Someone once said that the church is one of the only organsisations that exists for the benefit of its non-members.
There is a fair degree of truth in that.
A significant part of the 'upstream' ethos is to be people who participate in the local community and who enhance the life of the neighbourhood by living according to the priorities of Jesus.
Jesus spoke a lot about 'the kingdom of God', a state where God's ideals would shape everything. It is our hope to be people who give some form to this here in Brighton.
So What?
In practical terms it means doing things that reflect the character of God, like:
* welcoming everyone into our community
* helping those in need
* loving our 'enemies' as well as our friends
* advocating for those who can't speak for themselves
* seeking to live generously rather than greedily
* forgiving and fixing relationships when they break
* living with purpose and helping others find purpose
* helping people get to know God.
You are Welcome
Much of what we do around the community is intentionally low key and 'under the radar'. It is often spontaneous and unprogrammed.
However there are some regular opportunities to connect with the Upstream Community as well as to serve others that you are welcome to get involved with.
Upstream Gatherings: These happen weekly in someone's home and are the forum where we learn together what it means to be disciples of Jesus. At the moment there is one group that meets each Sunday afternoon.
A typical meeting would be
4.00 Coffee / hanging out
4.30 Prayer/worship/Learning - one week we do 'all age' learning where families learn together and on the alternate week we separate adults and kids for learning.
5.45 Dinner
7.00 Head home
The focus of the night is on developing Christian community amongst those who are seeking to grow in their faith. You don't need to be a regular church goer to slot in so if you are not connected with a local church community then you are most welcome to get in touch and join us.
At this stage Sunday is the only regular meeting however as time goes on we expect to have several meetings in different houses and venues.
We don't have large Sunday services in public buldings as most churches do because it is our hope to connect with those for whom those Sunday services are not cutting it.
If you are seeking a more typical church then we can point you to plenty of good ones in the area.
Bread Distribution: This happens fortnightly on a Saturday evening from 7-8 pm at the Butler Community House (next to the sales centre).
You are welcome to come and take some free bread or you are welcome to join the team of people who collect and distribute the bread each fortnight. More helpers are always an asset!
DNA Peer groups: These are small groups of 2-4 people that meet for 4 hours a month to encourage and support one another in life and to help each other live according to the DNA we see as critical to Christian community. They meet at times that suit the people in the group and in places that are convenient. For more on the DNA of Upstream click here.
Community Activities: Around once a month we catch up and do something that is simple, social, family friendly and inexpensive. Its just a great way of hanging out with others in the community.
What Else?
That's pretty much it for now.
We are not averse to running programs or activities that are unique and will serve the local community, but we are also careful with where we put our time.
There are many excellent community groups already in existence that we are happy to support and get involved with rather than seeking to provide 'church-based' duplicates.
If you hear of a local need that is not being met then feel free to get in touch and suggest it to us. We might be able to make it happen.
