Tiny Home Communities as a Collaborative Response to Homelessness: A Conversation with the Welcome Church

“Even though folks on the street might not have housing, the sense of home and community that’s created is amazing…Jesus is always sending people out to the road, and, well, that’s where we are- on the road.”
–Revs. Violet Little and Schaunel Steinnagel–

We are pretty excited about the conversation we have for you on this episode. As many may know, one of our ecumenical ministries we have supported for over a decade has been the Welcome Church. An ecumenical worshipping community partnership of the local Lutheran Synod of Southeastern Pennsylvania and our Presbytery, Welcome Church especially hinges on ministry alongside people experiencing chronic street homelessness. We sat down with our own Rev. Schaunel Steinnegal, Associate of the Welcome Church, and Rev. Violet Little, founding minister of the Welcome Church. They shared a number of stories and we talked quite a bit about how their inclusive and empowering love of neighbor. However, we were most eager to share about their 2018 and 2021 Covenant Fund Initiative, Sanctuary Village, which is a Tiny Home project embraced by the City of Philadelphia that will be a vital and collaborative effort to provide housing and community to those presently unhoused. So lean in, God’s Spirit is alive and well in and through these saints.

Side note, if you are interested in collaborating with the Welcome Church, you can check out a helpful resource on this episode page or by visiting www.presbyphl.org and clicking Welcome Church on the Ministry Associations dropdown. Be well friends!