I think I’ve found my sanctuary!: The Festival Center in Washington, D.C.
One would think that a pastor or minister would naturally embrace their church as the place where they are energized, inspired, and invigorated. However, that’s not been my experience. The church building far more than not has been the place where I serve others. I give. I extend myself. I reach out. There is very little pouring in to me. I began to feel the drag of this imbalance a couple of months ago and knew that it was time to do something about it. Clergy burnout is real and I don’t want to get anywhere near it. I knew something needed to be done, but I didn’t know what.
Then about a month ago, while looking for information on Haiti, I stumbled upon a “reverse missionary” trip being sponsored by an organization called the Faith and Money Network (formerly known as Ministry of Money). It’s an organization that prayerfully explores the intersection of Faith and well….Money. I reached out to them about an upcoming “reverse missionary” trip they were sponsoring to Haiti and while I ended up not being able to go (because of my youngest brother’s high school graduation that same week), I truly respected the posture that this organization embraces regarding mission trips. They don’t fly in like “saviors” and think they’re going to help “those poor people.” They actually go to learn from our Brothers and Sisters of other lands: learn about their culture, become sensitized to their beliefs/values, and ultimately to establish relationships. That’s the type of missionary philosophy that I respect.
Though I wasn’t able to go to Haiti with them this time, I did go down and spend some time with the Co-Directors of Faith & Money Network, Mike Little and Kim Montroll, before the trip. I knew by our emails that they were kindred spirits and I was anxious to meet them. Little did I know how fully I would be blessed by our being together. They share space inside a building in the Adams Morgan community in DC called the Festival Center. It houses a number of ministry organizations that serve the poor, the addicted, the unemployed, and others. It truly is a healing place. It also houses the Servant Leadership School as well – “an ecumenical center for theological reflection and spiritual formation.” My kinda school.
The Servant Leadership School and the other ministries found at the Festival Center flow from the womb of the Church of the Saviour. This church was incorporated in 1947 and apart from its intentional attention to radical diversity and the priesthood of all believers; it sounded like a pretty traditional church. However, in 1994 the church decided to “scatter.” What I mean is – the church commissioned 8 small faith communities from the congregation to go, incorporate themselves, and seek to embody their own vision for how God would wish to use them in the world. This was not a church fight. This was the commissioning of an entire congregation! Now the ministries and churches that blossomed from that transitory season fill pages and pages. Here’s the complete list of ministries. I absolutely LOVE what God did with Church of the Saviour and am inspired by how these ministries have decided to be distinct in the world.
Before taking a tour of some of the affordable housing communities, afterschool programs, art programs, and addiction recovery sites that are flowing from this beautiful congregation; Mike and Kim took us to lunch at The Potter’s House (no – not that Potter’s House). This Potter’s House is a bookstore, coffee house, concert venue, art gallery, and general gathering place that I instantly fell deeply…madly in love with. Great books, good food, justice & peace, and beautiful people all in the same place. I could have stayed there for hours. I felt at Home there. But then they took us to the chapel where those in the Festival Center gather at noon every day for worship and re-centering. You HAVE to see this chapel. My pictures just don’t do it justice.
I guess you can tell by now that I really enjoyed my visit to The Festival Center and I thank God for allowing my path to cross with Mike Little and Kim Montroll. I know I’ll meet many more kindred spirits through them. The way that God allows them to serve is rejuvenating to me. It pushes me to consider how to help nourish the birth of creative and liberating ministry within a traditional, institutional church context.
You’ll be hearing more about this very soon. See you at The Potter’s House!
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