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Today, I began serving on the board for downtown Springfield’s Community Improvement District (CID). This group’s mission statement is: THE DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD CID IS AN INVESTMENT THAT VISIBLY IMPROVES DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD BY: Capitalizing on downtown’s new momentum created by an influx of new businesses and investors; Strengthening downtown’s competitiveness by creating a cleaner, safer and more inviting destination; Establishing private-sector control and accountability to carry out enhanced services.
The meeting this morning dealt with issues regarding parking, public safety, the opening and closing of businesses, homelessness, Park Central Square, flow of traffic, trash, beautification, finances, and taxes. It will be interesting to see how I can contribute to this board and the decisions we will make. However, my big takeaway was the awareness that I need to know more about our downtown neighborhood and those who are our neighbors. I’ve been serving as the pastor of The Downtown Church for seven years and have become pretty sheltered within the walls of 413 E. Walnut. There is a whole lot more going on around me that I have managed to ignore.
Our vision statement says clearly that we are to be a place where Christ and the community intersect. Another takeaway today—The Downtown Church is not just a place where this happens, it is also a people who are given the honor to take Christ into the community and intersect there. So, I am going to turn right out of our parking lot more often and drive home through downtown. I’ll take more walks around our church’s neighborhood and meet our neighbors. It’s time for me to intentionally seek out new opportunities to bring Christ with me into this specific neighborhood where The Downtown Church lives. I invite you to do the same.
See you Sunday, online or in person,
Lori
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