82 / 150
79
C
hapter
T
hree
:
‘S
uffer
the
C
hildren
…’ (1956 – 1977)
time chaplain in the summer, and the
integration of the Women’s Board.
At the February 22, 1962 Annual
Dinner Meeting, Koeppe introduced a
new symbol for Kingdom House:
Kingdom House Symbol
For some time, we have endeavored
to work out a symbol for Kingdom House
which would be representative of the
agency’s function and purpose. The ‘busy-
ness’ of our workers has often been noted
and the agency referred to as ‘a beehive of
activity’. ...
With some adaptations, our symbol
came into being. The beehive represents
many working together, each in his own
specialization or capacity for the benefit of
the entire group. Order and organization
for the common good is indicated and we
believe this to be typical of Kingdom House.
Our bees are coming and going from the
beehive since the work must be carried into
the community as well as carried on at the
center of action.
Our thoughts center on the work,
“Kingdom” and we screen from the parables
beginning ‘The Kingdom of heaven is like
– ’ to the comparison of the wheat and the
tares. These are represented at the base of
the hive by the straight stalks at the edges
and the vines intertwined. Our task is often
to ‘Let them grow together until the harvest’
(Matthew 13:30) as we seek to enrich the
lives of our members and friends and the
judgement role is not ours.
Almost buried among the tares is a small
symbol, a circle, to represent the mustard
seed for truly, growth must come from even
the tiniest of beginnings, but it has and does
occur with those in our daily work and
ministry.
A large circle is indicated – not to
represent perfection, since our circle is
broken. Neither is our work perfect, nor
perfection our goal as we seek to enable
each of our members to live a little closer
to his fullest potential. The circle also
represents eternity—but our circle is broken
to indicate that the labor cannot wait but
must be done in the time which is now.
Both perfection and eternity await a more
powerful Hand than ours in the life of our
people.
Our symbol may suggest other meanings
to you; these are the impressions of the
Executive Director as portrayed by the
artist, his wife.
35
Written later in 1962, Koeppe
authored a treatise entitled
What is
Kingdom House?
:
…One might ask, ‘who are the people
being served by Kingdom House.’ Kingdom
House deals with the families of an entire
neighborhood and we are concerned
with that neighborhood’s health, welfare,
education, recreation and other social
services. Roughly, the area served most
intensely is four blocks in each direction
from Kingdom House [11th and Morrison].
This includes, directly across 12th Street,
the huge Darst Housing Project and the
Webbe Housing Project with its special
building for Senior citizens. Along with the
Clinton Peabody Housing Project, there
is an estimate of approximately nine to
ten thousand people who will continue to
live in these apartments for a forseeable
[sic] fifty years. In the other direction
(toward the river) is an area of very poor
C
P
hoto
:
C:
Bird in a cage
T
he
population
in
the
area we
serve
is
approximately
ten
to
twelve
thousand
people
. O
f
these one
third move
every
year
so
about
every
three
years we have
a
different
clientele