Drops in the Bucket: Collaboration at New Branches
Congregational Spotlight. Written by Dylan Novacek, Content Specialist.
“When I think about what I can do to combat the housing crisis in Minnesota, it’s one small drop in a very big bucket,” said Pastor Sara Spohr, pictured. “Our abundant resource is the bucket. When people of faith add their drops, the bucket overflows and the vision of all people having a home inches ever closer to reality.”
Pastor Sara and her congregants at Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church in Minneapolis know the importance of collaboration. Now worshiping under the same roof as Spirit of St. Stephen’s Catholic Community and fellow Beacon congregation Living Table United Church of Christ, these three faith communities are doing more than just sharing space. Connected by their shared values, these three congregations embrace collaboration and are working together towards our shared Beacon vision.
Last year, the three churches prepared the way with paperwork and building renovations to begin their new building partnership: New Branches. They share ownership of the newly renovated building and worship spaces while retaining their individual faith identities.
“It’s a bit of a collaboration like Beacon. We’re a group of churches that realized we could probably do more together than we could on our own,” Pastor Sara continued. “The building was originally owned by Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church. We have these panels on the wall (pictured above) that read, ‘Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly.’ This is from Micah 6:8. When the other churches toured the space, they noticed those panels immediately and said, ‘We’re going to get along!’ We realized that we’re motivated by the same values.
“With our three congregations living under one roof, we have so many people participating in the kind of social justice work we’re all interested in,” shared Marcie Mayer, a member of Living Table and a board member for New Branches, pictured left. “Through our collaboration with Beacon, every congregation involved becomes much more effective. Beacon is a force multiplier for all of us.”
Moving to the Twin Cities from Colorado Springs during the pandemic, Marcie was searching for a new faith home. When she found Living Table and learned of their housing justice work with Beacon, she took notice of the immediate impact our collaborative has.
“To my knowledge, there was nothing like Beacon in Colorado Springs,” Marcie reflected. “The housing crisis exists everywhere. And Beacon’s mere presence does so much to combat the ugly history of these housing inequities. I got involved through the inreach last fall. It was an awesome opportunity to meet people and spread the word about this work. I felt a part of the community!”
When congregations collaborate with Beacon, they join with over 100 faith communities who add their drops to the bucket to see that all people have a home. With two Beacon congregations under the same roof, along with Spirit Catholic Community who has been long committed to ending homelessness through St. Stephen’s Human Services, there are limitless possibilities to what they can achieve together. Members of these faith communities are already starting to see the impact of their collaboration.
“My vision is that these three congregations, who come from different backgrounds, can come together,” Pastor Sara exclaimed. “We’re more than roommates. We’re also going to do work in the world with a common voice.”
Participating in our Week of Action event, members from all three congregations met with their elected officials in support of Bring it Home, Minnesota – a bill which will ensure all Minnesotans get the rent support they deserve.
Pictured: individuals from the three congregations meeting with an elected official over zoom during our Week of Action.
“We spoke with Rep. Emma Greenman and Rep. Jim Davnie. Although these representatives already support the bill, we can still call on them to strengthen their commitment,” Pastor Sara asserted. “After our meeting, people felt great about it. There was shared excitement between the congregations. A great thing about this is that it’s something we’re already doing together. We’re still taking our first steps as New Branches, yet here we are – already calling on our elected officials as a group.”
“I love the idea of putting our elected officials on record and getting them to support the bill,” Marcie exclaimed. “Being able to say I had the chance to voice my beliefs and change someone’s perspective for the common good is a great feeling. If it wasn’t for Beacon bringing us together, I wouldn’t know where to start. Collaborating with Beacon has brought our three congregations closer together and makes us feel like our efforts have impact.”
Beacon’s work is moved forward by the power of faith communities. When individuals take action at our monthly Rent is Due calls, or attend an event like Power Tools, they receive the tools and resources needed to create change and build power. For many congregations, Beacon is an outlet to express their deepest faith values.
“In my experience with other congregations, we put a lot of work into services and charitable giving. And that’s a great thing to do. Jesus fed people and met people’s basic needs. And he also challenged systems,” Pastor Sara reflected. “Jesus was about overturning systems and challenging authority. And that’s part of our role too. I think I hadn’t stepped into that until I began collaborating with Beacon. It has helped me embrace the other side of who Jesus is calling us to be in the world.
“That’s the power of the collaborative,” Pastor Sara continued. “You not only have Beacon giving you the tools but also you have all these congregations who are working away to offer support and encouragement.”
Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do here at Beacon. As these three congregations begin to move in together, individuals like Marcie embrace this opportunity to add their drops to the bucket and serve in community with each other.
Pictured: A worship space at New Branches.
“During this process, I’ve come to know people across all three congregations. They are all my people,” Marcie smiled. “We share a mutual respect for each other and an eagerness to do housing justice together. Every time we work together, we get to add a drop to the bucket so eventually we can pour it at the foot of our housing crisis.”
“Sometimes you wonder if your ministry really matters,” Pastor Sara reflected. “And Beacon comes and says, ‘Come add your drop to our big bucket and look what we can do together.’”
Will you add your drop to the bucket? We invite you and your congregation to get involved with Beacon. Click here to learn more or email Deb Rodgers at drodgers@beaconinterfaith.org for more information.
