One of the great joys and privileges of being in the Kingdom of God is the gift of being able to work together to advance it. It is in our God-given nature to “tend and keep” the place that has been entrusted to us. This was written in Genesis 1 when God set Adam and Eve in Eden to reign over and dwell in the garden together. It was their responsibility to take care of what they were given. It is still ours today.
Mike Coggins, one of our beloved staff at SYM, has taken this idea of Kingdom and partnership into a pursuit of church partnerships. Our long-time partners at the University Presbyterian Church have generously allowed SYM to maintain its central location on their property just off The Ave. and its members continue to provide support to the program in many tangible ways. So, when staff from UPC and the Union Gospel Mission coordinated monthly meetings with representatives from various U-District churches and SYM, a beautiful opportunity was at hand to further the Kingdom in a collaborative way.
From these meetings, Mike met with pastors of these smaller churches right in our neighborhood. Upon meeting John and Judith, pastors at Vineyard Church, Mike says he, “immediately sensed the Holy Spirit in both of them.” Mike says that in this partnership and in meetings with John, he has noticed and seen a, “similar heartbeat for the U-District community.” He also hopes that by working together, SYM’s presence can give John and Judith more opportunity to be the spiritual parents that they are made to be. Mike described Vineyard Church as: “humble and spirit-led. They are people of prayer who truly want to represent Jesus.” Vineyard Church is a consistent financial supporter of SYM and has donated equipment to the SYM Music Room.
Mike has also pursued relationships with SeaChurch and Church on the Ave. The pastor at SeaChurch, Aaron, which meets in the UHeights building, has offered a place in their community to our clients. A few regularly attend Sunday worship services at SeaChurch. In fact, one of our young people dressed up as the Easter Bunny to add a spark of fun at Easter services! SeaChurch hosted two of our young people to a Mariner’s Game - such a fun opportunity for them to enjoy an evening rooting on the Mariner’s amid a group from their church!
SYM staff has also connected with the pastors at Church on the Ave (COTA). This church hosts “Friday Feast” - an evening meal that invites in a wide array of the U-District community to enjoy a meal together each week. COTA has an abundant supply of food donated for their meals and have donated extra produce to SYM as well as clothing donations and their pastor joined us on Coffee Run!
Community is crucial. The word “community” is thoroughly put to use in so many settings of belonging, because we know as people that it truly is something we were made for. Mike describes the importance of community as being about identity. “God gives us identity in community by speaking to us through others who carry His Spirit.” Mike shared a quote by Desmond Tutu that goes, “a person is a person through other persons”, or, “people become people through other people.” We need each other. We were all created in the image of God, meaning we all represent various aspects of His likeness. To know others more fully and deeply is to know God more fully and deeply.
Mike has talked about the existing separation between church and other spheres of life. But it’s so clear from reading New Testament scripture that “The Church” is not a building or an organization at all- it’s a group of people with the same foundation. Through this partnership with various small churches in the U-District, we are creating a more complete picture of the Church. Mike says “the church is nothing more than another social club” if it stays isolated from the rest of life and other communities.
By Alyssa McLeod