Here we are, two months, seven workdays, and six blocks into Carytown Clean-Up, an effort to remove graffiti in Carytown. Attendance through the summer has been a wonderful testimony to our members’ dedication to Jesus and his mission. Reflecting back on Carytown Clean-Up, there are two major reflections that I wish to mention in this first part of this series.
Aesthetic Restoration of Carytown
One of the main goals of Carytown Clean-Up was actually to clean up Carytown. We set out with the intention of removing all of the graffiti in Carytown. There are several benefits to this project. A cleaner Carytown will naturally result in a more desirable Carytown bringing more business and even new business to the merchants. We are left now with only a few workdays to go and still plenty of work. Although there is still work to be done, there has been great success in our mission to clean up all of the graffiti in Carytown. Much of the graffiti on storefronts, sidewalks, roofs, and walls that face West Cary Street have been erased or painted over, leaving a more aesthetically pleasing place to shop, eat, and hang out. In addition to graffiti abatement, we picked up trash and cleaned stickers off of poles, mailboxes, newsstands, phone booths. Carytown has seen much change since the beginning of summer.
The cleaning of graffiti this summer has resulted in more than just better looking buildings; the gospel has been lived out as many of our members have come out to serve the City. The gospel lived out naturally creates a better place to live; a place that attracts people with its beauty and promotes a better standard of living. The aesthetic restoration of Carytown is a glimpse of the gospel being lived out. Carytown Clean-Up has served as a great jumping point in Remnant Church’s overall desire to be a blessing to Richmond and to see it flourish.
Gospel Relationships Have Been Built
Always accompanying the living out of the gospel in deed should be the speaking of the gospel in word. Through Carytown Clean-Up we have had the opportunity to meet the merchants, the customers, and the residents of Carytown. Meeting these people has provided our people the opportunity to build relationships and share the gospel. Our service to the area of Carytown has sparked the interest of people throughout the area that want to know what we are doing and why we are doing it. People have stopped by our tent as they walk down the street as well as coming out of their homes for the purpose of asking what we are doing. This has afforded us many opportunities to share with people why we are serving the city and tell them about the person and work of Jesus.
Our prayer is that as Carytown Clean-Up enters its last phases that people would see a glimpse of the type of culture the gospel creates and that we would be able to continue building relationships and sharing the gospel.
For more updates and photos of Carytown Clean-Up, visit http://www.facebook.com/serverichmond?ref=ts
0 Responses to “Carytown Graffiti Abatement: Reflections”