Partnering Across Kitsap County
Have you had the catalytic experience of discovering someone in your line of work who inspires, encourages, and even makes you think boldly or differently about what you’re doing? Stephanie George was that person for me recently. She drew our attention to the Kitsap Community Foundation as a potential bridge-building partner as we seek shalom in our neighborhoods.
The Kingdom of God looms large as you peruse the website of partners the Foundation serves in our community. People addressing homelessness, purpose, ecology, education, medical care, mental health, the arts, food insecurity…As a local church community of a hundred or so people, addressing all those needs would not only be daunting but we’d actually lack the skill to do all that well!
We are a people with kingdom imagination – a people who believe that Jesus has inaugurated a kingdom of peace, justice, and wholeness, and who by his Spirit is bringing the will of the Father as it is in heaven here on earth. We expect to see God’s Kingdom among us, growing, and we imagine the world as it will be fully restored. It is fun to see so many of these Kingdom-oriented folks at work in our neighborhood.
One example Kitsap Community Foundation brought to our attention is the Marvin Williams Center in Bremerton. Kirsten and I visited on Stephanie’s recommendation and were inspired to see a beautiful space in downtown Bremerton which serves primarily as a gym but also a community center, public health service, and worship space.
It is a joy to build bridges with organizations who are bringing their expertise to areas of our communal brokenness– brokenness that will not be with us forever! So we work with Jesus when we partner with experts to see restoration now.
We partner globally and locally as Kitsap House, giving 10% of our budget to these partnering organizations and get to work ourselves in our own neighborhoods and with our skill sets, hosting feasts, weekly dinners at Coffee Oasis, food pantries, kids night in/parents night out, days of service, a young adult residency, and more.
One way you might want to consider jumping into the work of local shalom personally is through Kitsap Community Foundation’s day of giving called, “The Kitsap Great Give.” This was mine and Larry’s first introduction to the Great Give, as we used this opportunity to donate to Coffee Oasis and have our donation matched.
Kitsap House is also one of the potential recipients! The first 20 donors to give $20 or more will have their names entered for a drawing for our family swag bag. While we did set a goal to fund our feasts for the coming year, our biggest hope is to build bridges in vision for a thriving Kitsap County with our neighboring organizations who care deeply and in action for many of the people dear to God’s heart as well.
It’s fun; it’s momentum-building; it’s Kingdom-visioning; it’s encouraging; it’s uniting.
Join the Hackman’s and Kitsap House in the Kitsap Great Give! - Tuesday, April 16th (early giving open now)
