The District Magazine Vol. 1 Issue 4, Winter 2016 | Page 32

G I V I N G M AT T E R S

City Church
Gives Back to Tampa

Before City Church launched in January 2016, the boots
were on the ground in the streets of downtown Tampa
feeding the homeless inhabitants of Gaslight and Curtis
Hixon parks. John Leslie, the church Pastor, was first
introduced to the homeless population of downtown
Tampa in October of 2014. At the time he was
personally looking for a practical way to get out of the
church pew and into some form of genuine service to
the community. Pastor John found several like-minded
young people downtown doing the same thing every
Wednesday night.
As they went out week after week with whatever food
they could muster, a feeling of compassion transformed
into a sense of vision and purpose for the downtown
community. The group's vision was simple; go to where
the homeless are and meet their most basic need, food.
Out of that desire grew a gathering of people called City
Church Tampa, most under the age of 30, who share in
this sense of commitment to our homeless neighbors.
There has also arisen a collection of local businesses
and church groups that take turns weekly in producing
enough food to feed the roughly 100 homeless people
they encounter each Wednesday night.
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“There’s no judgment, no requirement, just warm smiles,
good food and friendly conversation,” said Pastor John.
One of their first recipients of the Wednesday night
blessings was a man named Jason. When Jason heard
that the group was going to begin offering a church
service in the community on Sunday mornings, he was
thrilled and said he’d be there every Sunday. Since that
day, Jason has been there every Sunday. He even comes
early to help with the set up at the Stage Works Theater
location and stays late each afternoon, until every piece
of equipment is put away. City Church is more than
just a church to Jason and the residents that attend on
Sundays; it has become a collective movement of hope,
fellowship, and community. “All are welcome, and out
of Sunday mornings has grown a contingency of people
of faith committed to helping their fellow man with
whatever God has put in our hand,” said Pastor John.

City Church is … a church at the Heart
of the City with the City at Heart!