In the fall of 2002, a group of Christians who desired to live out the Gospel began to move into South Central Muncie, Indiana, an urban neighborhood in a post-industrial midwestern town. This relocation came on the heels of several years of prayer and study about inner cities and the holistic efforts of the Christian communities who live, play, and work within them. Several members of this fledgling Christian community started service industry small businesses aimed at employing people from this disadvantaged urban context in order to facilitate natural economic redevelopment. Other efforts included a community garden in which neighbors could “Work together and Eat together”. Soon many relationships were formed and a process of reconciliation began – people being reconciled to God and to each other across diverse lines of separation. All of this incarnational ministry began a long process of raising up indigenous leaders to resource the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of the inner city. This allowed redistribution of resources of all types to occur. The community of Christians continued to grow as new relocators and community members joined. Study, prayer, and relationships continued.
In the summer of 2005, the community began to meet on Sunday nights in a local window-washing garage for worship, prayer, fellowship, Scripture study and food. Urban Light Community Church was birthed. Today, Urban Light lives throughout the week and meets on Sunday mornings as a growing, diverse, inner city church dedicated to Reconciling People to God and to Each Other by joining Jesus Christ in his reconciliation of all things (2 Cor. 5:16-21, Eph. 2:13-16, Col. 1:15-20). This means that we do not pursue only evangelism or social justice – we believe and live that the Kingdom of God engages the needs of all of creation. God is building his church and his Kingdom and has invited us to join him in his mission of reconciliation.
Urban Light’s main ministry is simply being good neighbors and loving others as we love ourselves – instructions that are central to following Jesus. These relationships lead us naturally into many organized ministry efforts. We have a monthly kids Bible club that addresses the needs of the whole person – food, games, crafts, Bible teaching, physical activity, and Temple Time (physical well-being issues). We have a community garden, children’s programs (for nursery through middle school), and small groups that meet weekly to study resources relevant to inner city ministry and community development. God continues to raise up many people who have been set free from a life of addictions or are currently struggling toward freedom. We have a weekly spiritual recovery group that meets for support, prayer and study focused on experiencing freedom in Jesus Christ. Every Sunday after worship we meet together for a community meal in which everyone contributes their part and everyone joins together at the same table. We work in the local elementary school (Garfield) with a Book Buddies reading program. Our church throws a huge block party every year complete with rock climbing, basketball tournaments, live music, soul food, carnival games, and more – and it’s all free! The whole community comes out together to just have fun and enjoy the neighborhood.
We believe God has called us to embody the whole Gospel with ministry to the whole person. Future dreams are for a community medical center, tutoring programs, a church building that serves as a community center, fair and equitable housing initiatives, new small businesses of many types, and so much more. We believe and have seen that God raises up the right people at the right time to accomplish his purposes. We are impressed upon to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send workers into his plentiful harvest field of urban Muncie. We invite those whom God is calling to join us in his Kingdom work in our context.
