Symbols tell stories. They provide a powerful representation of the identity of something. The symbol of the city of Atlanta is that of a mythical phoenix rising from the ashes. The city, conscious of its past (including a time during the Civil War when it literally was a city in ashes), captured its transformation through a symbol noting resurgence and restoration. In much of this city, you see evidence of a resurgence and restoration. Last year was the first year in thirty that the city actually gained in population. The downtown and Midtown skyline grows heavenward with new office and residential ventures. Historical and architecturally unique homes are renovated next to new loft developments in the intown neighborhoods. New business flourishes and expands at a rapid rate, keeping Atlanta globally connected and a desirable place to live. Atlanta's urban Eastside reflects this bustling change. When we (The Armstrongs) prepared to launch this effort, we knew we wanted to put roots down here. In the midst of all the urban transformation now afoot, Eastside had maintained its diverse and unique identity in neighborhoods like Candler Park, Inman Park, Kirkwood, Lake Claire, Cabbagetown, and Little Five Points, whose streets are filled with a rich mosaic of people representing all different walks of life. There are so many aspects of Eastside's rich diversity to be noted among its 50,000 inhabitants. It is a racially and ethnically diverse place. Its people represent a great cross-section of economic conditions, ranging from homelessness and poverty, to urban professionals. Educationally, those living here value learning as a means towards personal and community enrichment; nearly one third of its inhabitants hold graduate degrees, one of the highest percentages anywhere in the city, and Eastside is surrounded by Emory, Georgia State, and Georgia Tech universities. Culturally, the Eastside thrives with its myriad music and theatrical venues (independent to mainstream), cultural centers (Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, Fernbank Museum), unique restaurants, festivals, and architecturally beautiful Craftsman and Victorian homes. Citizens hear reflect virtually any political and spiritual viewpoint, valuing tolerance of belief with great passion. And perhaps most telling is the raised social conscious of its people regarding a variety of issues and concerns, ranging from the environment, the peace movement, political engagement, human rights, and social, racial and economic inequality. The Eastside is the cradle of the civil rights movement (the boyhood home of Martin Luther King, Jr. is in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood) and still today issues a clarion call for not just racial reconciliation but for a unity that eclipses race, economics, and social stratification. But something is missing! As great as the business climate is, as beautiful as its unique neighborhoods are and as intelligent and creative as its people are, something is askew. People weren't meant to be homeless or impoverished. Companies weren't created to force employees to exist in a dog-eat dog world. Families weren't designed to be ripped apart by addiction and alienation. Individuals weren't meant to be consumers only. No, God did not mean for us to live in isolation and loneliness. With pain. Fear. Anxirty. Despair. Hopelessness. Hatred. Shame. Rejection. Marginalization. We believe that there is a story-one written by God-that provides a coherent narrative that structures life in a way that reflects how things are and were innately meant to be. The story begins with intimacy between God and humanity, which created peace, love and community, but many, many years ago, chaos entered the relationship. Today, our human race continues to reject relationship with the creating God, rejecting his place and presence in our lives for a "good life" we think will give us more. Trusting in a "closed" universe, we believe that we could provide more for ourselves than a gracious God could ever do. But our lives have become endless searches for pleasure, our pleasures have become our fixations and our fixations have become our addictions and miseries. Living for ourselves, we have lived lives we have both loved and hated. We have loved what we thought was freedom but have found it enslaving. And when we hear the story of a God who created us for joy, peace and harmony, our souls awake, wishing for a world without dis-ease, dis-harmony, and dis-unity that has torn at our personal and social fabric. We believe that the voice within that longs for more, that longs for social, as well as personal healing-a restoration greater than the material one happening around us--is God-given. And we believe that God continues the story through the God who walked the earth, Jesus Christ, who, above all others who have claimed to be Deity, renounced and abdicated power, pleasure and pursuit to identify with our chaos that he might restore and renew us, re-creating both us and Atlanta Eastside. We do not presume to alone represent the life and love of Jesus to this world. We believe that there are other churches and organizations in this city who also herald a proclamation of truly good news to its people and we simply wish to join the chorus of their voices, singing out this new harmony of transformed living. But we believe that the city, including our Eastside, needs more voices to sing a "new song" of redemption for individuals and whole communities. And so we have come to partner with existing churches and organizations to bring about, through word and deed, the mercy and justice of God; to pray for cultural and personal renewal of the city and its people; to plant a movement of churches to exist in this endeavor; and to provide, through our own church family, a home (a place of refuge) and a mission (a place of purpose and service), striving to create an environment where a person can "belong before they believe," considering the claims of Christ, wrestling with spiritual reality, finding a community of hope and redemption.