A third place is not a home, and not a business, but an informal gathering place that fosters friendships, discussions, and networking. Third places are incredibly important for churches who don’t want their front doors on a Sunday morning to be their only gateway in their communities. If our churches are to be missional and incarnational, third spaces are crucial ideas to understand and bring to life (or participate in) in our neighborhoods.
Pernell planted a church called The Freeway in Hamilton, Ontario. Hamilton is the city of my youth. Steel town of Canada. Jordon Cooper called the Freeway the mecca of the emerging church in Canada. Of course I don’t know if he was serious because Jordon is always jabbing Pernell. So I’ll just say that Pernell is one of the leaders of the emerging church/resonate collaboration in Canada and I count them all as good friends. Pernell has developed a coffeeshop as a third space in the urban downtown of Hamilton. He will be speaking on what makes a good third space for community witness. We can also engage him on broader church planting issues/struggles. There is a fantastic write-up and podcast of an interview of Pernell by Allelon here.
I’d encourage you to read Pernell’s page on third spaces, and come on June 14th to engage in the theory and practice of third spaces for our churches in the suburbs, where third spaces, like all forms of hospitality, face unique challenges. Don’t miss this critical conversation about being incarnate in the places where we live.
June 14th, 7pm, at Life on the Vine Church. See you there!
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