Today was another day of seeing God’s amazing provisions at work.  We woke up this morning unsure of whether or not we would be able to pay the rent and God provided.   There are still needs that are before Him in prayer, but hey at least we can continue to enjoy the provision of a home.

Over the past few days the Lord has been giving me a vision for South Bluff Park and the neighborhood in which Simplicity is located.   I had the opportunity to share these thoughts with a like minded acquaintance and his eyes lit up as we talked.   

The principles of the vision are pretty “simple”…imagine that.   First and foremost is the need to live out authentic Christian community in front of the neighborhood.  My thoughts are gravitating towards weekly worship in the park, led by a variety of churches.   Each week would conclude with a meal and then care and maintenance of the park.

The second part of this vision is revitalization of the area through volunteerism.   My thoughts here are to join with the city to form an enterprise zone.  Any business that is willing to located in this part of town would be offered tax incentives and volunteer help for cleaning, painting, sheet rock, etc… by local church volunteers.

These thoughts are very much in their infancy, but the Lord gave me an example to pattern after when I was in Pittsburgh, through the ministry of John Stanley and the Uncommon Grounds Cafe.