A Word from Laura: Community and Allyship

“How will this grow our community of faith?”

I ask myself this question with every decision I make these days. How will we grow deeper? How will we grow as allies with those who are marginalized? How will we grow our commitments to each other and to newcomers?

This week, I invite you to join me in two ways:

1) Keep your camera on for worship

What a powerful sense of community last week, to see your faces as you joined lit up my screen in gallery view for the ordination and installation of elders and deacons! You don’t need to get dressed up to turn on your camera, and you don’t need to keep your screen in gallery view. We’ll also ask you to leave your mic off, as Alec will have you muted.

This Sunday, you’ll be given a cue to leave your camera on, so that we might all have a greater sense of the community (in church talk, the congregation) with whom we worship.

2) Try Allyship training

Did you know that all pastors in our presbytery are now required to do allyship training through Service Never Sleeps? The training offers instruction for the sake of understanding and behavior for the sake of advocacy, empathy and addressing biases towards those who are minorities or marginalized. Whitney Parnell, the leader, brings a depth of personal and professional experience as an African-American woman with a commitment to allyship across race, gender, age, ability, indigenous rights, and LGBTQ+ identities. This weekend, in celebration of MLK Day, the training is free! Click here for more information. Please let me know if you join in one of the session!

And perhaps this goes without saying, but I hope you’ll join me in asking – and answering! - the question: “How will this grow our community of faith?” Your answer may be an in-person or on-line opportunity. May our community continue to grow the faith we share, within and beyond our congregation,

Laura