It was the fall of 2020 when I got the call. A man named Peter told me he was part of a group in Port Townsend building tiny homes. Fine, I said\u2014how can I help?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They had built several 96-square-foot homes but had nowhere to put them. He had heard our church had extra property and wondered if we would consider hosting a tiny home village. Without hesitation\u2014or checking with the trustees\u2014I said yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then he asked if they could move their building operation onto our property. Sure. Why not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In January 2021, I was asked to bless the new village, dubbed Peter\u2019s Place, as the first twelve residents moved in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Around the same time, we started a clothing closet and food pantry as more people came by the church during the week seeking help. My volunteers\u2014or disciples, as I now call them\u2014suggested opening the closet and pantry on Saturday mornings to better serve our new neighbors. Once again, I said yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you remember that time, you know what came next. A pandemic, and instructions from Bishop Elaine Stanovsky to suspend all in-person worship until further notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a call with a very concerned District Superintendent, I reasoned that this was not the time to close the church. Instead, we put protocols in place to protect both my disciples and those who relied on us for food and clothing. He agreed and urged caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, as we enter our sixth year of serving the least of these, I can say that, to my knowledge, we haven\u2019t lost anyone to COVID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Methodists, we love numbers and statistics, so one of our missionaries keeps monthly records to track our progress. In February 2021\u2014our first month\u2014we had 16 visits to what we call our General Store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We count visits rather than individuals, since some come once and others return as needed. By the end of 2021, we recorded 364 visits, averaging 33 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each year, those numbers grew as word spread and needs increased. We finished 2025 with 1,092 visits, averaging 91 per month\u2014an increase of more than 200 from 2024, reflecting both a weakened economy and rising food insecurity on the Peninsula and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And as if that weren\u2019t enough, we also started a Saturday soup kitchen to feed our hungry shoppers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Support from the community and neighboring churches has been incredible. People contribute financially, shop for us with their own hard-earned money, and show up eager to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several volunteers who don\u2019t attend our church regularly give countless hours simply because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve been told the Holy Spirit sends people to you to love, and once you\u2019ve loved them as best you can, the Spirit sends more. I\u2019ve come to believe this deeply. And this I know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hope Happens Here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scott Rosekrans<\/strong>\u00a0serves as pastor to the people of Community United Methodist Church in Port Hadlock, Washington.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A simple yes in 2020 led one church to host a tiny home village, expand food and clothing ministries, and remain open through the pandemic. Now entering its sixth year, Port Hadlock Community UMC Pastor Scott Rosekrans shares how this growing outreach serves hundreds each month, fueled by community support, faithful volunteers, and a deep trust that the Holy Spirit keeps sending hope.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":24568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,74,16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-24566","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-local-church-2","8":"category-opinioneditorial","9":"category-pacific-northwest-conference"},"yoast_head":"\n