May 17, 2024
Dear church,
As many of you know, I live in an intentional community, and one of the gifts that has brought to my life is constant and continual learning! None of us have ever been the primary caretakers for a house or yard before this, and we have opted to take on many of the improvement and maintenance projects ourselves. Which means that we try to stay in a growth and learning mindset as we research various DIY topics, learn about each of our different learning styles as we share back, and extending grace when a project falls short of our HGTV-esque goals.
I find such freedom in a growth and learning mindset. It reminds me that life is a journey, that change is constant, and that even as I’m learning, I’m beloved. The point is to learn and grow. A growth and learning mindset is not always comfortable – it can be hard to admit when I don’t know something, or when I learn something related to the internalized bias’s we all carry, and realize that I have likely hurt others with that bias.
This learning and growth mindset is one that our Ministry Teams cultivate as well. From learning about rain gardens, to the political history of Guatemala, to the way white supremacy culture has leeched into how we interact with each other, Grace’s Ministry Teams have a focus on learning and growth – both internally within the team, and by inviting the wider congregation into the conversation.
The Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Ministry Team has been reading Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians, by Austen Hartke. This emerged through our conversations on continuing to live into the words of welcome we have committed to as a congregation. There will always be more to learn and unlearn as we strive to be a welcoming, Christ-centered community. The team will be leading a book discussion on June 23rd, which is also the Sunday we’ll be celebrating Pride at Grace! Whether you were here for the RIC vote in 2016, are newer to the community, or still have earnest questions, you are invited to read along with us, and come to the discussion after worship on June 23rd.
In Christ,
Pastor Reed
Every Friday, we send an email to the congregation and any others who would like to learn more about the Grace community. The last four Friday emails are posted below.