Communitas Twin Cities believes that church doesn’t have to be a “one size fits all” model and since 2009, they’ve been practicing their own unique model while serving St. Paul’s unsheltered and lower income population. Communitas meets every third Saturday to eat a meal together, grow in God’s truth, and share resources such as bus or grocery cards, or items like boots and coats.
Pastor Dianna McCartan says, “We want to break outside the traditional church model and see what God can do. There is so much God can do when you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, instead of thinking it HAS to look like THIS. We have to do more than hear the gospel, we grow and become more like Jesus when we walk it out. And this ministry provides so many opportunities to walk it out—in preparing and serving meals with your own hands, in distributing resources and in loving others much different from your regular circle of friends.”
Sometimes learning to love outside of your regular circle involves overcoming stereotypes. It’s easy to look at someone who seems homeless and make assumptions about their past. Dianna says, “In this community you will find beautiful people whose stories are heartbreaking, and you could easily find yourself in them, had two or three things gone differently in your own life. These folks are our brothers and sisters and we have all grown to love them as our dearest friends.”
Davin, a volunteer, explains what community can look like once you get past another obstacle: us/them thinking. “Most ministries that target the homeless and indigent provide opportunities for the church to go into the community to serve meals, provide essentials such as toiletries or blankets and meet other basic needs. While these activities are very much needed, it’s an ‘us’ and ‘them’ approach: ‘we’ the church go out and serve ‘them.’ Communitas flips that model on its head. We, the volunteers AND the community we serve, are the church. Every meeting is a reminder that every one of us, regardless of our background or current situation, is created in the image of God and is of unsurpassable worth.”
If this sounds like a community you are interested in joining, you can visit their next gathering on November 16. Communitas is always looking for new volunteers (especially Spanish-speaking!) who can make a regular, ongoing commitment. Dianne says, “Volunteering is good for families and kids, and for people who may want to bring a non-Christian friend who isn’t ready to cross the ‘church doors’ yet.”
You can also support Communitas by sponsoring meals or bus/grocery cards. Because Communitas has no salaries or building, nearly all donations are able to go straight to community members. These include people like Mary, who says, “Communitas really sees the needs of people. They helped me a great deal and I can never thank them enough. I really love going to the meetings once a month because the people are so very friendly and it’s helping me to grow closer and closer to our awesome God.”
During Communitas’s Fall Fundraiser, all monthly donations of $20 and above will be matched.
Thank you Communitas for taking church outside the box!
