A mission initiative of Ginter Park UMC in partnership with The Chamberlayne Area Action Team
Seek the shalom of the city where I have sent you, for in its shalom, you will find your shalom.” –Jermeiah 29:7
The Smithdeal House on the corner of Chamberlayne and Laburnum has been used for a variety of mission and education work over the years. As our community changes, so do the needs of the people we serve. GPUMC, the United Methodist Urban Ministries of Richmond and partners from within the community have begun Communities of Shalom
The GPUMC Shalom team, or, "Chamberlayne Area Community Action Team (CAAT) meets monthly and seeks insight from residents, civic, religious and neighborhood leaders.
In our infancy, The Chamberlayne Area Action Team (CAAT) is guided by three of the four Communities of Shalom Principles put forth in the Asset-Based Community Development Training completed in March 2009.
l Faith-in-Action – The members of CAAT are deeply committed to demonstrating our faith through action by engaging in community transformation by sharing the grace of God through our words and deeds.
l Asset Based Development – CAAT has learned how to identify the existing strengths in our congregations and community and how to mobilize them for transformative action
l Collaboration- CAAT has demonstrated our dedication to collaboration by the diversity of our team and our by desire to expand beyond the core group of decision makers to the rest of the community through invitations to participate in activities and planning and sharing of information.
Background
In the fall of 2008, a group of parishioners of Ginter Park United Methodist Church began to explore meaningful ways to utilize the historic property, The SmithdealHouse, located on a busy intersection between two neighborhoods. One is an upper middle class neighborhood filled with rich history and ornate architecture; the other is home to Richmond’s largest concentration of rental units, adult homes, many for people with developmental disabilities, and people in poverty.
The stark contrast between these two neighborhoods, only a block apart, is a constant reminder to us and others in the neighborhood that our mission programs should work to include issues of this disparity. As we committed to the principles of Communities of Shalom, it became more evident that the Smithdeal house might be better used a resource center and meeting space for the work that others are already doing in the community rather than a place to develop and operate programs of our own. In some areas, this type of a facility is called a Family or Community Center.
Through the Shalom process, we have developed a collaborative team made up of ten core members; members of Ginter Park UMC, Ginter Park Presbyterian, and St. Stephen’s Baptist Church; members of non-profits such as The Resource Center and the Bridge Community Development Corporation; and businesses such as Center of a Man’s World business incubator.
Vision
The Chamberlayne Area Action Team (CAAT) is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of our community.
Mission
The mission of CAAT is to use the Smithdeal House as a center where individuals, organizations, and institutions can help meet the spiritual, economic, educational, cultural, and health needs of our community though a creative and enriching environment.
Objectives
We have identified two objectives for the first year of CAAT. They are as follows.
Objective 1- To renovate the Smithdeal House into meeting, office, and classroom space, as well as living accommodations for on-site coordinator, where organizations can work to benefit the Chamberlayne Avenue community.
Objective 2- To develop Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with at least three organizations, institutions, or individuals desiring to use the property to support community development in the area.
Please join us with your ideas and help create a stronger community for us all!