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First Impressions

Boston

Farrah: Before we made our way up to Boston, I had already visited the city for leisure on several occasions. What I remembered of the city were the historic charm, the large presence of students, not being able to find a parking spot, and how it just had the feel of a big small town. It was interesting going this time, because we were going not just to visit but to see if this might be a potential landing spot for us and our new church. As we walked around the city, I felt an energy that was very exciting for beginning a new ministry. There were so many different neighborhoods with personalities unique to their locale. It seemed that as soon as we rounded a new corner, we were encountering a different demographic. The art scene in Boston is awesome, which was definitely a draw. There is also no lack of universities! The diversity there was not quite what I've seen living in Northern New Jersey but it was still very present as well. The only thing about Boston was that it may have too many options, making it difficult for us to pinpoint one location in the city that would allow all four of us (and whoever else joins) to use our gifts. Overall, Boston was an exciting place with many ripe opportunities.

Ben: The energy of the city is simply incredible; if there's any major city that this Maine country boy could live in; this would be it! I love that the arts community is strong and the city is full of young adults. However, I wasn't sure like I found a place that 'fit' all four of us at once and I worry about how the neighborhood focused nature of the city would allow for encounter between cultures and economic strata.

Melissa: Despite living only a couple hours away from Boston for most of my life, this was the first time I had gotten an in-depth tour of the city. I loved many neighborhoods and could see myself living in different places, but I didn't get a strong sense of where the four of us could be in ministry well together. Many of the neighborhoods are becoming more gentrified and are largely homogenous, which raises questions for me about how we could target our very different demographics.

Manchester

Farrah: The only experience I had of Manchester before the four of us went was taking someone to and from the airport! So, I really did not see any of the actual city before our trip up there. We all knew this was a smaller city but we were excited about the what he had heard. Upon our arrival, we met with a local United Methodist Pastor who is in a church only 2 miles from downtown Manchester. He filled us in on all of the ins and outs of the city and the ministries they have been involved with, especially with those who are impoverished in the downtown area. He took us on a ride around the city and as we entered the downtown area, I could begin to see the potential for our church. There is not much in the way of an art scene in the downtown, but there is potential for one. The universities there also are in need of campus ministries, which would be something we could become involved with. We also saw the striking difference between the poverty in the heart of the city and the wealth just two or three miles outside of the center. There is also increasing diversity in the city, which was apparent as we drove around. Manchester was also an exciting place to visit, but for different reasons. It had more that we felt we could bring to the table as all of our gifts could be used in one spot. It did not have the same energy as Boston but the potential for ministry in Manchester makes it an exciting possibility for us.

Ben: I love this city. The arts community and downtown aren't as strong as I had hoped, and there aren't as many easily accessible resources (churches, money, etc.) as Boston. However, the city is geographically compressed (see my blog post here), there are universities, supportive allies, and I saw a lot of places where I could envision the four of us living, following Jesus, and planting churches. Vive la Manchester!

Melissa: All I knew going in was that Manchester's airport often offered cheaper flights than Portland's, and that it is like many other communities in New England that are struggling after the mills closed. Driving around, I was surprised at how compressed the downtown area was; you'd be driving along the main street, turn one block off and be in the slums where people struggling with alcoholism used the apartments as temporary housing, and then a half-mile down the road you would find Victorian mansions. There aren't very many third spaces for people to gather (if they don't want to drink, that is), and so I believe that we would have a lot to offer that community in terms of an alternative gathering space. Overall, I feel good about the possibilities that Manchester offers us...and that we have to offer it as well.