After months of immersing themselves in the daily life of Adrian, Michigan, church planters Nate Hamblin and Caleb Barrows have begun experimenting with a Sunday evening Neighborhood Church Gathering in this diverse—and sometimes segregated—city. Here, at a neighborhood school in a central location, 30-plus people from all walks of life gather together for interactive teaching, prayer, discussion, and communion. Inspired by Scot McKnight, a keynote speaker at last year’s FEC convention, and his book, Fellowship of Differents, they have adopted the idea of a “Fellowship of Differents” as a word picture for Adrian. “Scot’s book shows the beauty of the transforming power of Christ,” says Nate. It’s just what Adrian needs. Nate explains. “Here in Adrian, we have all kinds of different groups, with 11 different school districts and accompanying school rivalries, vast differences in socio-economic status, and different races, but identity in Jesus should transcend all that.”
Like the early New Testament church, Adrian’s Neighborhood Church is devoted to teaching, fellowship, meals, and prayer. It’s a simple approach to building community, but it’s working. In the words of one man who attended the Neighborhood Church Gathering, “I know people more in one night here than in two years of attending somewhere else.” They hope to establish a second neighborhood gathering in another section of the city later this spring. “We’re hoping to build true community,” says Nate, “where we grow together and engage in the community where we gather.” To learn more, visit ncadrian.com.
