Leadership
The 6:8 Project was created by Dana Jones, when he served as Mission Associate at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Bedford.
The leadership team consists of members of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, residents of Greenway, and friends of the Greenway neighborhood.
The team meets monthly to plan and implement initiatives and to address concerns that affect the neighborhood.
The model for The 6:8 Project is simple. It focuses on two aspects of discipleship that I feel many Christians are searching for in their walk with Christ. The first aspect involves “deepening.” I use this term because I think we all long for a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God and with neighbor. Deepening is about studying together (especially the Bible!), praying together, laughing and crying together and seeking to know God and each other on a much more personal level. The second aspect of the model is what I call “accompaniment.” The prophet Micah tells us to “do justice” and to “love kindness.” Micah is telling us how God wants us to live together as neighbors. For me, accompaniment simply means “being with…” Too often, the church has been all about charity or conversion when it comes to mission work. And while both of those are important, I believe that Jesus called us to be with each other, to get to know each other, to build relationships. Out of those relationships we can seek justice for those who feel marginalized in some way. Bible study is about “Jesus said…” Our task is to wrestle with what that means and then act upon it. True discipleship has a cost. It demands a way of living that calls us to deeper relationships with God and it calls us to accompany each other and those for whom life is difficult for one reason or another.
-Dana Jones