The world was coming to their doorstep. So they put out a welcome mat.
It was more than southern hospitality. Because when First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Savannah, Georgia, heard that this year's G8 Summit would be hosted by their historic city, they didn't just want to be there to welcome visitors from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Russia. They also wanted to be there for the community, which was quaking, to some extent, at the prospect of the protesters and disruptions likely to accompany the three-day economic conference.
"Back in January we were already starting to see reports in the newspapers about the potential damage the protesters and demonstrators could do," relates Rik Saffol, a member of First Church who helped spearhead the church's response to the G8 Summit. "So our first thought was, 'What can we do to help?'"
