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Worship on Water Street amid violence
Evolve Church held a worship service Tuesday night at two Water Street bars in Milwaukee, bringing worship to a nightlife district that has seen a recent uptick in crime.
MILWAUKEE - Violence on Water Street has been a constant problem this summer, but one Milwaukee church is taking an unconventional approach, bringing worship to the nightlife district.
What we know:
Evolve Church transformed two Water Street bars into a sanctuary on Tuesday night, Aug. 19, holding a praise and worship service at Pourman’s and Elevate. The event featured prayer, free pizza and mocktails, instead of flashing police lights and crime tape.
"It’s easy to stay inside the church but I think the real ministry is to go out where the pain is," said Kenneth Lock, lead pastor of Evolve Church. "Ben, who is the owner of Pourman’s, reached out after all the recent violence and death that happened down there."
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Water Street has seen several violent incidents this summer, including a July shooting near another nightclub that left five people injured and two dead. Lock said his team wanted to change the environment.
"I think any place you put God in changes the entire environment," Lock said. "Let’s be honest, downtown can be pretty dark, it can be violent, it can be negative."
Local perspective:
The event sparked debate online, with some criticizing the approach. Lock said he doesn’t take the reaction personally.
"Most people are afraid, and I’ve seen manipulation and things not done with integrity, so I don’t take it personally," he said.
Lock said the event drew a wider audience than anticipated.
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"Groups of people receiving prayer and Christ outside coming inside the bar," he said. "I remember a guy named Von brought his wife and his kids. If helping souls is the goal then we have to do it again."
Downtown Milwaukee shootings, Water Street safety plan begins Friday
After recent trouble downtown, the city of Milwaukee is trying something different to curb crime. The city's new safety plan took effect Friday night.
What's next:
Lock said it wasn’t the initial plan, but with all the feedback, Evolve Church now plans to hold another event on Water Street in the future.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.