Welcome From Haywood Street

Updates:

Another incredible Downtown Welcome Table meal, compliments of Corner Kitchen and Chestnut. So many kind folks showed up from these partner restaurants to serve at the tables and be in relationship with the Haywood Street community. Special thanks to Dolci di Maria for the yummy lemon square dessert!

Asheville Screen Printing not only makes almost all of Haywood Street’s merchandise, this week they also donated three huge boxes of t-shirts, sweatshirts and winter hats to the Haywood Street clothing closet!

DECEMBER SPECIAL! Until the end of this year, when you buy one piece of Haywood Street merchandise, another piece is donated to a Haywood Street friend (at no additional charge to you). T-shirts, hats and patches can be viewed and purchased in office 8 or ordered online. Limited sizes and quantities available, so get yours today!

Announcements:

1.  Our 2019 Annual Report is now available. View online here or swing by the office to pick up a hard copy. In this annual report, we look back at, and celebrate, 10 years in ministry!

2. December 22: The Christmas Kickback fundraiser!

3. Holiday FUNdraiser hosted by Town & Mountain Realty!

4. All are welcome to attend — tour the Haywood Street campus, learn about being in relationship with those on the margins, engage in a meaningful conversation with Reverend Brian Combs.

Companion Corner:

1. Meal prep and information sheet.

2. Haywood Street’s updated Amazon Wishlist

3. Prepare a meal for Respite! Sign up here.

4. December 17, 2:00-3:00 and December 19, 5:30-6:30: Downtown Welcome Table server training

Make A Gift To Haywood Street

A HAYWOOD STREET REFLECTION BY: LAURA

Our annual report is full of facts and figures, statistics about the ministry and accomplishments worth noting as we celebrate our ten year anniversary. The other way to notice the impact of Haywood Street is one person at a time. 
      
“My story of homelessness tells the story of brokenness, but it also tells the story of a church I could attend with that brokenness. This church is some real come as youare stuff.” 

Roger’s story, documented by Brook in our ‘Faces & Stories’ series 10.18.19, brings to life our new mission statement: Relationship, above all else.Roger stayed in Haywood Street Respite in October of this year. He says Respite, which gives our Friends experiencing homelessness a safe place to rest and recover following a hospital stay, helped him remember who he is and be able to name his goals, his dreams.
     
“I have a vision of leadership, of leading a youth choir, leading the homeless into music….I feel like I’m on the cusp of greatness.  Not because of the prospect of fame — I’ve never been interested in that. I feel I’m on the cusp of greatness because I’m on the cusp of experiencing true relationship.”

Relationship, above all else. Despite serving 450 plates at every Downtown Welcome Table lunch, our focus is on the one. With hundreds of shoppers in God’s Outfitters every week, the Companions always have a story to tell about finding the black pants she needed for work, or the size 12 pair of boots he was looking for. Focusing on the one means embracing inefficiency, like the woman who pauses her to-do list until she locates the missing coin or the shepherd who abandons the flock to search for the one lost lamb.

What else does inefficiency in ministry get you? Because it means more people are needed to do the same amount of work, it creates space for everyone to participate. There is a role for each person who walks through our doors to lend a hand in some way – by chopping vegetables, hanging clothes, unloading the dishwasher, harvesting tomatoes or leading youth choirs.

Thank you for helping to make it all possible.
 

For more faces & stories from our Congregation, click here.