Harambee Groups

Harambee Groups are small groups of people that join together to love God, to love each other like family, and to join in God’s mission to South Seattle together. The majority of Harambee’s everyday fellowship, friendship, counseling, and mission occurs in Harambee Groups.

Distinctives of Harambee Groups

• Harambee Groups are gatherings of believers dedicated to one another and the gospel
• Harambee Groups are expected to be places of deep fellowship as,
• Each Harambee Group has a unique mission, and
• The majority of Harambee pastoral care occurs in a Harambee Group

What happens in a Harambee group?

• People come together to know God in Jesus together
• People come together to worship God together
• People come together to celebrate and enjoy Christ together
• People come together to join God in His mission together

How is this accomplished?

• Knowing God: The word is opened, questioned, discussed, and celebrated in Harambee Groups. Specific attention is given to questions of how the gospel is worked out in each of our hearts. Note: In 2007-8 we will be primarily using the “How People Change” material to facilitate this discussion.
• Worshipping God: Believers join in prayers of thanksgiving, encouragement of each other, serving each other (by watching kids, paying for a meal in the city for the group, serving the group food), If desired, Harambee groups can also sing together, read poems and psalms, etc.
• Celebrating and Enjoying God: People in Harambee groups cannot help but talk about their joy in Christ. This naturally leads to Christ-centered encouragement and building up of those in need.
• Joining In God's Mission: Harambee Groups are committed to pushing forward for the gospel by being incarnate, subversive, justice-giving, Gospel communities.
o Harambee Groups each have a specific, defined mission or set of missions that the group participates in.
o Harambee Groups speak God’s truth to each other and to the outside world.
o Harambee Groups join together in practical service of their communities
o Harambee groups regularly and sacrificially care for each other's needs both gathered together and throughout the week.
o Harambee groups regularly and frequently join in prayer for their own needs, for the kingdom's advancement in their local or vocational setting, both gathered together and throughout the week. Harambee groups reach out and invite outside participation and dialogue.

What are the expectations of Harambee Group leaders?

• They are demonstrably committed to knowing, worshipping, enjoying and joining God in Christ.
• They are demonstrably committed to and passionate about God's mission in their local or vocational setting.
• They are demonstrably committed to the overall mission of Harambee Church and the leaders of Harambee Church.
• They are committed to train at least one other Harambee group leader in their group.

Other Notes:

• Attendance of a local Harambee group will be necessary for personal growth and health at Harambee.
• Harambee groups should shoot for a weekly meeting.
• Harambee church leaders should be able to get a spiritual barometer reading of the overall health of the church from Harambee Group leaders.
• Words you should be able to associate Harambee Groups with, and words that Harambee Groups will be evaluated by: Jesus, Knowing, Worshipping, Enjoying, Joining, Light, Warmth, Joy, Health, Fellowship, Mission, Sacrifice, Service,

FAQ

Q: I want to start a group that is more focused on a specific counseling / fellowship need in the body. Would that be considered a Harambee Group?
A: If the group does not have a specific, externally-facing mission (i.e., bringing the gospel in proclamation and service to specific non-believers) it would not be considered a Harambee Group. This would not mean that the group could not exist, but it would mean that the elders and leaders of Harambee would want the groups members to commit to it in addition to committing to a Harambee Group.

Q: I’m having a difficult time working through the concept of “mission”. Should I still go to a Harambee Group?

A: Yes! Obedience to God’s call on our lives to His mission is difficult, and we anticipate questions, struggles, and failures along the way. Indeed, we believe that mission without real heart change birthed from love and knowledge of Christ is bankrupt. Please join us and a Harambee Group regardless of your level of understanding or passion for mission, and we will work together on this calling.

Q: What should I do if I want to start a Harambee Group?

A: We will always be looking for new Group leaders and new inroads for the gospel in South Seattle. If you are feeling called to start a Harambee Group, please contact Aaron Youngren. Be prepared to speak to your involvement in your current Harambee Group, to your passion for the mission God is calling to, and to the ways that God has prepared you for this calling.

Q: Are Harambee Groups for believers only? Or can we invite non-believers too?

A: While Harambee Groups can be open to non-believers, there are several essential ingredients in a Harambee Group that may make it not the most comfortable place for non-believers. For instance it is essential that the believers in a Harambee Group
1. Talk to one another openly about dialogue between the scriptures and their lives
2. Talk to one another openly about the mission that God has called them to
3. Pray for one another
As such, the missional focus of the Harambee Group will probably require its members to participate both by attending a regular meeting of the members of the group and participating in the mission of the group throughout the week. An example of this would be a group meeting on a Wednesday to read the word, pray, and plan for a Saturday night party that the group will host. In this example, the most appropriate place for missional relationship between the group and the non-believer will probably be the S
aturday night party.

Q: Why are Harambee Groups asked to identify specific areas of mission?

A: Identifying of specific areas of mission has many benefits. A few might be:
1. Harambee Church is able to better evaluate whether our call to mission is being practically lived out.
2. Mission as a biblical lifestyle becomes less abstract and more approachable as groups discuss what it means in their context.

