Every 'Square Inch'

Heavy rain drenched the streets outside as about 25 people arrived on a recent Sunday afternoon – some carrying food for a pot-luck dinner they call the LoveFeast—and got ready for worship at the newly formed Square Inch Community.

Located in the artsy East Hills Neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Mich., the church sanctuary was simply arranged with a circle of chairs facing a table on which candles, incense and pieces of pottery containing Communion bread and wine had been placed.

East Hills, about one mile east of downtown Grand Rapids, is a community of art galleries, coffee shops, bars, book stores, ethnic-food restaurants and older, refurbished homes.

Most members of the congregation were in their '20s and '30s. Several were barefoot and wore T-shirts and jeans. Children roamed around freely in this spacious room located on the third floor of a renovated orphanage.

Square Inch congregants began their 4 p.m. service at this Christian Reformed Home Missions-supported church with a call-and-response worship litany. The liturgy was fairly traditional, following an ancient Christian pattern.

One person began the litany by reading from the worship program: "Yesterday we were crucified with you Lord Jesus."

"Today we are glorified with you," came the response.

Congregational prayers followed in which members spoke of sick friends, work they could do for other church members, and praises for getting jobs and words of comfort for those who have lost jobs.

The service itself lasted about an hour as the people sang some cotemporary praise songs and a couple of old-time hymns accompanied by guitars, one of them played by Pastor Steve De Ruiter, who also gave the sermon and helped oversee distribution of Communion.

The sermon centered on the workings of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people. In it, De Ruiter said, "In moments of great pain, the Holy Spirit is articulating our moans and groans. The spirit holds us tight . . . The Holy Spirit comes as our advocate and comforter. The promise of the Holy Spirit is that the inner breath of Jesus' own life is in those who love him."

After the low-key service, everyone gathered for the vegan, pot-luck dinner LoveFeast, sharing food and stories and elements of their faith – a faith that some of them had come to Square Inch to learn more about.

"I felt the call to plant Square Inch in Grand Rapids when I realized how those skeptical of the Christian faith, and the church in particular were seeking their answers outside of the Christian community," said De Ruiter after the service.

"I am particularly drawn to artists and musicians because I for a time was trying to make a go of being a rock-n-roll musician. But Square Inch is not just a place for artists. It is a place for those who are seeking God and seeking a community within which to work out life's questions."

Created with building a close-knit community in mind, Square Inch does not follow the paradigm of asking a person to believe then belong.

"We want people to know they belong in our community even if they are still on their way to believing. We have people who are lifelong church goers. We have people who are coming back to church after spending time away. And we have people who do not yet claim Christ as Lord," said De Ruiter.

Their name comes from something that Dutch politician and Reformed thinker Abraham Kuyper wrote: "There is not one square inch of our entire existence over which Christ is sovereign about which he does not cry 'Mine!'"

Square Inch Community is a group of Christians who have gotten together to form a new faith community in the city who are striving to live fully in the world God has given them.

"We are a community of single people and married people. We are artists, musicians, tool salesman, stay- at- home parents, teachers, social workers, college students, and little kids who run around banging on tambourines," said De Ruiter.

The church was birthed out of a Bible study that De Ruiter had in his home with friends and others he had met over the years in the nearby Eastown Neighborhood and East Hills.

"We won't reject you if you have questions or even if you have some lingering anger towards organized religion. We will, however try and love you the very best we can."