No we aren’t giving up our housing status…willingly that is…we aren’t doing the Shane Claiborne deal. The equality we are looking at stems from people being turned away from Sunday worship…and in a real sense community with the Church as a whole. Housing status should not determine your place in the community of the Church. That is, most of our outdoor friends are seen as a project…an outreach…someone to feed and then go back to our homes maybe once a week, month, year or when a need is identified. Not our fellow workers with equal places at the table. This gets insulting real fast, and makes them feel lower then those who are trying to help them.

For example, when we do music on Monday nights, we bring two Djembe’s a set of Bongo’s and an extra guitar (sometimes). These are open to anyone who wants to play. We encourage participation from everyone there, not just Dustin, Jeff, Brandon and I. The talking time is the same deal. I led a discussion on Prayer the other night…and the Nickelodeons made me feel bad for how little I pray…that was a humbling and intensely cool experience. It is a way we can try and restore dignity to all at the Table, while being touched and learning from each other.

I’ve met more Christians on the streets then in the malls.

What we are doing can be translated this way:

Monday Nights (Nickelsville, TC3 Gatherings) = Life Groups (Bible, Prayer, Corporate Worship, and Community)
Sunday Afternoon Gathering (under the overpass) = Sunday Morning Gathering (Bible, Prayer, Corporate Worship, Community, and Service – lite)
Meeting throughout the week (various locals) = One on One Relationship building (Community, Service, Prayer, Multiplication)

Beyond that, we’re looking to point people to social services and the like they may need to help people plug into resources that are there…food, shelter, transitional housing and the like.

So basically we are talking about starting a church together with three Pastors (Dustin, Jeff and I). Dustin’s wife provides the income for his household as of now, so he has the time to spend on the streets day by day. Because of that, he’s been the epicenter for a lot of things that has happened. Jeff and I both work full time so that limits our availability to be in the community…so to speak.

The idea would be to have a 50-75% non-housed to 50-25% housed ratio. What we are trying to do is not create an outreach or even a purely homeless expression…but a blending of housing statuses….really and truly a dissolving of housing status as a divider.

Jeff is a musician and Dustin has the time invested and is seen as a pastor for this community. He’s also spent years in professional church ministry. Me…I’m still trying to figure out how I fit given my schedule and all. Seems to be par for my course in life really…but who can complain.

How will this affect Ethos? Good question and one I don’t have an answer for. I love the community and people here in West Seattle and we are most assuredly not going anywhere. I still want to serve WS in what ever way we can. We are 100% committed to our neighborhood, and love serving here. How will the Outdoor Church fit in and interact with Ethos…just have to wait and see

And, BTW, I should have included the various partners and individuals who financially supported us through that two year period in my thanks and gratitude… glarring omission and I apologize. Cornerstone’s support was huge…and I can not express Pam and I’s appreciation to your community enough Bruce…you guys rock

Your opening paragraph talked of an updated in your life, then quickly switched to what Dustin was up to, is this something your church will focus on? Something that you will replace your church for? We love you guys and want a better picture of what all of this means for the Douros family!