My Confession by Charin Youngren

Presented as part of our corporate worship on July 22nd, 2007

This is my confession to you:
I mess up and shift the blame. Owning up to my mistakes, taking shame, disappointment, or disgrace that comes with being the one at fault is the last thing that I do. Instead I make excuses, lie, become defensive and worst of all, blame others for my wrongdoing. Ifs, Ands, Buts fly out of my mouth, but I’m sorry, You’re right, and Please forgive me, are the phrases left hiding in the closet.

This is my confession to you:
I become jealous of someone and find pleasure when they fall. I compare myself to others and envy what they have, be it car, winning smile, or true zeal for Christ. Then when they fall, I get a sick satisfaction out of seeing them disgraced. Instead of caring for them and offering to help bear their burdens, I just kick back and mock them, so glad that it isn’t me who looks like the fool.

This is my confession to you:
I get hurt and hate. When someone hurts me I feel like I am justified in hurting them back. I become oh so bitter, vengeful, and proud. My head is full of spiteful comebacks, backstabbing remarks, and foul words to throw at them. Turning the other cheek is a joke where my feelings are concerned. Loving and forgiving are the absolute last things on my mind. Hate and my own glory are the first.

This is what I confess to you:
Even though my list by no means stops there, God in His compassion stepped in the midst of my cowardice, envy, and merciless state of being, and washed me white as snow. Christ chose to wrap this shaking, vile, insecure, malicious and resentful child in His arms of grace and say, “My child I forgive your sins, come, follow me.”

Milk & Honey Cafe

Exodus 3:7-10: "The Lord said, 'I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have hear them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land and into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with Milk and Honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hiivites, and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.'"

Milk & Honey Cafe will be opening in September as an espresso cart. We are currently seeking volunteer help from experienced baristas, financial support, and artistic/design help. If interested, please contact cafe manager Tamara Franceschina at tamara@harambeechurch.com. Currently our hours will be centered around Sunday Services, special events, and during the HCDA after school time.

Our hope is to build it out fully by next year, having it function as a full coffee bar serving light food items. We are seeking help with design and construction. During that time we hope to be open on a more full time basis, extending our services to correspond with the Harambee venue, HCDA events, and regular hours for the general public. We also hope to expand our volunteer opportunities to all, with a special focus on job training for youth."

Mission & Vision

Mission

The Harambee Café exists as a socially responsible neighborhood café to further the mission of Harambee Community Development Association. We seek to build and engage community by creating a gathering place to enjoy affordable, fresh, and locally produced snacks and drinks in a creative environment that educates, inspires, and invites our community to share in our commitment to seek mercy and justice for the oppressed, embrace diversity, empower people to positively transform lives, and to cultivate and support the arts.

Vision
Read More

How You Can be Involved

We are currently seeking somewhat experienced baristas who are interested in people and relationship building to make our team. If you are interested, please inquire before August 15th. These team members will volunteer to serve before and after services on Sundays, during the week from 1:00-6:00 to support HCDA after school programs, and during various other weekly events and special occasion.

We are also seeking financial support. We have yet to raise another 2000$ to cover our cart operation expenses. For build out, we need to raise roughly 50,000$ dollars. If you are interested in financial sponsorship of an item, a monthly contribution, or a one time gift, please contact the church office.

We are also looking for support in areas of people and contacts. If you are in fields such as plumbing, construction, fundraising, accounting, or restaurant service, we would love your donation of time and resources.

If you have any further questions, please contact Danelle Dillon (cafe manager) at danelle@harambeechurch.com.

Classes

Another important aspect of Biblical discipleship includes classes that study a specific subject over a distinct duration of time. Harambee classes include... Read More

Youth

Jr. and Sr. High (13-17 years): While we are a young church and do not have a lot of junior and senior high students, we believe that everyone should be integrated into the church community. Read More

Counseling

In a healthy church body, believers walk through life together supporting each other through life’s joys and pain. Sometimes issues arise within a person, between people, or between a person and God, which require a more intentional level of help. These may include marriage and family issues, spiritual issues, anger, depression, addictions, etc. Read More

Children

When we look back on our lives we remember people. When we look back searching for who has helped shape us, many faces come to mind. Many hands go into the making of a human life. Read More

Men

Men are naturally endowed with a spirit of adventure; all too often churches have discouraged masculine traits for a feminine interpretation of spiritual fruit. In spite of the fact that the Scripture calls men to lead in the church and the family, it is most often their women that have the makeup and resolve to fulfill this role.

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Liturgy

Lit-ur-gy: Late Latin liturgia, from Greek (koine) leitourgia public service, leitourgos public servant. 1) a Eucharistic rite. 2) a rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship. 3) a public service, the public service of God, public worship, belonging to the people. Read More

Women

Throughout the book of Proverbs there are two types of women who are characterized: the wise woman and the woman of folly. In Proverbs 3:13-16, wisdom is personified as a woman, and in Proverbs 31 the abstract is made concrete in the description of one woman’s life. Read More

Serving

For Christians, serving the body of Christ, be it the local body of Harambee, regionally or globally, is part of our worship of God. Thus, we encourage our members to joyfully use their gifts both inside and outside the Harambee Community for the mutual edification of the body. Read More