Blessings be to God for all He has done for us! I can’t stop thinking about how much of a pleasure it has been interning with the ImagineHub network this summer. I’d love to highlight Cindy Thompson as a great person to work with and learn from with so much positivity, sound leadership, and many experiences in faith building and entrepreneurship!

For the past few years, I knew God wanted to use me in more ways than just a drummer and volunteering every now and then at my church. I started asking many questions like ‘Why are so many people not attending churches?”, “Where is the United Methodist Church in politics and the economy?” or “Where is the United Methodist Church in the environmental justice movement? Or any movement for that matter?”. So when I heard there was an experience to work with like-minded individuals looking to restore the abundant light church was made for, I wanted to work with them immediately. 

I’ve enjoyed working with churches in different locations in the Triad region of North Carolina, including both rural and urban churches. All of the churches are looking to create more community partnerships and the majority are looking to strengthen their social media and virtual church platforms. Networking with people and organizations has been very fulfilling. It was also my first time using Mission Insight analysis to strengthen community development and provide more resources to the Glenwood community in Greensboro. We have conducted research on maker-spaces, co-working, event and art studio spaces to get a better understanding of how church spaces can be transformed for neighborhood economic mobility. We are discussing low-cost ways to enhance the spaces we already have. We believe the vision of an innovative, welcoming space that meets the needs of the community is an amazing opportunity to be the light in many communities! 

I see an ImagineHub in every city that provides a means to accept people for who they are, promoting arts, culture, and entrepreneurship. I urge you to reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions and ideas to contribute. 

Thanks for reading!

Peace and Blessings,

Julian Gordon