Parish House
A Church Among the People of a Neighborhood
Lee Beach opens his book, The Church In Exile, with a fascinating true story of how Canada celebrated their 100th anniversary as a sovereign nation-state on July 1, 1967. The celebration included the prime minister reading 1 Peter 3:8-14, a prayer fo confession for the nation’s sins, Christian hymns being sung, and a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.
Fast-forward thirty-four years later, to September 14, 2001. A memorial service was held to commemorate the lives that had been lost in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. There were no Christian clergy or any other religious leaders invited to participate in this memorial service. Nor were there any scriptures read, prayers offered, or hymns sung, and no seeking of God’s justice. What happened?
The cultural context changed. Christianity went from being the dominant religion to being one faith option among many options. As a result of the changing cultural context, how will Christian faith communities be witnesses? Be centered in Christ? Preach the gospel? And as we wrestle with the implications for our churches in a shifting cultural context, what text of Scripture will shape our ecclesial imaginations?
Luke 10:1-12
I grew up in a small faith community that has deep roots within the Churches of Christ. I remember missionaries arriving to tell stories of living out the words of Matthew 28:19, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” In the 1980s, in a country-wide evangelism campaign called Good News Is For Sharing, I can remember banners and slogans, door-knocking campaigns, and Bibles delivered to households—because Matthew 28:19 was our guiding text. And when Matthew 28 is our guiding text, the church rushes out to proclaim Christ, unafraid of what lies before us.
Matthew 28 is an important and vital text for the church. It’s not, however, the only text that shapes our ecclesial imagination. The text of Scripture that shapes my ministry and the ministry of the Newmarket Church of Christ is Luke 10:1-12. In this text, Jesus sends us to (1) pray for laborers while we are doing the work of harvesting, (2) to look for people of peace and when found, (3) to stay eating, drinking, healing and announcing the nearness of God’s kingdom. If, however, we cannot find people of peace, we are to (4) leave and shake the dust off our feet.
One day, through a series of events, we walked across the street and into the neighborhood known as Newmarket Heights. Surprisingly—we discovered people of peace. We met Jenny, Susan, Erica, Kerri and many others, including an elementary school with administrators and teachers extending peace. As a result of discovering people who offered the gift of hospitality in numerous ways, we stayed, eating and drinking with many of our neighbors and while eating and drinking, we found ways to heal and also announce the nearness of God’s kingdom.
After many years of living with and for our neighbors, the idea of moving a missionary into the neighborhood started to emerge. What would it look like, if instead of hiring a second minister to run programs for the church, we moved a missionary into the neighborhood so that the missionary and his/her family could build upon the established friendships, share meals, offer and receive hospitality to our neighbors, and continue the kingdom work we’ve been engaged in over many years? We call this vision The Parish House.
The Parish House
To introduce the Parish House vision, let me tell the story of St. Patrick (the patron saint of Ireland). The story begins when Patrick is allegedly kidnapped at the age of sixteen from his village on account of a band of Irish marauders on a raid. Taken to Ireland against his will, Patrick began to herd sheep for a local chieftain in the northern part of Ireland. Deprived of food and clothes and living in isolation, Patrick began to pray.
Six years into his captivity, an angel appeared in a dream and told him of a ship leaving Ireland. Patrick walked across 200 miles and boarded a cargo ship bound for the European continent. Eventually, Patrick made his way back to his family in Great Britain. At home with his family once again, the religious visions returned. This time, Patrick heard the voice of the Irish call out, “We beg you, holy boy, to come and walk again among us.”
As Christ gave up his life for the sake of the world, in what ways does the local church give its life away for the sake of the neighborhood? In what ways does the church love in the shape of the cross?
Eventually, after receiving some religious training, being appointed a deacon, and consecrated as a bishop, Patrick asked for an assignment as a missionary to Ireland. Patrick moved back to Ireland and walked among the people.
The Parish House is a way for the Newmarket Church of Christ to walk among the people who call a specific neighborhood—Newmarket Heights—home. It’s a way to become embedded in the neighborhood, learning to receive the gifts of the neighborhood, while eating, drinking, healing, and announcing the nearness of God’s kingdom.
A Week In the Life of the Parish House
So what does a “week in the life of the Parish House” look like? Let’s imagine together it’s the third week of the month. The church has gathered on Sunday in worship. We have communed with Christ and each other at the Table; we have centered our lives around the Word; we’ve prayed for each other and the world and we are now sent out to live our worship in the world.
Sunday: A day of worship.
Monday: A time of prayer for the neighbors. Checking in with certain neighbors as one walks the neighborhood. A time of journaling “what are we seeing in the neighborhood?” Visiting the local coffee shop to meet the neighbors.
Tuesday: Communicating with our neighbors about the upcoming neighborhood meal. Volunteering in the local school. Eating lunch with staff and children of the school. A time of prayer for the neighbors. Hosting an evening event for the youth of the neighborhood at the local school gym.
Wednesday: Preparing for the neighborhood meal where church and neighbors sit down and share a meal together in the evening. Sharing life with our neighbors around a shared meal.
Thursday: A time of study and prayer. One has been invited to share a meal with some neighbors at their house in the evening. A walk through the neighborhood and doing “front porch visits” while helping organize and run an evening drop-in program for the youth at the local high school.
Friday: An unexpected knock on the door. It’s the neighbors who need some breakfast. A shared breakfast and sending the kids off to school. Spending more time in the local elementary schools. Reflecting on who are the people of peace that have welcomed us. Preparing for an evening of shared life around the Table and Bible study with neighbors. Invitations are extended to join in communal worship.
Saturday: A day of rest.
Cruciform Way of Ministry
The apostle Paul calls the church the body of Christ. Thus, as Christ gave up his life for the sake of the world, in what ways does the local church give its life away for the sake of the neighborhood? In what ways does the church love in the shape of the cross? Our way is to move a missionary into the neighborhood to live with and for the people; to share meals; to announce God’s kingdom and to participate in the healing work of Christ. The Parish House is a way of ministry that allows us to walk among the people.
Nathan Pickard, D.Min has served alongside the Newmarket Church of Christ in Newmarket, Ontario for 20 years and holds a Doctor of Ministry in missional theology from Abilene Christian University. Nathan is married to Katie, and has two boys who play hockey, which means Nathan has become a hockey coach. Nathan is also an avid outdoorsman.