Monthly Archives: June 2014

Do you ever walk into a building, a room or a home and you just get that sense, “I want to be here”? On May 31st we got the opportunity to carve out a little space called Miner’s Alley for one day to make it a Better Block.  (see betterblock.org) Folks from all over Golden worked for weeks planning for one day to transform a space for community to come alive. This one day was an opportunity to get Golden businesses, residents and leaders together to ask the question, “what could Miner’s Alley become?” The day was a success, people came, music played, food and drinks were served and once again this community acted like a community. The point is exemplified once again that when people gather in a SPACE designed for creating relationship and connecting over common interests, people thrive. However, there is a problem in our world. People do not know how to share their passions or gifts, they do not know where they fit and often times just feel too busy to try anything new. We want to help you overcome that, because we know the power of collective impact and it is truly fun to be apart of something that is bigger than ourselves, especially when it has the potential to change the world we live in! There are cities all across our nation that are embracing the idea of collective impact. Community Faith in Action exists to foster these kinds of relationships. We look around our community and see where people are working to make a difference and where our Christian values line up. That is where we want to work. We realize that if you are a member of a church, government organization, a non-profit or a business then you have a chance to make a difference in the city where you dwell. However, we need to re-learn how to define success. There is a new score card being developed as we speak and that card is defined by wins for the city collectively, not just your organization. This is what true community transformation is when we start living for the common good of our towns. So go ahead and carve out a little space for community, you will be surprised at what you find!

We want to challenge you this month to look around your city and see where people are gathering for the common good. Is the community engaging in these spaces? Is there room for you to get involved? You might want to offer to help those who are leading, share your personal passions with them and see where you fit. Then when opportunity presents itself, jump in for the common good of your community and do not worry about who gets the credit, just make sure you are leaving that space better than when you arrived. Some websites to explore: Neighborhood Rehab Project  Community Faith in Action  Together Church of Golden City of Golden Specific ways to volunteer this summer: the Community Garden contact Amanda Strouth or the Farmer’s Market contact Dawn Smith

Work Project Turns Teens into Tools

It’s better to give than it is to receive and the only thing sweeter than the truth behind that old adage is passing it on to the next generation and allowing them to experience the joy of community service for themselves. That’s the idea behind Golden’s annual Neighborhood Rehab Project spawning a new youth event July 23-24 with a similar mission. The new event will involve over 100 teens on their annual Rise on the Road trek from Iowa joining as many local youth in Golden to share a hands-on experience learning what it means to love thy your neighbor through home projects. The effort is being organized by Community Faith in Action and local Together Church youth leaders.  This new event will allow the young people to serve residents in the Golden Terrace sub-division in much the same way the Neighborhood Rehab Project performs home repair locally for those in need,  through its annual day-long event and its hundred plus volunteers donning their “I’m a Tool” tees come September. Unlike Neighborhood Rehab Project, however, where adults and various tradespeople do larger scale construction jobs like roof repair, Rise on the Road youth will work alongside Golden Terrace residents on smaller work projects like cleaning up debris, fixing fences, sealing windows and painting. “When we found out Rise on the Road was coming to Golden, we thought, what a great opportunity to help kids become a tool, too,”   “We want to really connect them with the community rather than just have them come in, do some work and go home.” There are several ways CFIA hopes to create that connection through the two-day event according to Thoemke. “First of all, the teenagers are going to work right alongside the residents of Golden Terrace on the various jobs and get to know the people they are serving,” he explained. “In addition, the work projects will be surrounded by times of teaching the youth all around the values of one’s faith and what it means to be a good neighbor by becoming a tool in your community.” And last, said Thoemke, “We are going to throw a fun block party with our neighbors at Golden Terrace and celebrate our accomplishments together.” The two days of learning and work projects will culminate with the block party on Thursday afternoon which is being made possible by the City of Golden’s neighborhood block grant. Thoemke said there will be a BBQ, games for younger kids, a bounce house and live music by the local Denver-based band, Red Fox Run. To raise funds for events like Rise on the Road in July and the Neighborhood Rehab Project taking place September 13th this year, CFIA is teaming up with Small Business Saturday to organize the first annual “Be a Tool” 5K and Kid’s fun run on November 29th in downtown Golden. For more information on any of these events, please contact Dan Thoemke at 720-373-9605 or dthoemke@beatool.org

Buffalo Bill Days

Golden’s largest community festival, the famed Buffalo Bill Days, is just around the corner. While it is typically known for its “Best of the West” parade, Muttin’ Bustin’, live music, car shows and food vendors, there is another piece to the festivities that is worth highlighting. On Sunday July 27th at 9am in Parfet Park, The Together Church of Golden will hold its 9th annual Buffalo Bill Days Church Service. This has been a very inspiring event in years past as eleven of Golden’s local churches and their congregations worship, pray and learn together as a unified body of Christian believers. Denominational differences are put aside and people find great joy in turning their attention to hearing about how God is at work in and among our community. The focus this year will be on the impact youth are having in our city. We will hear from several of the youth who took part in the RISE on the Road event and about their time serving Golden residents during the week. This time is also a great opportunity to meet community members from Calvary Episcopal Church, Faith Lutheran Church, First Baptist Church of Golden, First Presbyterian Church of Golden, First United Methodist Church, Hillside Community Church, Horizon Christian Fellowship, Golden Church of the Nazarene, New Hope Community Church, Applewood Community Church, and Synergy Fellowship. So come, tell others about it and take part of this unique and meaningful piece of Buffalo Bill Days.  For more information about the Together Church