In Toledo’s Fellowship For All People community, everyone has a place at the table.

Just ask Ideshia, a resident of downtown Toledo. She feels “belonging” when she attends this new expression of worship.

As her relationship with her worship community grew, Ideshia shared her frustration. She was in a battle with child-protective services to regain custody of her children. CPS has high expectations of parents, but lack of access to resources keeps many families from reconciling. Now, Ideshia uses her voice at community meetings alongside other parents to raise awareness and find solutions.

Ideshia is one of many Fellowship attendees who have found community.

“We want to be a church for the neighborhood,” said Pastor Mark Kwiatkowski, who leads Fellowship alongside the Rev. Leo Cunninghan, lead pastor of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Toledo.

The people who attend Sunday afternoon worship at Fellowship are also clients of St. Paul’s Marketplace for All People, a free store and food pantry.

Cunningham describes Fellowship as a multiethnic church where people from various backgrounds and life experiences can find a Christ-centered community focused on worship, connection and mission. The preaching is conversational, and the people connect to the music, a style in contrast to St. Paul’s Sunday morning worship.

“Thank you, Pastor Mark, for doing this for us,” said James, a first-time attendee.

To prepare for his role, Kwiatkowski attended West Ohio Conference Office of Fresh Starts and New Beginnings Greenhouse Training.

“To be a church in the community,” he explained, “we have to speak the language of the community. People don’t just attend worship at Fellowship; they are engaged in it.”

For more about Fellowship For All People, click here.

Written by Amy Graham, Freelance Writer with West Ohio Communications