On the cool evening of Feb. 7, Ruth Hsieh, a petite woman from Taiwan dressed in a brightly colored hoodie and black beanie, offered a prayer inside the Hope Chapel, which is dominated by a large, rather garish mural of Christ suffering on the cross.
By way of explanation, one of the dozen or so people in attendance explained the painting by asserting it was “painted by a Baptist.”
“Jesus needs our working bodies as the church’s agents, who he keeps ongoing and alive,” Hsieh prayed. “Please help our brothers and sisters in Christ over this beautiful land, the U.S.A., to have a real revival.”
Then she focused on Fresh Expressions. A small delegation from the national conference meeting about nine miles away was visiting.
“We would like Fresh Expressions to be our church engine,” Hsieh said. “Father, you will be our engineer giving guidance for our church’s future, especially Fresh Expressions’ future.”
Fresh Expressions UM, led by the Rev. Michael Adam Beck of United Methodist Discipleship Ministries, is an effort to do more ministry more informally out in the world, in order to reach people who are not inclined to attend a church service.
“We hope (for the success of) those areas of ministry by The United Methodist Church leadership, for example, in pubs, coffee shops, supper church, county jails and homeless shelters,” Hsieh continued her prayer. “We also would like Fresh Expressions to increase function as a church meeting for instance, on the soccer field, dog park, barbershop, playground, restaurant chain, comic book store and basketball court. … Please give us brainstorms, creativity and innovation.”
Hsieh herself has gotten help through the Fresh Expressions ministry at Hope Chapel, a modest building where meals are served to all and clothing is available to those who need it.
“Ruth came here with her family when she was 7,” said the Rev. Charles DiRico, who leads Word on the Street, which runs the Hope Chapel ministry.
DiRico said that Ruth’s parents died when she was quite young and she has spent significant amounts of her life homeless.
“She has spent most of her life somewhat fending for herself,” he said.
Hsieh, who now lives in an apartment, writes for Speak Up Magazine, a Charlotte publication that gives voice to homeless and struggling people. She is also a “prayer warrior” for several area United Methodist congregations, and regularly gives opening prayers for the Thursday dinner at Hope Chapel.
“When we met at the Hope Chapel (with the Fresh Expressions visitors), I really appreciated the prayer she shared,” DiRico said. He contacted leaders of the Fresh Expressions conference, who agreed to have Hsieh lead a prayer for the conference attendees.
So on Feb. 8, Hsieh, dressed in another brightly colored hoodie and the same black beanie, offered her prayer again — this time before hundreds of United Methodist pastors and other conference attendees.
Back to main story, Hope Chapel models Fresh Expressions.
