Inhabit 2019

Resilient churches are God’s experimental gatherings, of people who see themselves as part of a larger ecology of gift-giving. They recognize they are not a flagship of a community but part of a fellowship of neighborhood networks.  One of the ways churches can ensure God’s gifts continue to circulate in a changing neighborhood is by mobilizing congregations to seek economic shalom through cash mobs that support a local business establishment.  Research shows the potential behind a concentrated network of people, who change their shopping patterns in support and solidarity of small businesses.  This workshop will demonstrate how a church in a gentrifying East Harlem has mobilized its congregation to steward dollars through supporting locally owned indigenous establishments, becoming a part of a gift flowing economy, while infusing local owners with hope and resiliency to stay put through neighborhood changes.