Early in my calling, I felt led to a program that Meetinghouse Church (formerly Colonial Church) was invested in, Families Moving Forward (FMF) is a program of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative that housed families experiencing homelessness in church buildings around the Twin Cities. By the following year, I became the programs Congregational Coordinator for the church. Not long after this experience began, Along with Pastor Jeff and the chair of the mission’s team, I went for a tour of tiny home that Settled had built as a prototype. The Settled vision was to have churches build tiny homes that would then be placed in Sacred Settlements to become homes and neighborhoods for unhoused people. The following summer, myself and two other builders/church members, along with countless volunteers from the church and community built a tiny home in the church parking lot. Then there is Spring Fling, a free outdoor community music festival that was created out my need to fulfill an internship project in my first year at First Congregational. Complete with bouncy house, fun games, the local brewery food and drink wagon, and two live bluegrass bands, the vision was to invite the entire town and have some fun together while raising money and awareness for a mission. Spring Fling is now going on its 4 year and has raised thousands for UCC Ukraine Relief Fund, and two local Christian non-profit organizations.
