A car was stopped in the middle of the road on Bradley Street behind Sacred Settlement Mosaic, and quite loudly the driver exclaimed:

“They’ve got homes up there.” 

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‍Sacred Settlements get that a lot. Sure, there will always be initial concern before one is built. Some worry it will be an eyesore or that it will hurt their property values. Instead, the neighborhood is enriched by a crown jewel:a visible symbol of a healthy community that doesn’t ignore its vulnerable neighbors, but embraces them.Sacred Settlements are like a city on a hill. They stand as a beacon of what’s possible when churches respond, in faith, to addressing chronic homelessness.

Anyone who’s taken an evening walk around Bennet Lake in Roseville’s Central Park will tell you how beautiful it is up on that hill, with string lights floating in the trees. Sacred Settlement Prince of Peace has blessed people who have no idea what it is yet.

Many faith communities have underutilized areas of their land and buildings. Parking lots, classrooms, and main gathering spaces are lightly used – if used at all – outside of a weekend service and a night each week.

Those spaces, whether they’re in urban, suburban, or rural areas, are waiting to serve as Cultivated Places, where relationships develop and communities grow.

Sacred Settlements are places where neighbors work alongside each other in gardens, tend to chickens, and celebrate milestones and birthdays. They’re places where host churches can invite guests for meals and rest. They’re places that offer hope and light in a hopeless and dark world. They provide a thousand reasons for people to connect with each other.

Sacred Settlement Open Door will become a city on a hill.

‍Now, Church of the Open Door in Maple Grove is responding in faith. With more acreage and more square footage, this will be the largest Sacred Settlement yet. The church believes it can use its property to welcome, provide rest, and support people who have experienced chronic homelessness.

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