Organic Faith

One Community, Three Expressions

 

To learn more about any of the branches of the Organic Faith Community, (City,Campus,or Life) click the image above.

The Year that was...

I had to write a report for the ELCA about everything that Organic Faith has been up to this past year.  It's a relavtively boring report, but I figured that I'd share portions of it with you here, to remind us all of the cool things that happened in this community this past year.  Here goes nothing...

 

 February- Organic Faith held its second annual “Super Bowl of Generosity” the Saturday before Super Bowl Sunday.  We set up in Bidwell Park with a few charcoal grills, a lot of hot dogs, and a football.  While some of us played a never-ending game of touch football, others manned the grill and handed out free hotdogs to whoever walked by.  All said and done, we handed out over 50 hotdogs and had an altogether great time.

 

March- Members of Organic Faith took some time to spruce up and decorate the green room off the balcony at Parkside Lutheran Church.  We decorated the room with some of the communities original artwork and brought in lamps and lighting in hopes of giving the space a coffee shop feel.  We affectionately refer to the room as “The Clubhouse” and hold a number of our gatherings and worship services in this space.

 

Spring- Ten members of the community took a mission trip to Chicago over a four-day period.  We helped out at a homeless shelter, a tax preparation sight, and had a great time thinking about service and exploring Chicago.

 

April- In celebration of Easter we gathered for a worship service that we called “Stations of the Resurrection”.  Seven different members of the community put together interactive prayer stations that reflected on the resurrection story and theme.  Over the course of 2 hours the community took time to interact with these stations and prayerfully contemplate the many ways that Christ’s Resurrection speaks in our life.

 

Summer- Over the summer we continued with our Wednesday night Pub Church ministry.  This event draws anywhere from 5-15 people at a local Pub on a weekly basis.  Each week we discuss a different topic that relates to our faith. 

 

Fall – This fall, Organic Faith entered into a partnership with Lutheran Campus Ministry of Western New York. This partnership provides Organic Faith with a feeder organization, so to speak.  Those involved in campus ministry will know of a place where they can immediately be involved and engaged following graduation. Additionally, while Organic Faith still seeks to serve those of the post-college age group, the formal partnership opened up several new avenues for service, worship, and ministry with the college crowd this fall.

 

Once a month, Organic Faith and Lutheran Campus Ministry gathered for worship that was both creative and meaningful.  We also combined the two groups once a month for a service project on Saturday mornings. 

 

Looking towards 2012 this partnership will provide further opportunities for creative ministry.  We are in the process of renovating a house near the University at Buffalo South Campus.  Our hope is to launch an intentional Christian community this summer.  Four peer ministers will be chosen to live together in this house and (instead of paying rent) will be placed in leadership roles in Organic Faith and Lutheran Campus Ministry.

 

More than anything else, I rejoice in the lives being touched and transformed by this ministry.  Dozens of young adults are finding a faith community that they can call home and are discovering the power of the Gospel that they have long considered obsolete.

 

Pastor Nate Preisinger, Organic Faith cultivator.  

 

 

 

 

Three Communities, One Expression? What on earth does that mean?

There are some changes brewing within the Organic Faith Community, some big exciting additions that are taking form right now.  Let me explain a bit....

Organic Faith Community is now broken into three different expressions focused on three different locations and populations in Western New York. 

Organic Faith City will continue to be cultivated by Nate Preisinger and based in the city of Buffalo.    In other words, this will look a lot like the Organic Faith that you have all grown to know and love over the past three years. 

Organic Faith Campus will be lead by Pastor Steve Biegner and it will be focused on serving the students of the many colleges and universities in Western NY. 

Organic Life will be centered in Depew, NY and will hold many of its gatherings at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Depew, NY.  This expression will be led by Pastor Jamie Retallack. 

You'll notice that Organic Faith has become a network of three communities.  One in the city, one on campus, and one in the suburbs. These three communities will be carving out their own niches but we will gather all three groups together for large group social activities, worship services, retreats, and service projects. 

An exciting future awaits us as we continue to explore what it means to follow Jesus in our ever-shifiting world. 

 

Soul Cafe #6: "Hilarity"

Organic Faith has been on a brief summer hiatus, but we are going to get back into the swing of things in a big way this Wednesday.  Our Soul Cafe gathering will return from a year-long hiatus.  Join us on Wednesday July 20th for a coffeeshop-like gathering complete with coffee, tea, and baked goods.  We'll be reflecting on hilarity at this Soul Cafe and so we ask you to consider the following questions: 

Does humor have any importance in our lives of faith? What does the universal expression of laughter say about the nature of God? Is hilarity holy?  

Come and share a poem,song, video, routine, activity, or idea with the Organic Faith Community.  Below you'll see our flyer (click image to enlarge):

 

Reflecting on Chicago by Chris George

A reflection on our Chicago Mission Trip written by trip co-planner Chris George: 

On March 31st we all met and had a great sense of community as we made tacos and played Hoopla [A boardgame], and had a great opening devotion on the roof of Holy Trinity.  What we didn’t know was what the heck we were going to experience while on this trip, and for some it was an adventure from the start for this was their first trip to the Windy City.  We trekked our way through the fog you couldn’t see through, wand what seemed to be countless hours driving through Ohio, but when we saw that CHicago Skyline it was all worth it.  We had made it to the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (after switching to the GPS) and were moved into our new home, ready to do some service. 

