About Heritage work
The Heritage Work is beginning its 23rd year. It began as a pastor, Pat Harrison, learning the art of availability and practicing welcoming hospitality toward his neighbors, coworkers, and the very next person he meets, modeling for them to do the same. This work was inspired by Anne Jeffs Harrison, Pat’s first wife who passed in 2001. Now remarried to Sarah, they serve alongside an advisory committee and are guided by their wisdom. The committee seeks to live out this similar vision as well.
Pat and Sarah are available out of their home to guide individual lives, men's groups, and marriages. Their method is to emulate the way of Jesus, walking the neighborhoods, knowing people by name, especially those who feel like ‘outsiders’ or strangers to the love of God.
The world has never been more connected and affluent, yet never more disconnected, depressed, hopeless, fear-based, polarized, and fragmented than now. Our vision is that hope and genuine transformation is possible, and will begin at home, and spread from life to life, through modeling and mentorship in love, by our being present to those already at our doorstep.
In our world, the way of Jesus as wounded and humble healer and his uncommon message of unconditional acceptance is little known on the streets, because they don't see it practiced. Often, it has been obscured by focus on religious duty, or on an institutionally-defined, politically-commingled, or programmatic expression of faith. The message of God always needs a personal face, the embodiment of love and grace in imperfect ordinary people, or else it can be distorted. The way of simple incarnation can’t be improved upon.
How we came to be
The Heritage Work came into being 22 years ago after a sudden loss of Pat's wife, Anne. It had been their unformed dream to be available to our neighbors with intentionality and hospitality — full time. But they had never heard of such a thing.
A team formed around Pat and his sons. They heard this vision and resonated with the need for it, and began considering how to make this a reality. He's been learning the art of pastoring ‘outside the walls’ of the church ever since. He's learned it’s his true vocation to work in this way.
Pat remarried by sweet unexpected grace in 2013. Pat and his wife Sarah invite people to their table and backyard. They desire to befriend and be curious about others so that they may express delight and welcoming presence in a simple form. They desire to take the center of the practice of faith to the table in the spirit of hospitality.
As a pastor by training, with a business background as well, Pat has served his neighbors and community, walking among them as one of them — being a ministry of relational presence to young and old, offering hospitality, teaching men's groups, mentoring individuals and marriages. Pat and Sarah have been asked to conduct premarital counseling, weddings, with young people his kids grew up with, and an expanding community, and they welcome a second generation of friendships now.
As one of his neighbors said when he finally asked Pat what he does, “well that makes sense, everyone needs a pastor, they just don't always call it that.” There are around 200 lives that Pat connects with daily, weekly, monthly in the greater community of people that he serves.
