Hi! We're Ben and Jacqui, and these are our five energetic children. Had you asked us a decade ago if we would still be living in the city, we would've responded with a definite "no." Cleveland, for us, was supposed to be a temporary ministry position and a starter home from which we would springboard into the rest of our lives, probably living the proverbial American dream in the suburbs with a white picket fence and 2.5 children to boot.
But God had other plans. Doesn't He always? Slowly, God began to soften our hearts, open our eyes, and light a fire in our souls for the people of the city. Somewhere along the line, we moved from "just passing through" to residing in Cleveland, to having skin in the game and compassion for the many sheep without a Shepherd. For many years the Lord has been shaping the vision of Third Place in our hearts, and now the launch of that vision has finally begun.