Blueprints for a Dream: Laying the Foundation

As Lynnette and I dream of starting a church in the Vanderbilt/Belmont area, there seems to be so much do. Determined not to be paralyzed by fear or the size of the task, we seek to plan and take each step carefully, but boldly.

One of the first things to do then, is to get to know the area. We don’t want to be yet another church in yet another blighted but resurrecting neighborhood; one that claims to be a beacon of light in the darkness but in realty is just a flashlight rummaging through the closet: once we’ve found what WE need, we’re outta here. Wherever the community may be geographically, we dream of “belonging to a community that is determined to follow God into mission, desiring to be a redemptive blessing in all the world.” In other words, we want to bloom where we’re planted, and hopefully we’ll be planted in the midst of poverty and injustice so that God’s purpose can be carried out by selfless individuals.

I believe you get to know an area by getting to know the people who call that area home: those who live there, work there, flight the battles there and clean up there. This quest led me to have coffee yesterday afternoon with Judi Hoffman, pastor of Edgehill United Methodist Church. From humble beginnings almost 40 years ago, the Edgehill church community has had its ups and downs, but still seeks to be a redemptive blessing as mentioned above. They openly embrace those who are ‘different,’ seeing God in the rich diversity of humanity. They feed people from their vegetable garden, have a dynamic after-school program and even coordinated a Jim Wallis visit.

Judi shared a lot with me about the neighborhood, making the $3 I spent on Tazo tea at Edgehill Studios a bargain. What I gained was a wealth of knowledge about the people, a list of those I need to meet next, and a peek into the lives we seek to impact (primarily college students and lower income families, both of which are plentiful within the one mile radius we feel called to).

We’ve drawn the blueprint in our minds, and even have some of it on paper. In the search for fellow journeyers, we seek to lay a foundation of knowledge, gleaned from living life and building relationships with others. Judi is a kind woman, called by God to change lives for the better. If our blueprint ends up staying on paper and never becomes a reality, she is a great friend and minister with whom I’m sure I’ll share more coffee.


I will continue to update everyone each step of the way as we lay this foundation. If you're interested in what we're doing or want to be a part, email me at ssdavids@hotmail.com or Lynnette at lynnette.davidson@gmail.com.