Christian training institute opens in downtown Bellingham

MICHELLE NOLAN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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Downtown Bellingham has a new spiritual presence.

Pastor Dale Pollard's Eighth Day Community, a group he says is "dedicated to living compassion in the city," has set up shop at 1426 Cornwall Ave.

Pollard, who founded Eighth Day early this year, has long been known for his work with Prodigal Men's Ministries. He formed the men's gathering 15 years ago while serving at Hillcrest Chapel, where he became associate pastor of social service before striking out on his own.

MAX BITTLE | THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

ABOUT EIGHTH DAY COMMUNITY
For details about Eighth Day Community, including the Prodigal group, contact Pastor Dale Pollard at 201-3957 or dale@8thdaycommunity.org.
For details about using the facility at 1426 Cornwall Ave., contact Colin Potts at 201-1159 or 8thdaybuilding@gmail.com.

Pollard, 51, graduated from Western Washington University in 1981 with a degree in psychology. He has a master's in theological studies from Regent College in Vancouver, B.C., and a doctorate in ministry from Bakke Graduate University in Seattle.

He chose Eighth Day as the name of his community because "it refers to the early Christian depiction of Jesus' resurrection."

Question: How did you find such a good location for Eighth Day?

Answer: It belongs to the family of Colin Potts, who is one of our five board members and formerly the youth pastor at Christ the King Church in Bellingham.

Q: What are your plans at the location?

A: We will soon start holding meetings there. We'll have a two-week art show in November, when the Gallery Walk is held. We're inviting artists to display work on the themes of hurt or pain. We want to acknowledge it and not gloss over it. We also want to make a third spot for meetings of Prodigal, which currently meets weekly at Roosevelt Community Church and Bellingham Covenant Church. Colin also plans to use the building for hospitality, gatherings, celebrations and parties.

Q: You call your Prodigal group "the fellowship of the returned." Is it based on the famous Bible parable in Luke?

A: Yes. Our goal is to help build men of integrity, intensity and intention. We want to take them out of isolation and into a community that does not shy away from things like addictions, dependencies and despair.

We have about 40 members now, with 10 or 12 different denominations represented, and we've worked with hundreds of men over the years. We get everything from homeless men to those with doctorates, from all walks of life.

Q: Describe the program.

A: We call the first year the "apprentice year," to clean out the junk. Then comes the "journeyman" year, where you move in good furniture (figuratively). Finally comes the "craftsman year," where you move the entire family back in. I train other men to facilitate the group meetings and I oversee things.

Q: Why set up downtown?

A: It's become a primary gathering place for people. Our mission is to build community in creative ways. It could be through Prodigal, through art, through the Eighth Day Institute. It's a two-year training program for men and women, both online and face-to-face, designed to train Christians from every denomination in spiritual formation and leadership. We're forming a heart of reflection, listening to what God is doing in your heart, your neighborhood, your.city. That's why we say we're devoted to "living compassion in the city."

Michelle Nolan is a freelance writer.