July 02, 2010

When Shane Cox graduated from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary with a master of arts degree in intercultural ministries in 2009, he didn’t know what to do with his life.

But when he and his family began opening their downtown apartment for weekly Bible study and fellowship, something clicked.

Now, one year after the initial study started, Cox’s fellowship group has developed into Take Hold Church, a unique church ministering to the “sub-culture” of urban life.

Originally, the Bible study attracted mostly 16 to 25 year olds that he described as being part of that sub-culture. Most of them were into things like rock, heavy metal and punk music, he said.

The weekly attendance quickly outgrew their small apartment. Before long, they were renting the top floor of Mixtape Café and Music Venue. Unfortunately, they were asked to leave by the owners, who were worried about the rough types of people that showed up every week.

The church moved to a new home on South Division Avenue in the Heartside neighborhood in early May. Their new space is just across the corner from the old location.

 “It started out as sort of a fringe thing,” said Cox. “Now it’s developed into a local body church. A lot of Heartside residents are coming. It’s bringing people who would not ordinarily be around each other together.”

Cox gives a lot of credit to his education at GRTS, saying that it got him excited about missions and intercultural ministry.

“It broadened my theological horizons, with Christ still as the center,” he said. “It expanded my Christian worldview. It made me think a lot.”

David Livermore, executive director of the Global Learning Center and associate professor of intercultural ministries, said GRTS prepares students for ministry through ministry residency as well as classes that make them question their assumptions and teach them to incorporate the concepts of emotional and cultural awareness and sensitivity into their ministry.

For more information about Take Hold Church, visit its Web site at www.takeholdchurch.org. 

Click here to find out more about the intercultural ministries degree program at GRTS.