by Kirby Lindsay, posted 11 January 2012
On Sunday, January 15th, at 6p, The Hallows Church will hold their third monthly worship gathering, at 717 N 36th St. “We’re still in the very early stages,” of building this faith community, Pastor Andrew Arthur explained. “It is a great opportunity,” he said, for those curious to learn more about the new church – and/or those who struggle with questions about faith. Plus, according Pastor Arthur, they’ve got some great musicians leading the gathered in song.
‘Gathering Worshipers’
“We explore the depths of the Gospel,” explained Pastor Arthur, “and examine its comprehensive, redemptive claims on our lives.” Hallows Church began with a group of people who wanted to establish a faith community in Seattle’s urban midst, and through the support and encouragement of Seattle Church Planting, an organization focused on mobilizing new faith communities.
“I’d say we have Baptist roots,” explained Pastor Arthur, although the church does not affiliate with any established religion. “As a community,” he said, “we are aspiring to love God completely, and to love people compassionately.”
Pastor Arthur came to Fremont through Seattle Church Planting, to meet with the Hallows Church launch team in May 2011. Born and raised in Louisiana, he got his Ph.D. in New Orleans (at the Baptist Theological Seminary.) He then served (at Tulane University) in an area of New Orleans similar, as he saw it, to Fremont – a place with a strong sense of community, near universities, diverse, highly secular, highly educated and considered a cultural hub.
He and his wife, Kim, and their young daughter, have now moved to Fremont to bring the Gospel to the Center of the Universe, and a urban, under-churched area. “We enjoy communicating the Gospel in this context,” Pastor Arthur observed, “We try to create an environment to help people.”
‘Scattering Servants’
“There are rational reasons and existential reasons to believe the Gospel,” Pastor Arthur stated, “a lot of people don’t know what the Gospel is. If they come to understand,” he said, “the Gospel is an attractive message.”
He suggested that the greatest difficulties to overcome are ignorance and confusion. “A lot of times the core message gets overshadowed by extraneous stuff,” Pastor Arthur observed, “we want to create a place for people to come and wrestle with the core issues of life. The Gospel helps us find peace with our past, joy in the present and hope for the future.”
So far for this new church, the past consists of the first of the monthly worship gathering, held in November 2011, which drew about 65 people. They also have a network of community groups that meet weekly in the participants’ living rooms, plus Women’s, Men’s and social groups that meet at area restaurants, pubs, and coffee shops.
“For the most part, its young professionals,” Pastor Arthur said of the growing congregation, often young families, as well as singles. This includes the ‘launch team,’ as he described it, which consists of approximately 35 people.
After the January 15th gathering, they will meet and prayerfully consider the future of Hallows Church, and whether it is time to gather weekly for worship, or continue the current schedule of monthly services.
Planted In Fremont
“For the time being,” Pastor Arthur observed, “we’d like to stay at Fremont Baptist.” While in no way affiliated, the Hallows Church currently rents space for worship from the Fremont Baptist Church. For the near future, the Hallows Church has no plans to build a permanent home. “The church isn’t a building,” Pastor Arthur explained, “It’s the people. Where they gather, that is where the Church is.”
“What is important is to be able to worship together, through scripture, music and arts, prayer, communion and baptism,” he said, “We can do that anywhere.” This Sunday, January 15th, Hallows Church will be – at 6p – at 717 N. 36th St. Everyone is welcome to come see what Hallows Church has to offer – and find out if there is a place you want to fit in. Or contact Pastor Andrew Arthur – at andrew@hallowschurch.org – with questions about the church, or your faith journey.
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©2012 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.