The Row

Therowchurch.com

We took our kids to The Row tonight, also known as a church without walls.  We meet on the corner of Wall and Winston in Skid Row on Friday nights and sing praise songs and listen to Pastor Cue preach/teach and then hand out food to the people living there on the streets.

I’ve never been before and neither has my youngest, Boomerang.  My husband and two older kids have gone before and so Boomerang was super excited to go check it out.  When we got there the kids were understandably nervous and bored and just wanted to go home.  There are people and trash on the streets, cop cars running through there every now and then, and sometimes people yelling and swinging stuff around.  I believe that my kids are safe there but it’s not exactly family friendly.  The atmosphere is dark and scary and loud and things feel unpredictable.

There weren’t as many people there as I thought there would be.  I’ve heard from my oldest, Jelly, that there used to be a lot more people.  More people on the streets and lining up for food and more people serving.  I’m pretty amazed that Pastor Cue is so dedicated showing up every Friday night, rain or shine, for the past 11 years preaching on the corner of Skid Row and serving food afterwards no matter how many people show up.

We have been feeling like our family needs a change in our life, to somehow get “unstuck” with where we are.  We’ve stopped hosting small group at our home and we’ve been thinking about attending The Row as a family for a season.  Tonight was our first night.  I’m not sure how the kids feel about going every Friday night but I think the more we go the less uncomfortable it will be for them (and me).  I feel like there is so much God will teach us and so much we can learn from the people we meet.  Even tonight Jelly pointed out how everyone is so friendly.  And the kids noticed that when the offering bag is passed around there are several homeless people that still give.

We want our kids to see the heart God has for the poor and the vulnerable and for them to be compassionate.  We also want them to see the homeless and treat them as humans and not just people to be scared of or avoided.  Not just for my kids, but for M and I to see these things as well.  I’m hoping to document this season in our family’s life so 1) I can process what I see and feel every Friday night and 2) so we can look back on it and see God’s work in our lives and those on Skid Row.