This Sunday we will welcome my friend Rodney Calfee. I met Rodney on the Jet Set Trip to Asia with The Upstream Collective. Rodney is the pastor of The Downtown Church located in Birmingham AL. His church has a HUGE heart for the transformative nature of God’s mission. For this reason they are strategically located in downtown Birmingham when most churches have left for the suburbs.

The following is from there web-site.

We’ve done away with the “missions department” at The Downtown Church. Rather, the entire church should be on mission. Instead of gathering people into a building and recruiting a selection of those who gather to then go into the streets, we’ve moved the entire church outside of the building and are literally planning to hold worship services in various locations across the downtown area. And, we’re planning to canvas the area in house churches, as well. Our goal is:

• Four worship services in the downtown Birmingham area- all in different locations, all geared to specific areas and specific people groups.
• 1,000 people involved in house churches- and living as disciples of Jesus.
• This means there would be a worship gathering in walking distance of anyone in the downtown area.
• No one hungry within walking distance of our hub- 300 24th Street South, Birmingham, Alabama 35233 (the building where we used to worship that now simply facilitates everything else).
• No one unsheltered (by their own choice) within walking distance.
• Access to job development and other life skills to sustain for everyone in the same area.

I think it is safe to say that Rodney and his church “get it.” Check out the innovative ministries they have created: The Downtown Exchange – a place to exchange goods for services – and The Village – a restoration and re-entry program for those recently released from prison.