Places of Welcome

In our twenty years of interacting with nomadic individuals, there has been a constant and heartbreaking theme: people were hurt by the “church” and didn't want anything to do with God or Jesus. Today we see it as de-constructing or re-constructing within the parameters of church culture. This aligns with the recent studies. According to a study done by Pew Research Center in 2019 a staggering amount of youth and young adults are leaving their faith*.

We realized that, over the years, we have been engaging in and breaking down walls so that people who have been hurt can find some form of healing. We want to create a safe, welcoming space for those who are dealing with the deformation of their faith, and to show them the grace and love of Jesus in a way that can produce healing and a reformation in their journey with God.

Our goal as Places of Welcome is to foster and create avenues of radical hospitality where people can meet Jesus and grow in their journey with God no matter where they are within their own spiritual journey. We aim to do this through hospitality, community, travel, spiritual practices, education, beauty, nature, gardens and fundraising. 

The idea of Places of Welcome is that different avenues of hospitality can be created to serve those who live in the margins. Right now we have two different avenues happening: Jesus Kitchen and The Duplex.

*https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/