May

May has been busy so far.

Here we are at the end of May, and I have so much to report and share. Your prayers have been so powerful in our search for a more permanent space.

I mentioned in my last post that the frustrating search has made us “continually refine and re-define what this church is and will be.” And while difficult, that has been good. It has also allowed us to find a space that really suits who we are and what we want to do. We have found a space on the major thoroughfare of N. Charles Street, right in Mt. Vernon. Having a space on this main artery of Baltimore City means that we have maximal exposure in this community.

What we find so funny is that this is the VERY FIRST space we looked at in our search back in January. However, what we were looking for then is very different from what we realized we actually both wanted and needed. Part of that realization has been that we need a space that would allow us to ultimately run an art gallery and possibly a cafe in it, as well as services on Sundays. In order to engage a community and population that has no desire to step foot in the church, we have realized that we need to be a space that they value already, in order to eventually see the value of church. And the spaces they value already? Galleries where they can show and sell their work. Cafes where they can hang out, get sustenance, and meet people. Gathering spaces where they can do and learn what they are interested in, while meeting people and forming communities, places where they can belong.

So, the space. It is an entry-level storefront (formerly a hair salon) with a video store beneath it and apartments above it. The landlords also own/run the restaurant next to us and are both very friendly and very excited to have us there.

The space itself needs a fair bit of work. While most things are in good condition, overall, it is not yet outfitted for either a gallery or cafe in mind. The floors need a fair bit of work, and the small, single bathroom is in an awkward place - right in the middle of everything. Part of it has beautiful, high ceilings, and another has low, ugly, white, drop ceilings. However, we began meeting there almost instantly, in order to both bathe the space in prayer, and to begin to establish our presence there. Our first Sunday in the space was May 4th, and that brought with it more challenges than we imagined.

Our plan had been to start meeting there and then figure out how to get the construction done, and then to begin using the space as a gallery, working up to a cafe, eventually. However, the tenant who rents the apartment above us is also the tenant who rents/runs the video store below us. And the music on our first Sunday, well, he decided it was too loud, and complained to the landlord, complete with threats to turn us into the city for lack of a "live music permit". While our landlord likes us, she also, understandably, didn't want to upset her other tenant.

And thus began our plunge into the confusing and varied world of Baltimore City permits and regulations. In addition to the live music permit (which we may or may not need, as that is usually requested in conjunction with a liquor license, which we won't need), we need an Artisan permit to display art, not to mention sell it, as well as fire and health inspections. Failure to achieve any of them could mean that we are prohibited from even meeting there until we make the corrections and gain the permits. Needless to say, this has also sped up our plans for renovation and our schedule. Please pray for favor with the City, as well as wisdom to do the right things at the right time.

Thankfully, one of our partnering churches, Temple Terrace, in Tampa, Florida, offered to bring a missions team of workers, experienced in renovations and church building. With a contractor at the helm of this team, this past week, they were able to move the bathroom to a more convenient and discreet place within the space, and disguise the ugly, low, drop ceilings with a coat of black paint - it has virtually disappeared. Then they installed track lighting so that we can better illuminate artwork on the walls (in preparation for the gallery). I cannot tell you what a blessing this has been to us.

But even this was not without its difficulties. On their final day with us, they were in the space early, working hard before their drive back to Florida, when they began to smell smoke. They couldn't find the source however, and after several investigations, found that it was coming from outside the building. Baltimore City is re-paving the sidewalk in front of our space, and in the process, their workers set fire to the outside of the building. Our team called 911, and with the quick arrival of 8 firetrucks, the fire was put out, and it was determined that little damage actually occurred, and none to our space itself. *whew*

Needless to say, the team was somewhat spooked and the space still smells of smoke. But as always, God is faithful, and we have been seeing that in both the renovations as well as our near brushes with events such as these.

Another partnering church from Mississippi is trying to come up in early July to help with both kitchen renovations and installing new flooring. Please pray for this as well.