Category: Camp Unity

  • Good news and bad news about Camp Unity

    Good news and bad news about Camp Unity

    Much has been going on behind the scenes about Camp Unity the last six weeks. We waited until things settled out to update everyone. There is good news and bad news to share.

    The good news is that the distribution of Federal housing vouchers gives evidence of the system working to an extent. Only two residents are left at Camp Unity, and they are pretty far into the process of receiving their vouchers. Because of this, the City of Woodinville agreed to allow Camp Unity to remain at St. Theresa of Calcutta Church until the last couple of residents work through their paperwork.

    This means that we will not be hosting Camp Unity staring this June. While we were looking forward to serving them, we are glad for things are turning out so well for them.

    I am so grateful for to everyone at Church of the Redeemer for our continuing work of faith and prayer. 

    And now for the bad news. The bad news is that there are still people in our area living with housing insecurity, lacking food, and clothing needs. We help them towards living a life of dignity by working with Hopelink Kenmore Place. However, there is more that we might do, especially as inflation and inequality continue to provide new and escalating threats to people living on the margins.

    —The Rev. Jed Fox

    Camp Unity Eastside Logo

    Camp Unity Eastside

    Camp Unity Eastside is more than the average tent city. We like to refer to ourselves as a tent village. The residents aren’t who you might normally expect. They’re a mix of men and women, some employed and others unemployed. Those who leave in the morning for their job or to find affordable housing come back assured they have a place to call their own. A safe and secure place to rest their heads at night.

    Hopelink logo

    Hopelink

    Since 1971, Hopelink has served homeless and low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities in King and Snohomish counties; providing stability and helping people gain the skills and knowledge they need to exit poverty for good. With service centers in Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Shoreline and Sno-Valley (Carnation), Hopelink is the largest nonprofit organization in the area.

    Hopelink provides a network of critical social services through a number of different programs—including housing, transportation, family development, financial assistance, employment programs, adult education, financial literacy training, and five food banks. The agency’s service centers, housing, and transportation programs help more than 63,000 people every year.

    For families experiencing homelessness, transitional and long-term housing as well as emergency family shelter may be available through Hopelink.

    Read more about Hopelink.

    The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, reaching out to the world.

    Church of the Redeemer

    Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

    Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

    The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

  • February 18, 2022, update on Camp Unity

    February 18, 2022, update on Camp Unity

    We are waiting for the City of Kenmore to issue a permit for Church of the Redeemer to host Camp Unity in the parking lot. There are a few plumbing issues that need to be addressed as we prepare for this.

    Make hosting Camp Unity a positive experience

    It is not too early for Redeemer to think about how we can make this as positive an experience as possible for Camp Unity, Redeemer, and our neighbors. If this is something you have a passion for, please email Fr. Jed, rector@redeemer-kenmore.org, to express your interest in being a greater part of this outreach ministry.

    Camp Unity Eastside Logo

    Camp Unity Eastside

    Camp Unity Eastside is more than the average tent city. We like to refer to ourselves as a tent village. The residents aren’t who you might normally expect. They’re a mix of men and women, some employed and others unemployed. Those who leave in the morning for their job or to find affordable housing come back assured they have a place to call their own. A safe and secure place to rest their heads at night.

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    Church of the Redeemer

    Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

    Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

    The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

  • January 28, 2022, update on Camp Unity

    January 28, 2022, update on Camp Unity

    The week of January 23, 2022, members of Redeemer and the Board of Directors of Camp Unity met to go over some concerns the City of Kenmore has before they issue a permit for Camp Unity to stay at Redeemer. Once the City issues a permit for Redeemer to host the camp in the parking lot, we will meet to lay out the next steps.

    Making preparations for Camp Unity to stay in the Redeemer parking lot this summer.

    Make hosting Camp Unity a positive experience

    It is not too early for Redeemer to think about how we can make this as positive an experience as possible for Camp Unity, Redeemer, and our neighbors. If this is something you have a passion for, please email Fr. Jed, rector@redeemer-kenmore.org, to express your interest in being a greater part of this outreach ministry.

    Camp Unity Eastside Logo

    Camp Unity Eastside

    Camp Unity Eastside is more than the average tent city. We like to refer to ourselves as a tent village. The residents aren’t who you might normally expect. They’re a mix of men and women, some employed and others unemployed. Those who leave in the morning for their job or to find affordable housing come back assured they have a place to call their own. A safe and secure place to rest their heads at night.

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    Church of the Redeemer

    Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

    Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

    The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

  • January 20, 2022, update on Camp Unity

    January 20, 2022, update on Camp Unity

    On Thursday night, January 20, 2022, Fr. Jed Fox and the Board of Directors of Camp Unity held a virtual town hall meeting with neighbors about Camp Unity’s stay in the Redeemer parking lot beginning in June 2022. This meeting is part of the process mandated by the City of Kenmore as we move through the process to obtain a permit to host Camp Unity.

