what's with the Walnut Neighborhood?

This fall, Dave Bartlett, our visionary leader at Orchard Hill Church, has begun publicly talking about our church being called into the community of the Walnut Neighborhood in Waterloo. Perhaps you have some of these questions: "Where is the Walnut Neighborhood?" "How have we designated that neighborhood as an area of focus?" "What does it look like to partner with a neighborhood?" Good questions! I thought I'd take this blog post to address some of those questions.

First of all, the Walnut Neighborhood is located within these four perimeter streets: Franklin, E. 4th St., Dane, and Hway 63. It is the neighborhood of our partner church, Harvest Vineyard, and it is a neighborhood in which I've been called back into a number of times, each time with my heart growing more burdened for and in love with the neighborhood.

My first experience within the Walnut Neighborhood was the 32 years I went to church in the neighborhood at First Presbyterian. I recently had the privilege to speak at First Presbyterian on a Sunday morning. You can learn more about my heart and call to partner in the neighborhood by clicking here to read what I shared that morning.

Over the past four years, as our partnership and friendship has grown with friends at Harvest, relationships with children and adults in the neighborhood have also begun to blossom. In looking back, I would say that God has been using me as a catalyst for Christian community development, a connector, and somewhat of a chaplain in the neighborhood. I can "see" so many possibilities from and for the neighborhood, and I look forward to what God has in store as the great "Repairer of broken walls and Restorer of streets with dwellings."

The photo above is of 316 Walnut St. As of Friday, the house is now in the possession of Harvest Vineyard Church. This afternoon, eleven of us gathered in prayer and worship at the house as we dedicated it to Christ, surrendered it to God's good purposes, and committed to being his beloved community as we work together to restore the house so that it might be a Christian transitional home for men.

We believe God is at work and is binding together a missional community built on the foundation of Jesus Christ who will align with His heart and His redeeming work in the neighborhood!

Isaiah 58:12 "Your people will rebuild ancient ruins and will raise up age old foundations. You will be called Repairer of broken walls and Restorer of streets with dwellings."