Impact Team Goals (May, June, July)

Aesthetics 3 Month Goals: 

• Finish existing walking path
• Repair picnic tables, clean and restain
• Weed and re-mulch paths

Aesthetics Goals (Long-term)

• Firewood station
• Herb garden 
• Create an enclosed storage space
• Permanent tree hanging banner
• Green houses
• Signage
• Mailbox
• Flowers
• Dog run
• Build additional recycling stations

Visiting Neighbors and Neighborhood Hospitality 3 Month Goals:

• Monthly grief support basket for neighbors who have lost loved ones
• Give neighbors leftover food each week
• Be deliberate about listening to neighbors and finding ways to support them
• Supply nook for basket supplies

Community Events/Trees/Marketing 3 Month Goals:

• Developing a garden logo
• Plant three more trees and get all signs up
• Get signs up for trees already planted
• Host community events 1 each month in the summer - brainstorm ideas for interesting additions to the events
• Maintain consistency in all marketing across all platforms

Garden Goals 3 Month Goals: 

• Consistency in gardening and community presence
• Participation from the community
• Rigging up a clothesline for growing vines upright
• Distributing produce baskets in the community
• Figuring out a system to let neighbors know when produce is ripe and ready

Sustainability Impact Team 3 Month Goals: 

• Build out bottom part of recycling container to collect batteries and other future items that aren't picked up by normal recycling. 
• Add educational pieces about sustainability to garden newsletter
• Host 1 community trash pickup in the next 2 months
• Create composting education magnets to give out

Heaven and Hospitality

What do you get when you combine community grown, homemade salsa, water balloons, neighbors and a garden cat? July's Community Potluck. Click here to see images.

Thanks to everyone who came out to offer hospitality, and specifically those who did the work to pull off this event. 

We saw a lot of beautiful and diverse faces. 

This is truly a way we see the Kingdom of Heaven breaking into our lives, our city and our world. 

When we offer hospitality and invite our neighbors to the table we get more than we give:

... We gain a deeper understanding of those that live next door.
... The bonds for a community are built up.
... A sense of pride is gained for the place we live.
... God's vision of 'love for neighbor' has an opportunity to be experienced.

Headed for the Vineyard

“But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go, work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹ “He answered, ‘I don’t want to!’ Yet later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ Then the man went to the other and said the same thing.
“‘I will, sir,’ he answered. But he didn’t go.
³¹ “Which of the two did his father’s will?”
“The first,” they said.
Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you!
-Matthew 21:28-31 (HCSB)

Jesus says this to a group of chief priests and elders… Apparently it doesn’t matter under what title you’re going by… how religious you think you are… but the Kingdom of Heaven is filled with people who have Heard and Responded… who Go and Do...

Its almost funny how much we love to say "yes" to things. Saying yes to someone or some project almost makes you feel powerful or important, or perhaps you're just too compassionate for your own good, or maybe you just never learned how to say "no"....

We live in a world of "YES's!" And the yes becomes glorified! Ironically praised despite whether or not we go to the vineyard. Actually it's a surprise when someone does go.
I mean who really believes the promises of those diet plans or politicians?
Or that friend who says they'll call you sometime... the classic "we'll get together soon!"?
"YES!"

What does it mean that God calls us to be part of a kingdom that exists out of a different framework? To be a people who radically goes into the vineyard?