Barb Andrews

   The “Neighborhood Knock” was an opportunity for our church to connect with our neighbors and invite folks to come celebrate Christmas Eve with us at FPC! Alongside my grandson Elliot Fortmeyer and the Goodale family, I set off around the Lowell neighborhood on the Friday before Christmas to give out lovely invitations to the FPC Christmas Eve service. We had some wonderful conversations and spread the season’s cheer with whomever we met!

   It was a blessing for us to get acquainted with some of the folks that live around our church. I learned a little bit about the geography of the area but the most valuable part of the afternoon was meeting some very nice people. Along our route we met CC, whose 106 year old house was restored for “free” by the group of Christians helping to revitalize the Lowell area (with FUND). She spoke of her friendship with Randy & Tina White (FPC members) and her work to bring a sense of community to her neighborhood. We were invited into her home by her son and got to see his amazing artwork! He is a cake decorator by trade but has expanded his talent to include painting old windows taken out of these old homes. We left with a plate of cookies and an invitation to return. This was just one of our experiences that I wanted to share, but we were blessed by the whole experience.

   It was an interesting experience for someone like me who is new to FPC and an opportunity for my 13 year old grandson to meet our church’s neighbors.