On Saturday, July 15, the Community of Celebration in Aliquippa, PA marked the 1-year anniversary of signing a memorandum of understanding with the Greenhouse Network. Currently, the Greenhouse Network, is made up of 25 missional outposts in the Pittsburgh region. Its purpose is to “provide relationship between missional outposts and church plants for sharing resources, provide support for missional leaders, provide access for emerging leaders to existing social and material capital, and provide momentum for the regional multiplication of missional outposts and church plants.”[1]
This partnership has been in the making for about two decades, beginning with Bill Farra, a longstanding member of the Community, meeting with and, in the beginning, mentoring Joel Repic, the current Greenhouse Network Coordinator. Bill Farra reflects, “Over time it started becoming evident to members of the Community that our lifespan was coming to an end, and we were trying to figure out what to do. We were getting new potential members, but they weren’t staying. So, we were faced with whether or not we were going to sell. I thought: If there’s any way we can pass what we’ve built here onto a younger generation, that would be ideal.” When asked, Joel Repic heartily agreed to moving toward a more formalized partnership. Bill Farra shares, “It took several years to percolate and it culminated last year in the Greenhouse Network and the Community of Celebration and people who had helped us through this process signing the memorandum of understanding.”
The memorandum was signed in July 2022 during the Community’s Eucharistic service, which was officiated by the Community’s Bishop Visitor from Denver, Colorado. During the Prayers of the People part of the service, members of the Community, the Greenhouse Network, witnesses and others who had been a part of this journey signed the memorandum of understanding, formalizing the partnership between the Community and the Greenhouse Network.
At the 1-year anniversary of the signing of the memorandum, the Community hosted an afternoon tea followed by a Eucharist service which was officiated by Bishop Ketlen.
Moni McIntyre, a priest in the Diocese who has been served the Community in different ways through the years, preached at the service. After the service, participants went to Uncommon Grounds Café where The Genesis Collective had organized a string trio and a ten-voice singing group to perform. The group sang Taizé and dedicated the performance to the Community as the Community is known for holding occasional Taizé services.
Bill Farra feels hopeful about the future of the Community’s ministry especially as it partners with the Greenhouse Network. “I’ve been in this life [the Community life] for about 60 years and it’s going to change but the essential Christian presence and outreach ministry will remain. They’re going to do bigger and better things than we ever did, different things. So, that’s very satisfying and our prayers are with them.”
[1] https://exponential-ventures.org/greenhouse-network/