For years, churches and non-profits in Oregon have collaborated to provide monthly meals for
residents of Fountain Square, a 110-unit senior and low-income apartment complex. The community is diverse,
but many residents face challenges—68% do not drive, and some live with disabilities.
Christ United Methodist Church (UMC) was among the churches offering support. When Rev.
Jeremiah Diegel was appointed, he sought to deepen the connection. During his first visit, he led
a devotion, explained communion, and shared its significance before serving it to the residents.
As he watched a visually impaired woman being guided to receive communion, he experienced what he
describes as a Holy Spirit moment. “We are all blind when we encounter the Divine,” he reflected. “We all
need help now and then.” With this revelation, he began to see the residents of Fountain Square not just as a
community in need but as a congregation waiting to grow in faith and witness.
Feeling called to do more than provide a yearly meal, Diegel spent a year building trust with residents before
proposing a weekly meal with worship and communion. The idea was met with enthusiasm, sparking a new
vision for ministry.
Over six years, this effort has evolved into Fountain Square Church. Each Wednesday, Christ UMC partners
with over 20 churches and faith communities to offer worship and lunch with 20 to 40 residents participating
in the service, with an additional 20 attending the meal. The ministry has expanded to include an on-site food
pantry, hygiene cabinet, and spiritual milestones like baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
“Being the church takes place outside the walls of our buildings,” said Diegel. “The church is everywhere—it
can happen anytime, anywhere and with any one. We just need to be open to helping people become the hands
and feet of Christ within their own community.”
Through the dedication of Christ UMC and its partners, Fountain Square is now a beacon of faith and hope,
transforming lives one meal, service, and prayer at a time.
For more information, contact Rev. Jeremiah Diegel at 419-575-4834.