I have now had two great conversations with Jessie Negropontes and Chris Griffen. These two are on their own self-defined mission to work with young people across the country – they call it The Go Project. I plan on keeping track of them and sharing some of their travel stories as they make their way on their belonging journey.
This is from their website as introduction to their work:
“In the first 6 months of 2007, we will go on a journey: We will travel by van, from Victoria to Toronto , visiting congregations and communities along the way, to re-imagine mission and what it means in our time and place. We will travel by road, with a few possessions and a story to tell. Our goals include the following:
•To be part of the movement to interpret and re-imagine “mission” for UCC membership and leadership.
•To explore what it means to be a disciple in our time and place.
•To listen to and learn from others’ stories of faithful living.
•To connect people with stories of those persecuted and exploited, and those outside the affluent centre of today’s empire.
•To encourage people to ask questions like: what’s my story? how does it connect to the stories of others? and how am I called to respond?
•To empower youth and young adults to find a way of radical discipleship…
On our 6-month pilgrimage for belonging, transformation, and creative change, we (Chris and Jessie) intend to:
1. support local/independent businesses whenever possible (no Starbuck’s, etc.) and choose fair-trade/organic products when they are offered.
2. take no disposable containers from food and retail outlets – bring our own shopping bags to the grocery store, use our travel-mugs and water-bottles, etc.
3. keep Sabbath time daily and weekly, and have a de-motorized (no driving) day either weekly or bi-weekly.
4. read one local and one national newspaper weekly to keep informed on the concerns of our host communities, and the news of the world.
5. have an intentional “Community Meeting” between the two of us each week.
6. set our own personal intentions in addition to these, and support each other in keeping them.
7. DOCUMENT theGOproject!!!!! write one blog entry each per week, take photos, look for other ways of keeping records of our experience.
8. practice honesty; speak truth with each other and with those we encounter.
9. commit to moments of gratitude before each meal.
10. gather stories about faithful living within, and without the church.
