Urban Acacia: Spiritual Engagement for Young Adults

Within the hot and dry deserts, reptiles often find shade and refuge under acacia trees. This tree is desolate in nature and is shaped like an umbrella. Although there is nothing out of the ordinary about the acacia, it does one important thing.

“It brings life and refuge to the spaces between all the likelier areas the other trees might grow,” says Dan Beirne, Urban Mission Developer for Urban Acacia, a new Logan Square community organization.

Building an Urban Acacia

For the last three months, Beirne has been working for Urban Acacia, working out of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square, (@stlukesLS, 2649 N. Francisco Ave.). Urban Acacia aims to bring young adults to a wide array of gatherings, such as volunteering opportunities, small group discussions and social gatherings. Moreover, Beirne says Urban Acacia seeks to “‘meet us where we’re at,’ as well as provide opportunities to grow, get involved and serve.”

Although the organization is less than a year old, Urban Acacia estimates that about 35 young adults engage with the organization on a monthly basis, according to Beirne. He’s looking to engage with even more young adults who consider themselves more spiritual than religious.

Most of the events center around volunteering engagements, although there are other programs. Weekly small group discussions take place every Thursday and are based on “The Four Pillars of New Generational Urban Accompaniment: Conversation, Creativity, Activism and Spiritual Engagement.” The discussion challenges participants to find ways to use these four pillars as a guide to move forward and serve others. Event planning takes place during these discussions.

Urban Acacia also participates in monthly meals on Sundays at First Lutheran Church of Logan Square (3500 W. Fullerton Ave.). The young adults in the group sponsor, cook and serve food to the community. Members from the congregation often help with the cooking of mostly Cuban, Mexican and Puerto Rican food. The “cultural exchange” brings a diverse group of people together to serve others. The idea behind these “cultural exchanges” is to foster conversation with people from the community who might not otherwise interact.

If you are looking for some fulfillment in social events, community engagement or event planning, Urban Acacia may be a refuge. For more information about their work or upcoming events, visit its Facebook page.

Cover photo: Urban Acacia