Posts from June 2023
Look Lovingly
June 28, 2023A Note from Stephanie HarrellLook Lovingly Dear Friends, As one of your delegates to Annual Conference, I attended my first conference in early June. I didn’t have expectations, though I’d previously seen part of worship and music from other conferences. How would voting be done? What speeches and questions would surface before a vote? Who would speak and what would be their topics? Who would preach? I’m happy to chat with anyone about my Annual Conference experience and…
Pride, Prejudice, & Pronouns
June 21, 2023A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, I remember the first few times I heard people introduce themselves and include their gender-related pronouns. “My name is Greg and I use he/him pronouns.” I was confused. Why was he stating something that (in my mind) appeared to be obvious? Shortly after, I began to see friends introducing themselves with pronouns I was less familiar with. “I’m Jane and I use they/them pronouns.” Now, my English grammar lessons from school…
Releasing the Outcome
Releasing the Outcome June 14, 2023A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, I might have preached a sermon on Releasing the Outcome on Sunday, but this doesn’t mean that I’m good at it. A couple of years ago, we introduced you to the Palms Up Path, through my good friend and colleague the Rev. Jenny Smith. It’s four easy-to-understand steps around how we seek to live our lives with God. Show UpPay AttentionCooperate with GodRelease the Outcome I’m not suggesting…
New Worship Times Starting July 9
New Worship ScheduleStarting July 9 Your Church Council voted unanimously to move to a new worship schedule starting in a few weeks on Sunday, July 9. Our 9am traditional service will remain as it is. Our second service will move to 10:30am and will be a shorter 45-50 minute service with music and the message, designed for families with children. Godly Play and our Youth small group classes will be offered during that time period (youth small group resumes in…
Grief & Hope
June 7, 2023A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, When I walked into the main hall of the Dayton Convention Center last week, I could feel the heaviness in the room. People were milling about the room trying to find a table where they could sit. Some were greeting old friends that they hadn’t seen in years. Others were sitting at the corners of the room with arms crossed, avoiding eye contact. I immediately wanted to leave. As the morning…
Summer Events!
We’ve got some great stuff planned this summer to connect, play, serve, pray, and learn!
There All Along
June 1, 2023A Note from Deborah Mitchell Dear Friends, It’s Been There All Along, Waiting for You What does it mean to “grow”? What does it mean to grow as a Christian? To grow as a human being? In many ways, the idea of “growth” has been central to how I’ve tried to understand and interact with the world throughout my life. When I was a little girl, very early on I gravitated toward the idea of growth as mastery,…