NOTES FROM FEBRUARY 27, 2008 (Also Jan. 30)

[Eric Likkel]

Second meeting of Belltown Covenant: hosted by First Church, Christ Scientist.

Four groups represented:
• Emmaus Road Church; First Church of Christ Scientist; Mental Health Chaplaincy; New Horizons

COVENANT DISCUSSION centered around following questions, comments, and ideas:

People dealing with mental health issues
• Discussed relational approach in ministering to those suffering from mental health issues on streets; a reality of urban life, including Belltown
• There exists a need for safe spaces, healing places; what do individual Covenant members know, or what information could we share, about hospitality resources for this population?

Our hosts, First Church, Christ Scientist
• Came to Belltown 2007; likely moving to permanent facility at 900 Thomas in few years’ time
• Cedar/4th facility open 11-3 Tue-Sat.; also Sunday morning & Wednesday evening worship services
• Congregation emphasizes prayer in approach to dealing with challenges; also interested to explore how people of church can be an asset with time/energy for the neighborhood, other organizations already set up to serve
• Ministry driven by lay-people, one of the unique aspects of the greater Christ Scientist movement

Belltown Community Council
• Eric Likkel had attended a Belltown Community Council meeting the previous night; reported briefly his impression of the Council; strong people-assets in some of the individuals represented there; the warmth in which the news of the Belltown Covenant was received by those at the Community Council meeting; the existence of a jointly run program by the Seattle Court system, Millionaire’s Club, Belltown Community Council, Americorps, which empowers individuals in the court system to fulfill community service requirements on Belltown Streets, in clean-up during the week

COVENANT IDEAS:
• Regarding the expertise and knowledge of Craig Rennebohm in serving those with mental health issues, explore training opportunities for Belltown Covenant partners, as individual organizations or as a Covenant group
• Leveraging our Covenant’s online presence to share information, resources, toward better cooperation and service
• Working together to promote great things in Belltown, such as the diverse offerings of ministries, social services, not only for sake of those who need to use these services, but to help residents of neighborhood become aware of places to volunteer, support, places/opportunities to serve
• Belltown Covenant could program, host, regularly scheduled neighborhood-wide “Conversations” with guest panelists: e.g., Privilege and Poverty, examining gentrification issues, etc.

RESOLUTIONS:
• March 26: Emmaus Road and New Horizons co-hosting
• Perhaps Recovery Café April 30?


NOTES FROM JANUARY 30, 2008
First meeting of Belltown Covenant hosted by New Horizons Ministries.

Six groups able to send representatives:



• Emmaus Road Church

• First Church of Christ Scientist

• Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle

• Mental Health Chaplaincy

• New Horizons

• Recovery Café



Several groups RSVP’d to Pastor Eric Likkel of Emmaus Road, indicating great interest in future Belltown Covenant activity.



Discussion centered around following questions, comments, and ideas:



• What are the issues in Belltown?



• How can we engage?



• Articulated desire: grow in awareness of neighborhood sources of healing around us, even through Belltown Covenant group



• This group’s value in connecting is great even at a cross-reference level.



• A first step may be simply connecting; visiting; issues worth working on will present themselves as we get to know each other and the work of each of our organizations



IDEAS:



• organize visits; alternate meetings at each other’s locations; could also meet outside



• purpose and unique opportunity of this group, Belltown Covenant: to speak to those “with conscience” in Belltown; equipping lay people, mobilizing residential community, those people with “questing” going on in their lives; e.g., engage developers with moral options



• get to know Belltown; become students of neighborhood



• website, list serve



• Belltown Covenant’s value must be in living out mission of being a faith-rooted organization, rather than a secular org., though we may engage in secular activity





RESOLUTIONS:



• Meet monthly; 12PM final Wednesday of month; bring your own lunch



• Furnish Belltown Covenant partners with a single sheet introduction to your own group



• Include something significant on your calendar



• Include a line of text, sacred, biblical, or other, which you treasure in your faith