 

 

That sounds like a very good program.  The local church here is wanting to build a community resource center to be used as a thrift store, a hot meals kitchen, a place for people to stay during a disaster, and a few other purposes.  Along with that there are plans to have a large community garden where people can come and work in it and get produce in return for their labor.