Urban Plunge
Heartside Ministry's Urban Plunge Program offers a rare and powerful immersion experience for persons living & working outside of the day-to-day reality experienced by many persons residing in, specifically, the Heartside neighborhood as well as marginalized persons living throughout the United States—mental disorder, precarious housing & homelessness, substance abuse, discrimination, etc.
The plunge experience is geared towards groups (e.g. book clubs, youth groups, school classes); and depending on the time-frame (plunges can last anywhere from an evening to as long as a weekend) & your group’s preferences, your experience might involve any or all of the following:
- a walking tour of the Heartside neighborhood
- an opportunity to listen to a Heartside neighbor’s account of his/her struggle surrounding issues of poverty, chemical dependency, etc.
- chances to dialogue one-on-one or in small groups with Heartside neighbors
- worship & prayer in the Heartside Chapel and opportunities to bless the community through service
Your plunge experience will be further reinforced with some general education on the aforementioned psychosocial and sociopolitical topics. If you are interested in taking part in an Urban Plunge, please contact the ministry and ask to speak with, Maria Riley, the Urban Plunge Coordinator.
We, in the Heartside community, expect that your plunge experience will spur reflection on how the marginalized fit into your worldview and what in-turn is your (and your community's) responsibility in working for socioeconomic justice.