i spend a lot of time in local businesses. the first reason for this is that i believe in supporting local businesses, the second reason is because they are a great resource for knowing the point area, and the final reason is because i hope that through building relationships with some of these business owners and employees they will be open to hearing about the faith that i believe is the way.
anyhow, today was a great step with one such local business owner. i’ve been using her store for a year and a half now and every time i go in we usually stand around and talk until it gets to busy for her to do so. she’s a great person. we’ve talked local politics, business, and faith. she knows where i stand and i know where she does. she usually describes herself as having “new agey, cosmic, oprah faith.” i’ve invited her to tapestry a few times and her response has always been “robert, i love talking with you but i don’t really fit in with that organized stuff.”
today she responded to our conversation “well i would come to that.” the conversation was concerning whether or not i had finished my message for easter. i didn’t start that conversation off, she did. she asked that question and i told her i had barely started because they biggest part of tapestry’s easter celebration would be painting the hope center (i.e. resurrecting something). i explained the whole thing to her and she asked “so are you doing this on easter morning?” i hadn’t thought of that and i think it is a great idea (i mean a really great idea). i told her so and that i would check into whether we can do it or not. the conversation ended when another customer came in the store. her final response was “well i would come to that. let me know when you have the date and time and i might even come to her service afterward.”
i have tried for 6 months to get her to come to something tapestry-wise without any success. who would have thought painting the hope center would have been the thing that she wanted to come to.
i know a lot of faith communities use community service as outreach to those receiving the service. i think we may begin using community service as outreach to those doing the service.