    After brief presentations by the Board and Fr. Jed, neighbors voiced concerns about the following:

    • Safety
    • Impacts on property values
    • Lifestyle nuisances, such as cigarette smoke wafting, noise, smells, and so forth

    The board of Directors of Camp Unity will provide the city with a report about the meeting, highlighting concerns.

    The next step in the process is for the City of Kenmore to issue a permit for Redeemer to host the camp.

    Make hosting Camp Unity a positive experience

    It is not too early for Redeemer to think about how we can make this as positive an experience as possible for Camp Unity, Redeemer, and our neighbors. If this is something you have a passion for, please email Fr. Jed, rector@redeemer-kenmore.org, to express your interest in being a greater part of this outreach ministry.

    Camp Unity Eastside Logo

    Camp Unity Eastside

    Camp Unity Eastside is more than the average tent city. We like to refer to ourselves as a tent village. The residents aren’t who you might normally expect. They’re a mix of men and women, some employed and others unemployed. Those who leave in the morning for their job or to find affordable housing come back assured they have a place to call their own. A safe and secure place to rest their heads at night.

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    Church of the Redeemer

    Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

    Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

    The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

  • Vestry Report on Camp Unity

    Vestry Report on Camp Unity

    This Vestry report on Camp Unity was written by Eivind Nilsen, Senior Warden.

    Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests;
    but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. (Matthew 8:20 NRSV)

    I was recently reminded of the above verse from Matthew and this, also from Matthew:

    Then the king will say to those at his right hand…I was hungry and you gave me food…. I was a stranger and you welcomed me….The righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food.…And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you?….. And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me’. (from Matthew 25 NRSV)

    It seems that perhaps one of the best ways to see the face of Jesus is to look into the face of a homeless person.  Save that thought away in a corner of your mind and read on.

    Late last summer, Church of the Redeemer was approached by an organization—Camp Unity Eastside which is a faith-based organization that finds host sites, manages and organizes tent communities for the homeless—with a proposal that we host a tent encampment for four months starting in June 2022. After some discussion, the vestry recognized that this held the promise of engaging in a life-changing mission consistent with our faith, values and desire to live out that faith in the world in real and tangible ways. And so, we set about learning more to support our decision to move forward or not.

    So, we made a plan:

    • Two of our vestry members volunteered to do a little research. Chilton Fowler and Steve Daniel made a visit to the current encampment.
    • They spoke with the organizers and with Pastor Anja Helmon of Northlake Lutheran Church, which has been a host twice for the encampment.
    • We looked at camp policies.

    What did we find?

    • A well-run, structured organization with clean and well-managed camps.
    • Policies that don’t allow drug or alcohol use and insist on respect and quiet for the church and its neighbors.
    • We found Kenmore city and police departments that support Camp Unity encampments.
    • We saw that since 2018 there had been thirteen encampments at six different churches and the City of Woodinville.  All but one of the churches have hosted two or three times.
    • Pastor Anja was overwhelmingly positive about her church’s two times of hosting. The neighbors of Northlake Lutheran had concerns initially, but all—both neighbors and parishioners—found it to be a positive experience.

    We decided to move to the next step.

    On October 24, a parish town hall was held.  Information was presented, questions were answered and comments provided.  While there were legitimate concerns raised, such as parking and access that will need further planning, the response was positive.  An advisory vote was taken with 85% voting to move forward, 11% undecided and 4% saying we should not do this. The vestry met afterward and voted to proceed.

    What’s next?

    We have things to do in preparation. And the “what’s next?” question is partly up to you.  We are going to need to get organized around this effort including:

    • Work with Camp Unity to submit our application for a permit to the City of Kenmore.
    • Arrange for question-and-answer sessions with our neighbors.
    • Make sure the site requirements are known and ready for the camp.
    • Ensure parishioners with mobility issues have adequate parking and workable access to the building.
    • Understand and be ready for opportunities to serve the camp occupants including supplying some meals and potentially other help.
    • Partner with other faith communities to help in this effort.
    • Take the opportunity to further develop our own understanding of our relationship to those who are marginalized in the world.
    • Find out, as a part of your faith journey, how you can and want to be involved.

    And so, now we come back to that thought that you tucked away in a corner of your mind.  Consider how God might be calling you as we move forward with this ministry. Reach out with questions and concerns.  Pray.  And if you’re in that 11% or 4%, pray and listen. Perhaps you’ll see Jesus in the face of the homeless.

    For more information, contact Fr. Jed or Vestry members.  We will be providing periodic updates. Read this For more information on Camp Unity.

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    Church of the Redeemer

    Welcome to Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

    Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. We are a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

    The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

Funeral for the Rev. Canon John Fergueson, Saturday, March 2, 2026, at 10:00 am in Church of the Redeemer. Additional parking available at The Vine Church across 181st Street from Redeemer.

The 6th Sunday of Easter (Year A), May 10, 2026. Services at 8:00 am (no music) and 10:30 (music). Xristos Kuxwoo-digoot! Xegaa-kux Kuxwoo-digoot!

Episcopal Church of the Redeemer
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