Ecclesiastes says there is a time and a season for every activity under heaven, and 2024 has been a season of activity for us. Here is the summer in brief, starting with the Ambassador.
The Ambassador
The Ambassador was on the docket for the first part of the year, with three consecutive months of public hearings. At the end of them we were asked to go back to the drawing board, complete a series of studies, and return to the City for a determination. Many of you came out and spoke, prayed, and gave sacrificially. We are not giving up on this vision. We plan to persevere through the next steps it takes to make it a reality. Thank you for standing with us, and please keep praying as we press on.
The rest of the summer
Back to School Bash filled City Park in historic downtown with families, worship, and churches working side by side to bless kids. The gospel was shared, many people made decisions to follow Christ or recommit their lives to Him, and we gave away a lot of Bibles and prayed with a lot of people.
By God’s grace and a great deal of hard work, La Taza Community Coffeehouse is open. It is a Christ-centered coffee house in the heart of downtown, and our hope is that everyone who walks in feels the love of God there. To everyone who volunteered and gave sacrificially to get it open: you made this possible.
DC Athletics just wrapped its summer sports league for middle school kids in the downtown community, a week of volleyball, soccer, and basketball with coaches who pour into these kids and teach them Christ-centered values.
The Dream Center Pantry, carrying on a 34-year ministry, serves food, hygiene items, and cleaning supplies to more than 2,000 families every month. It is hard work, especially in the summer heat, so please keep our pantry team and volunteers in your prayers.
And every Saturday morning, Adopt-A-Block is out finding and filling needs through regular, consistent acts of service. That consistency builds relationships, and relationships earn us the right to speak into people’s lives and share Christ. If you haven’t come out yet, come dip your toe in the water.
Thank you
None of this happens without your prayers, your encouragement, your volunteering, and your giving. Many of you give monthly, and we call you our Dream Makers, because your consistent generosity is what keeps this work going. Others have given large, sacrificial gifts that have made it sustainable. It is an honor to serve alongside you.
One more thing: our 10-year anniversary celebration is the evening of Saturday, October 12. Invitations are on the way. We get to serve this city, and we’ve been blessed to be a blessing.
