It's easier, actually

People often ask my wife and I how hard was it for us to move to Brooklyn to take on a church planting internship with Brooklyn Church Project (BCP). To the surprise of many, we often reply, "It was easy, actually." God has been forming in our hearts a love for cities and urban life for the past nine years. When offered the chance to take part in this unique and rare internship with BCP, it was a no brainer. There are many details as to what attracts us to urban church planting, but one aspect in particular lies at the heart of why we desired to live in a place like Brooklyn–sidewalks.

Sidewalks? Well, before you think I'm too far out in left field with that answer, let me point to someone who actually put into writing what it is about sidewalks that would attract us to urban life. Eric Jacobsen's book, Sidewalks in the Kingdom, points out the obvious, but often overlooked, importance of how one's place shapes how one's life plays out. So, sidewalks. Sidewalks have quickly become my family's most vital tool for building relationships with our neighbors. We routinely meet our neighbors on our way to work or while running errands. We converse with other families as we walk to and from school, perhaps even stopping to hang out with them at the playground between our house and school. Just taking a moment to say hello while someone sweeps off their stoop has been a great way to have simple, but meaningful conversation with our neighbors. Brooklyn, a place with pedestrian friendly sidewalks, public transportation, public spaces, mixed use zoning, local economy, and abundance of people shapes our life for greater community.

If you're from Brooklyn, or from any urban city, you're probably saying, "Duh." But for us, this experience is something we never had and longed for. The places we lived in the past were not designed for this type of community. If we went somewhere, our family got in a car, nicely sequestered in our own little space from others in their own little spaces on wheels. When we came home, we pulled into the garage and went straight in the house, quite effectively avoiding our neighbors. If we played in the yard, we were probably separated from our neighbor by a 7' tall privacy fence.

Can you find community in a neighborhood like I described above? Sure you can. But in our experience, you have to work a lot harder at it. Which is why I say jokingly, but in all seriousness, to pastors and church members where we came from, "You guys have it a lot harder than us. Brooklyn? It's easier, actually."


Brian Steadman
Church Planting Intern