The role of the neighborhood church is changing. Weekly services, potlucks, weddings and baptisms are all still status quo, but Portland's churches have extended their reach beyond church walls and into the communites they serve. They're not just changing lives, they're changing our neighborhoods. Local churches collaborate with neighbors and public partners on critical neighborhood projects and programs, facilitate dialog about important social issues and build community, especially in neighborhoods that are typically underserved or underrepresented.
Church leaders and their parishioners wish to help others, establish strong community ties and set positive examples. Pastor Charles Lienert at St Andrew Church in Northeast Portland says: "We have an obligation to the wider community that we live in as part of our Christian life.” This commitment is demonstrated by a high level of community engagement that enriches and transforms our neighborhoods through innovative programs and services.
Creating Gardens, Creating Community
Church properties are typically underutilized assets, but often play a pivotal role in accomplishing critical work and projects in our neighborhoods. With land at a premium and community garden wait lists often years long, for example, many churches are offering their outdoor space—usually through free and open programs geared to benefit and beautify the surrounding community—to parishioners, neighbors and even public partners.
Peace Community Garden
Last year, Portland Parks & Recreation partnered with Peace Church of the Brethren in East Portland's Mill Park neighborhood to create the Peace Community Garden on its property. Pastor Kerby Lauderdale reports that the strip of grass behind the church’s parking lot was always a source of worry (mowing, dandelion control). “It struck us that a garden available to the community would be an important thing to do.” After working closely with the City over a few years, the garden was established last spring, is well tended and already has a waiting list.
St. Andrew Church runs a Common Bond Garden for parish gardeners to plant and maintain their own individual vegetable plots. Born in the vacant lot behind parish-owned low-income houses, the St Andrew community now raises and shares food with neighbors in need.
Sharing Space to Serve Neighborhood Needs
Northeast Portland Tool Library co-founder Tom Thompson notes that the opportunity to set up shop at Redeemer Lutheran Church on Northeast Killingsworth magically appeared at a Vernon Neighborhood Association meeting over two years ago when a church member offered the budding organization some space.
Redeemer has a history of extending its reach beyond the Sunday service and into the local community: church property has been home to the Portland Fruit Tree Project, SolTrekker and multiple Friends of Trees events. The church originally rented out a small shed space to the tool library but the popularity of its services (loaning tools to nearby residents for free) and inventory grew so rapidly, that the church offered its much larger basement space to the endeavor. A connected Seed Library offers free seed exchange and other community gardening related events that bring neighbors together to learn new skills and interact. NEPTL offers DIY workshops for neighbors, participates in community events like Art Hop and Earth Day and assists others with similar start-ups—including the Southeast Portland Tool Library scheduled to open on May 1.
“Because the Redeemer Church has been committed for decades to doing good by being a contributing member of the community at large, we are able to thrive and help others, too," beams Thompson. "It’s a great partnership."
Northeast Portland Tool Library
St Andrew has a deep commitment to community and its expansion of buildings and services will further serve the growing needs of community members. For instance, its new community center (currently under construction) will house outreach services like emergency assistance, programs to encourage healthy living and environmental stewardship, as well as making space available to other nonprofits and neighborhood groups who do good works. "It’s our donation to them as we support good groups who need a meeting space," explains Pastor Leinert.
Peace Church Pastor Lauderdale believes that it’s important to “be good neighbors and facilitate the spirit of community…we consistently work at ways to be open to the community with more than a conversion in mind.” The Peace Church has been in Portland for 100 years, and at its current location for 50. Its dedicated shelter program (housed on the ground floor of the church and modeled after Daybreak) has been serving homeless families for over 12 years. But the Peace Church also shares its facility with other groups who need space. For example, a Hispanic group uses the sanctuary three times a week, another group uses space one Saturday a month for meetings, and a videographer uses studio space to produce shows focusing on the church’s programs and outreach for the community access channel. “We have a fabulous connection with the community at large,” reports Lauderdale.
The Red Sea Church in St Johns provides its large basement space to two groups that contribute greatly to the spirit and needs of the St Johns community—Swap N Play Community Sharing and North Portland Preserve & Serve Library. (Read our previous coverage of related Northeast Family Cooperative, also housed in a formerly church-owned space, too.)
Swap N Play at The Red Sea Church
Forging Connections Through Deliberate Dialog
While churches haven’t typically involved themselves in open conversation about the environment, climate change and art, they are finding reason and meaning to engage parishioners and neighbors in deeper conversations. People want to address serious issues that concern their lives and churches now find that they can offer forums for important dialog.
This past January, The Old Church (1883—that’s old!) hosted an arts and music related event with Intown Church, Oregon Food Bank and Portland City Art. For years, the First Baptist and
