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Sitting With A Neighbor In Peace

“Each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree.”
—Zechariah 3:10 (NLT)


During our Simple Church time at Gladstone Apartments two weeks ago, we discussed Zechariah's dream about Jeshua contained in the 3rd chapter of the book that bears Zechariah's name. One of our core residents in the building mentioned how the last verse stood out to him. "I like the idea of sitting peacefully with my neighbors." As I pondered this more over the weeks since then, I can't help but notice how much this is a part of our call as we work to create community among those transitioning out of homelessness. Whether we are working toward building a tiny house village or we are building a spiritual community among residents at Gladstone and Penn Place, ultimately we are seeking to see this prophecy fulfilled wherever we are by creating a place where neighbors can sit down together in peace.

Many of the friends we meet with have had their lives marked by chaos, sometimes of their own creation. When they lived on the street, mere survival was a steady stream of chaos. Finding places to eat and sleep, protecting your few possessions from thieves, and dealing with the constantly changing weather conditions all contributed to the chaos. When our friends are moved into apartments, they are often surrounded by people dealing with the same challenges that lead to their own homelessness. The boredom of living alone and the pressure to conform to whatever is happening in the building can add to their stress and feelings of chaos. Seeing others break the rules while they are trying their best to make positive changes in their lives can disturb their peace even more and create tension with their neighbors. This is where having time to be together and discuss the events of the week is helpful for those trying to maintain peace in their lives. Together we can pray for the shalom of God to be known in the midst of the chaos in their buildings.

Pray that the friends we meet with regularly will begin to experience the peace of God more and more in the places where they live. Pray that together we can learn more about how to be instruments of peace in these settings.

Missionary Budget Update

Every new monthly partner and special offering is a blessing to us as we continue this work. Here are our current giving statistics.

  • Full-time monthly budget goal: $4749
  • Confirmed monthly pledges: $2216 (47% of goal)
  • 12-month average monthly giving: $2591 (55% of goal)
If you would like to invest in this ministry on a regular basis or through a special offering, you can either mail donations to the address below or click the "Give Now" button to give online.

Mail all tax-deductible donations to:
Communitas International
PO Box 438
Lewiston, ME 04243-0438
 
Make checks payable to Communitas International and write Longard - 41273 in the memo.

 


*Please note that this fund is for our personal missionary budget and not directly related to Circle City Village, although our missionary budget helps us be available to lead projects like this. You will find information about making a donation to Circle City Village below.

Special Request: Circle City Village GoFundMe Campaign

Our fundraising team for Circle City Village has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000 to assist with zoning and other fees we will need to pay as we get the site ready to build the village on. You can click on this link to contribute to this specific campaign.

Additional Prayer Items:
  1. On February 24, Leon will be one of three presenters at an event titled "Helping with Housing: How Congregations can Partner to Fight Homelessness." It will be an opportunity to present our work in front of leaders from multiple congregations in the Indianapolis area and recruit people to help with our projects here. Pray that God will use this to connect us with others that will work with us.
  2. We will begin the zoning process for Circle City Village during the month of February. Pray that God will give us favor with city leaders and neighbors in receiving permission to build the village on our current site.
Contact Information:
Leon & Tina Longard
4441 Lucky Cir
Indianapolis, IN 46203
 
Phone: (317) 300-6870
E-Mail:llongard@gocommunitas.org
          tklongard@gmail.com
Website: diakonoslife.org

 
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