We have moved from trying to discern where the church plant will be in Whatcom County to now discerning where it will be in the city of Bellingham. Our initial leanings are to one of the neighborhoods surrounding the campus of Western Washington University (number 15 on the map). If you know Bellingham this means we begun our search in the neighborhoods of Sehome, York, South Hill, Fairhaven, and Happy Valley (numbers 11, 14, 16, 17, and 19 on the map. The map is from www.livebellingham.com/ if you're curious). This is the initial circle where I've spent the last couple weeks praying through the places and looking for neighborhood hang outs / gathering points. As I finish this initial "look/prayer over" I'm going to return the the neighborhoods that God left an impression and spend some significant time in the neighborhood's coffee shops, parks, etc. to try and get to know folks there.
During this month I'm hoping to connect w/ ministry, church, and community leaders, as well as key individuals, to network and begin discerning together both where we'll be, but also who we'll focus on and who will join us. "People and place" is out prayer. I'm also hoping to check out some Bellingham social and neighborhood networks of interest, whether its running clubs, neighborhood associations, service clubs, or something along those lines. When we feel a definite leaning toward a certain section of town, we'll begin looking for a place to live that will facilitate our vision of ministry. Then we'll move from Lynden to Bellingham, and jump further into outreach. It is an exciting and scary time, which forces us to always put ourselves before the cross, seeking His direction and submitting to His will. Anyone up for an adventure?
We have moved from trying to discern where the church plant will be in Whatcom County to now discerning where it will be in the city of Bellingham. Our initial leanings are to one of the neighborhoods surrounding the campus of Western Washington University (number 15 on the map). If you know Bellingham this means we begun our search in the neighborhoods of Sehome, York, South Hill, Fairhaven, and Happy Valley (numbers 11, 14, 16, 17, and 19 on the map. The map is from www.livebellingham.com/ if you're curious). This is the initial circle where I've spent the last couple weeks praying through the places and looking for neighborhood hang outs / gathering points. As I finish this initial "look/prayer over" I'm going to return the the neighborhoods that God left an impression and spend some significant time in the neighborhood's coffee shops, parks, etc. to try and get to know folks there. 
During this month I'm hoping to connect w/ ministry, church, and community leaders, as well as key individuals, to network and begin discerning together both where we'll be, but also who we'll focus on and who will join us. "People and place" is out prayer. I'm also hoping to check out some Bellingham social and neighborhood networks of interest, whether its running clubs, neighborhood associations, service clubs, or something along those lines. When we feel a definite leaning toward a certain section of town, we'll begin looking for a place to live that will facilitate our vision of ministry. Then we'll move from Lynden to Bellingham, and jump further into outreach. It is an exciting and scary time, which forces us to always put ourselves before the cross, seeking His direction and submitting to His will. Anyone up for an adventure?
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