“...just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” - Matthew 25:40

This whole journey we were on while in Chicago will impact the rest of our lives -- it is written on the mind and hearts of all that went.  Those minds and hearts were impacted in some amazing ways.  They were impacted by the places we walked through, from the affluence of downtown and certain neighborhoods, to the poverty and despair of neighborhoods literally a few blocks down the street.  They were impacted by the people we encountered: from the men and women we served and helped out at the rest shelters, to the people we met and helped with taxes and on the scavenger hunt.  This trip also impacted us in ways that made us think about how this happens.  How does a person with a master’s degree, or a veteran end up homeless?   How can we help the injustice in the world, and help people to be treated the ay people should be treated?  This trip helped us to open our eyes to something completely different then some of the things that we don’t always see every day, and for me, I am even more grateful for what I have been given and all of this keeps me motivated to help out whenever I can. 

 

 

The prayers that remain...

At the end of our Mission Trip to Chicago, Organic Faith held our own Sunday morning worship service.   During the service we each wrote an annoymous prayer. Below you'll find all of those prayers.  Reading and praying through them gives a small picture of our Chicago adventure; it reveals what we took away from the trip.  Let us pray...

 

Dear God, Dear Almighty, Dear Alpha and Omega,

I don’t know what to call you of if you are a you. But there is some understanding force that cannot be seen but somehow holds the world together. Through this force, I am able to look and live in the world without scales on my eyes. And for that I am eternally grateful.

Dear Lord,

Help me to keep what I saw and learned on this trip close to me once we leave, so that it may act as a constant reminder to how good I have it and guide me down a path with which I can look back upon with no regrets.

We pray for Vincent. That the world can learn something from him; that we are all people. We also pray for the removal of demons that stop us from being the friendly people we could be. Jesus be with us as we travel into our communities and help us to use what we learned here for the world.

Heavenly and Gracious God,

Thank you for Nate, Chris, Justin, Shelly, Andy, Jessica, and Hammy, and all of their gifts and talents.

God,

Thank you.  Sometimes I feel like I don’t “get it”. The feeling of hope that comes with helping another person always overpowers any feeling of being lost or not “getting it”. Thank you, I love you.

To continue to find ways to step out of my comfort zone, for patience

I pray for Denise and Sue and Vincent, for the needy people we met, and those we didn’t meet. I pray for my own brokenness, that I might be healed. I pray for all the people on this trip, that they might be guided by your love. I thank you for your grace, and knowing that it means that you love us for who we are, not who we could be.

Hey God,

Thank you sooo much for giving me the chance to be your hands on this trip, to help your people. I also thank you for the people sitting here in this circle, please be with them as we part ways later tonight. I hope they has as much as a great experience as I had. Please be with Vincent as well as the guys at the REST shelter, let them get their break. Thank you again for everything you’ve given me.

Gracious God,

Thanks for bringing communities together throughout history. Thanks for this community and for your presence among us throughout the entire trip. Send your Holy Spirit here. May the story we’ve all begun together be only the beginning. Keep us in loving support of each other and move us to see beyond ourselves              AMEN

 

Organic Faith April 2011 Newsletter

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Destination: Chicago

Organic Faith is just 2 weeks away from its Mission Trip to the Windy City.  We have 10 confirmed participants for our service trip and we are all really excited to spend some time together in service, prayer, and conversation.  

While we are still shoring up a few of the details for our trip, the important pieces are in place: a spot to stay at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, several vehicles to transport us to Chicago, and 10 people in their 20s, ready to serve. 

I'll be sure to post a recap blog upon our return. That's a promise.

Scenes from the Club House

Organic Faith has recently began reworking a room at Parkside Lutheran Church in order to create a specific space for all our gatherings.  We are effectionately referring to this room as "The Club House".  We had our Celebration Meal here last week and we're currently brainstorming about other ways to make use of this great space.  If you got an idea, let us know!

Here's some pictures: 

Upcoming Organic Events

Organic Faith has moved the Late Service gathering from Sunday Nights to Saturday Nights at 5pm.  We will still be meeting at Parkside Lutheran Church and our gathering will still be one of contemplation, conversation, and community. 

Additionally, Pub Church will continue to meet on Wednesday   nights at 7:30pm at Sterling Tavern on Hertel Ave.  Each week we choose a theme, grab a drink, and discuss together the ways that we personally think about any number of issues relating to our spiritual life.  New comers are always welcome!

Finally, 

 Mark your Calendars! One of the best ways to build community is to eat together, so that’s exactly what we are going to do.  Invite a friend, invite a stranger and join Organic Faith in two weeks on Saturday evening (2/26) at 5pm for a shared meal together.  The food will be provided, but you are invited to bring any drinks or desserts to share, if you wish.  The only reason we are not having a celebration meal this Saturday is so you’ll have a full week to plan ahead, and to tell your friends.  We hope you can make it! 

 

If you have any questions about any of these gatherings, don't hesitate to email Nate <nate.preisinger@gmail.com> 

 

The Super Bowl of Generosity, Saturday February 5th

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