Shoulder to Shoulder: Brick by Brick

Sundays at 10 am

learning about community organizing from the book of Nehemiah

The book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible tells the story of rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. This story serves as a blueprint for collective mobilization, strategic planning, addressing local injustices, and uniting people to accomplish a shared mission.

Author Brenda Salter McNeil explains it this way in her book, Empowered to Repair:

Nehemiah was an effective organizer. He knew that the task was too large for any single individual, that he would need everyone's support and participation. Nehemiah needed all hands on deck: men and women, young and old, skilled and unskilled, experienced and inexperienced, working class and rulers... All the people were invested in rebuilding the wall because of their personal interest, but they were also keenly aware [that] everyone was vulnerable without it. In places where people would generally be divided, they collectively worked together because they needed each other.

We need each other today and we need to organize ourselves to work together to achieve shared goals. That's why HopeGateWay is engaged in the effort to bring a broad based organization in the IAF model to Maine.

During this series we will learn together about the story of Nehemiah and the benefits of working shoulder to shoulder, and rebuilding our communities brick by brick.

Celebrate with us. 

Please join us at 10:00 am Sunday at 515 Woodford St in Portland, Maine, or via Zoom, for a time of worship and fellowship. We'll share some music, lift up our joys and concerns, pray together, and share Communion. (If you're joining us from home, feel free to bring a beverage and crackers, or whatever you like, to your screen so you're prepared to receive Communion with the in-person worshipping community.)

We post our weekly Zoom Worship meeting link on our main worship page.