Advancing the Kingdom

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Advancing T he Kingdom: Kingdom House 140
There is a time for everything, and a
season for every activity under heaven…
Ecclesiastes 3:1
The settlement movement in the
United States is alive and well as
vibrant community centers – legacies
of the progressive era – still strive to
serve with programs that will enrich
persons, assist families and strengthen
neighborhoods. While no longer
“settlers” living in the neighborhood,
agency staff and volunteers come from
all over the metropolitan area to partner
with community residents as fellow
collaborators in creating a St. Louis
where all can participate and contribute
as member parts of the same body.
Kingdom House remains as a
unique connection between the bygone
settlement workers and the new urban
pioneers. As a bridge from the past it
continues the legacy begun by William
Sloan, the Woman’s Home Missionary
Board, the Community Chest and the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South – a
bequest to today’s United Methodist
Women, United Way and the United
Methodist Church
It appears that St. Louis has reversed,
or at least stayed, a fifty-year trend of
decline as people have begun to move
into the city and fewer residents have
left. Certainly the marked growth and
activity of the Washington Avenue
area, construction of a new baseball
stadium (and the razing of the old) and
current boosterism of the Francis Slay
administration have created a climate of
dynamism that has been lacking since
the mid-twentieth century.
As this history of Kingdom House
goes to press, we have entered the
second decade of the twenty-first
century and continue to serve the near
southside neighborhood as we have
since 1902. As “A Pathway Out of
Poverty” we offer many of the programs
that have aided those who have come
to us through the years but have added
others. Clients become members
of TEAM – Together Empowering
Advancement of Members – and receive
training in financial management,
parenting skills, English as a second
language and job training. There is a
St. Louis Community Credit Union
located at the agency providing banking
opportunities where none have existed.
The Kingdom Academy is preparing
youth to be able to attend college. We
are proud of our dedicated staff, led
by Executive Director Scott Walker,
volunteers and donors who make this
possible.
As this history of
K ingdom House goes
to press, we have
entered the second
decade of the twenty-
first century and
continue to serve
the near southside
neighborhood as we
have since 1902. As
“A Pathway Out of
P overty”