Special Offering on August 19 for The Simple Way

On the morning of Tuesday, June 20, a 7-alarm fire consumed an abandoned warehouse in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Kensington, on of Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods, is home to Shane Claiborne and the community ministry the The Simple Way. The homes of 8 families were destroyed, as well as The Simple Way Community Center where the group ran an after school literacy and collaborative arts program for middle school students in the neighborhood. Shane lost all of his belongings.

Shane is cofounder of The Simple Way, a group of Christians choosing to live their lives together like the early Christians. The
Simple Way is an intentional Christian Community, which is one of the "disciplined communities of discipleship in which the whole people of God can rediscover the practices that make for faithful Christian living" according to Jonathan Wilson in his book Living Faithfully in a Fragmented World. They practice spiritual disciplines like radical hospitality, daily prayer, a life a simplicity and serving the marginalized.

On August 19, there will be an offering for The Simple Way relief efforts. If you would like to contribute, you may mark in the memo line of your check for The Simple Way or mark the offering envelope for The Simple Way.

You can learn more about the ministries of The Simple Way, this tragedy, the relief efforts and developing needs of the community by going to
www.thesimpleway.org and entering into conversation with the youth and Sunday school classes who have met Shane and studied the book The Irresistible Revolution (Covenant, Friendship and Genesis). Continue to keep Shane Claiborne, The Simple Way and this neighborhood in prayer as they do the work of practicing resurrection amidst this disaster to bring healing in a neighborhood much in need of hope and new life.

UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, has a fund for Fire Relief for those around the US that were affected by tragic fires in California during the same week of our friends in the Kensington neighborhood. If you are called to contribute to these relief efforts as well, you may mark in the memo line of your check for UMCOR Fire Relief or mark the offering envelope for UMCOR Fire Relief.