Which Hartford do you believe in?

There are two stories told about Harford. Here’s the first one:

Story 1
Violent crime. Extreme poverty. Spiritual desolation.
You’ve heard it before — the dark story told about Hartford. A story that casts Hartford as a violent social wasteland… where, if you step foot on the sidewalks there, you’re in imminent danger of getting shot.
 
In this story, the villains are the gun-wielding predators who lurk around the city, waiting to pounce on their next victim. And there is little hope for Hartford. Its problems are so vast. Its future bleak. In this story, God seems to have forgotten, orforsaken Hartford.
 
That’s Hartford’s story from an earthly, human perspective. But what about Hartford’s story from God’s perspective? Obviously I can only speculate here… but here’s my best guess at it:
 
Story 2
In this other story, Hartford is not a wasteland. It has many riches; it is rich in history. Rich in heritage. Rich in hope, purpose, and brave and beautiful humans who are dearly loved by God.
​
In this other story, the “bad guys” are not drug dealers or gunmen; they are the dark spiritual and economic forces — the “powers and principalities” as Paul puts it — which strive to oppress the city with spiritual and economic bondage.
 
And in this other story, God has not forsaken Hartford; He is here, He is on the move, and He has unimaginably wonderful plans for the city.
 
So which story do you believe in?
It matters what story you tell about a city. The stories we tell have a kind of prophetic power built into them — to shape and influence the people and places that they’re about. And at HCM, we’re on a mission to retell Hartford’s story. We do this in our programs, in our meetings with teachers and principles, and in our interactions with churches in the greater Hartford area.

​So when you give to HCM, you’re not just buying pencils and paper for our afterschool programs; you’re helping to establish a new story about our beloved city. One which causes people to reconsider the nature of our city. One which is full of hope. One which allows us who live in Hartford to not feel ashamed about where we come from, but to feel proud of our wonderful city.
 
So as 2019 approaches — would you consider giving to HCM? And helping us retell Hartford’s story? This is a critical work that needs to be done, and we need all the help we can get in this mission to change the dominant story about Hartford.
 
If you’d like to help us, you can support our work today. Change the story that’s told about a place, and you change what that place can become. This is why we deeply care about retelling Hartford’s story.
 
May His Kingdom come,
-Dave Ambrose