A team of leaders convened in January 2022, open to being curious and patient, to discern where Mount Olivet is being called to give voice and investment in the work of affordable housing. The team continues the work Mount Olivet began in 2010. As a church, we have built houses with Habitat for Humanity, and formed a leadership team to advocate for affordable housing via Beacon InterFaith Housing Collaborative, a statewide developer of affordable housing. This led to advocacy for Beacon’s affordable housing project, Cranberry Ridge in Plymouth, and hosting unhoused families here at church via the Families Moving Forward program.

Each conversation with community organizations, government liaisons and other churches leads to another and of course there is the Holy Spirit revealing the path ahead. It takes guts to be curious and patient and to know the next step is not always action. Good thing this group is centered in the call to love God and neighbor so more and more people can have a place to call home.

The Housing Team members include Bob Swanson, Bob Carlson, Kelly Bishop, Steve Gartland, Paul Nelson, Pastor Kristin Dybdal, and Pastor Beth Horsch.

Written by: Pastor Beth Horsch