Team commissioned for Corpus Christi shalom initiative

Southwest Texas Conference officials commissioned nine site team members April 2 in Corpus Christi for the new South Bluff Park Community of Shalom.
The Rev. Barbara J. Ruth, Corpus Christi District superintendent, presided at the commissioning at First UMC, Corpus Christi.
The third shalom community in Southwest Texas, the South Bluff Park project is to foster community identity, provide access to health education and services, and promote employment in a five-block neighborhood in Corpus Christi.
Site team members, who come from United Methodist, nondenominational, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic congregations, trained for five months with the Rev. George Bradley, conference shalom coordinator, and the Rev. Melanie Welsh, previous shalom coordinator. Team members learned a wide range of principles, processes and actions to implement a Community of Shalom Initiative.
Established in 1992 after violent rioting in Los Angeles, The United Methodist Church’s Communities of Shalom Initiative has four goals:
> Fostering spiritual growth in marginalized neighborhoods.
> Promoting economic development.
> Strengthening multicultural relationships.
> Enabling health and wholeness.
The initiative is based on principles of mission evangelism, asset-based community development, collaboration and site change, said Bradley, associate pastor of St. Andrew’s UMC, San Antonio. Residents; local, state and national institutions; and site team members work together to build capacity within communities using resident and nonresident resources.
The General Board of Global Ministries administers the denominational program.
The two other Communities of Shalom in Southwest Texas are:
> Hands of Hope at First UMC, Falfurrias. It began in 1999 by doing home repairs following Hurricane Brett and other storms that devastated Brooks County. The community now provides health education and care through a Wesley Nurse program and job training.
> Pharr Community Outreach/Shalom at Pharr UMC. It provides training in English as a second language, sewing and computer operation; preparation for General Educational Development testing; limited housing repairs; health education; and spiritual development.
Southwest Texas United Methodists can support the three local communities by contributing to Advance 2264 (Communities of Shalom/SWTC).