Day 36 : Anglicans on the Streets | 3Sixty Community Development

The godly will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green,

proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

– Psalm 92:12-15

Before we enter Easter Triduum, we want to focus today and tomorrow on Anglicans on the Streets outreaches doing incredible work contending for place-based shalom. Catch up on what we mean by this with Day 29-30 HERE.

To shape our Tuesday with holy imagination, let's learn from 3Sixty, a community development organization serving Holland, Michigan, that is working to "connect neighbors, share resources, and build community." 3Sixty is led by Jake+ Norris, who holds the title of "missioner" at All Saints Holland. All Saints partners with 3Sixty because, in their own words, All Saints "is committed to the flourishing of our broader community, and we believe our spiritual formation overflows into goodness and love for neighbor."

Both All Saints Anglican and 3Sixty are taking seriously God's second-most important commandment: to love those "next door" as themselves. They see the various ways those in their geographic community are failing to flourish, and they see that they can make a difference.

Take a moment to consider the name they've chosen: "3Sixty." What does that connote? Seeing. Comprehensive. Thorough. Nothing and nobody left out. Arms wrapped around a part of the city.

They see their focus as:

"Building living communities where neighbors feel equally known and committed to the well-being of their neighborhood. Every resident—regardless of age, financial situation, or position in life—has gifts they can offer their community. As a neighbor-led nonprofit, we strive to be a catalyst and connector for people helping people. We work hard to empower, organize, and resource neighbors to address problems and meet their needs together."

28% of Americans do not know any of their neighbors by name.

– Pew Research Center

3Sixty has created many different community development initiatives, including:

Spring and Fall Neighborhood Clean-Ups
A tool library for neighbors to share and borrow tools
Beautification projects such as mural-painting festivals
Neighborhood connection groups
Participation in a City Shapers cohort led by the Lupton Center

Ultimately, the vision of 3Sixty is that those living and working within a multiple block area would carry the full leadership of supporting the assets and meeting the needs relevant to their context. Imagine under-resourced families and individuals never needing a food pantry, because they are all connected as neighbors, and creative ways are sought to address food insecurity through friendships and partnerships with community stakeholders.

"If you want to make lasting, positive change in a community, neighbors need to be in the driver’s seat—dreaming and working together."

– 3Sixty

How can parish leaders partner with neighborhood leaders?

The combined leadership team pursued a three year process of listening, learning, and capturing stories. The discernment that resulting in "City Shapers" included a deep dive assessing the health of their community across economic, social, and structural indicators.

This entrepreneurial effort has the long game in mind: a community that can truly grow and flourish on its own – not propped up as a fragile tree, with stakes and ropes to support it and keep it upright, but standing tall on its own and able to support a diversity of life under its shade.

Read about this thoughtful process HERE.

Faithfulness to God, obedience to His ways, and love for neighbor means that God is at work in Holland, Michigan, changing the culture one neighborhood at a time.

Anglicans at All Saints Holland are contending for place-based shalom.

Mural in Holland, Michigan, by @htownink