Expanding my Bubble…. I’ve lived in Wilmington for 4 years, and until recently, I had never been to certain areas of town. I’ve simply had no reason to be there. For convenience and efficiency, I’ve operated within my own “bubble” — darting out here or there as needed for some specific reason. For me (and probably many of my friends and neighbors) my bubble doesn’t include the Creekwood Community near 30th & Emory or the Hillcrest community near Dawson and 14th… areas of Wilmington that, statistically speaking, are struggling.
Through #KOG2ILM and Rev. James Jamison’s Boots on the Ground initiative (more on that below), our Vineyard Sunday School class has pushed out of our respective geographic and social bubbles to meet, feed, and develop relationships with people in Creekwood, Hillcrest and other faith communities that don’t necessarily look like the folks sitting in the pews with us on Sunday morning.
And while we’d like to think our actions with Boots on the Ground are beneficial for the people we’re serving, I think it’s important to note we’re not on a one-way “giving” train. Everyone in our class would agree that we’ve gained something, too. Our lives are richer, our perspectives have expanded, and our families & faith have been strengthened.
While we’ve only participated with BOTG for a couple of months now, I think the message we hope to convey is simple…It’s “We see you. We care enough to come where you are. We are in it together.” And most importantly, “There is hope in God.
My bubble now includes Creekwood. My hope during the remainder of #becauselovedoes, is that every person at FBC will bravely and eagerly search out opportunities to expand their own bubble in whatever way God leads.
More about Boots on the Ground
A few months ago, FBC members participated in a prayer walk around our church to focus on specific areas of brokenness in our city. Our Sunday School class, the “Vineyard,” felt called to action, specifically to help with children facing hunger. Scott Burrell took the initiative, and Pastor Jim Everette put him in touch with Rev. James Jamison. Reverend Jamison is a chaplain with the Wilmington Police Department, pastor of Hope Baptist Church and primary founder and organizer of “Boots on the Ground,” an interdenominational group who goes into areas of the city that need it most to provide a meal and caring presence, typically once a month.
The Vineyard class has teamed up with Jamison’s group for 4 events now, including an Interdenominational Back-2-School bash where we, along with numerous others, served up over 3000 hot dogs at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center one very hot Saturday in August.
By: Peyton Earey
#becauselovedoes #KOG2ILM
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