Sharing the Load

The Connecting Grounds (TCG) has always been a Disciples congregation, it just didn’t know it. TCG served unhoused people in the Springfield, Missouri, community by providing food, clothing, and public restrooms from the strip mall location they rented. Pastor Christie Love and her team developed a community that created a safe space for people experiencing financial instability and other traumas.

As the COVID-19 pandemic began, the ministry to 200-plus people moved to the sidewalk in front of their building for safety. When shoppers objected to “those people” being so near their grocery store, Christie called her Disciples pastor friend in frustration. As he listened, Rev. Phil Snider recognized in this independent, interdenominational worshiping community qualities that matched the Disciples ethos.

In short order, TCG became affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and accepted an early termination of its lease. Then it relocated to a facility the Mid-America Region provided, which came with its own set of challenges. However, the people of TCG are facing these new challenges with the support of Disciples Church Extension Fund’s New Church Ministry team, local congregations, and regional partners.

Because of our generous donors, New Church Ministry and other Disciples partners can share the load, and TCG will continue to look for innovative ways to fill gaps the church has historically missed in Springfield. For Christie, an evolving ministry is what innovative theology is all about.