Melissa St. Clair on Churches Building Affordable Housing with Heart

As more churches explore the opportunity of affordable housing, Rev. Melissa St. Clair shares the journey of developing her church's property. In this episode, we talk about the dream for Heartside Hill and its evolution over time, fundraising efforts and partnerships for the development of Heartside Hill, and how they built relationships with existing neighbors and gained community involvement. Melissa also shares the importance of connecting the project to the church's mission while also offering advice for pastors and churches in similar situations of transitioning church land.

Rev. Melissa St. Clair has served Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Fort Collins, CO, since January 2013. She was called to succeed the congregation's founding pastor, Jeff Wright. After two years of serving as Associate Minister, she was installed as Senior Minister in January 2015. Melissa was ordained in 2008 at her home church, St. John’s United Church of Christ, Chambersburg, PA, where her immediate and extended family still reside. Her Master of Divinity is from Eden Theological Seminary (St. Louis, MO).

Melissa currently serves as Moderator for the Central Rocky Mountain Region and has previously served as chair of the Board of Stewards for the Center for Faith and Giving. She is an alumna of the Bethany Fellows and a graduate of Leadership Northern Colorado. She currently serves on the Leadership Team of the Ecumenical Circle of the Bethany Fellows. Melissa loves running the trails and camping the mountains of Colorado. She and her spouse, Ben, recently moved to the foothills of the Front Range where they savor the mountain views and the gravel road that gets them there. Her passion for affordable and attainable housing has grown out of their love for where they live and a desire to live in a sustainable, inclusive community.

Laura Stephens-Reed is the clergy coach Melissa references in the show. She helps clergy and congregations navigate transitions with faithfulness and curiosity and can be contacted at www.laurastephensreed.com.

 

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