THE GATHERINGS
URBAN NATIVE MONTHLY GATHERINGS

Almost seven years ago a group of twenty five Native people met in the living room of Richard & Katherine Twiss for a fun get-together. Most had been friends from three to fifteen years. Everyone enjoyed being with one another so much they decided to start meeting on a regular monthly basis. A week earlier some of these same people and others had a similar meeting two weeks earlier and came to same conclusion about meeting monthly. Rather than start two “competing” gatherings Richard felt it would be best to merge the two groups. From this one gathering, The Gatherings were born.

The vision was born with the goal to simply meet together in community in the spirit of Jesus to provide a safe place to address the cultural, social, and spiritual dynamics of an urban, inter-tribal “Pan-Indian” community. The vision emerged to create places for the gathering of Native people that are community based and relationally focused. Dale Wheeler, along with a great team of men and women, has emerged as the “spiritual leader” in helping provide wisdom, guidance and oversight to the Gatherings.   The following four points are consistent characteristics of the Gatherings that organically grew and developed as the people met and formed tight knit, yet intentionally very inclusive, groups. Community Based Relationally Focused Culturally Relevant Broadly Inclusive

Dale & Lucy Wheeler Gatherings Coordinator

The Gatherings attempt to be reflective of Native cultural values, something Stuart Murray writes about as a ‘spirituality of the road;’ a spirituality to sustain those whose journey invites all aspects of life rather than church meetings. Among other things, this may mean that worship becomes more world-consciousness; that prophecy embraces issues of social justice as well as internal church concerns; that the imbalance between singing and intercession is redressed’ and that church meetings are seen as refueling stops rather than the final destination (Murray 2001:179). 

Since this initial Gathering in Portland, Oregon which met for seven years before shifting to Vancouver, Washington, Wiconi has been involved in helping launch five others. In addition to Portland there are gatherings in Salem, OR, Tacoma, WA,  Prince Williams Island, AK, Ketchikan, AK, and Flathead, MT and soon Metlakatla, AK.

The Gatherings typically meet once a month on Friday evenings and range in size from 8-10 to 60-80. Each group begins with a potluck dinner, is filled with fellowship, often has native cultural expressions in worship and always ends with prayer.

If you are interested in starting a Gathering in your city, please call the office and make contact with Dale Wheeler, 360-546-1867.