Congregational Life

I am energized by church life writ large. However, if I had to choose just one area to focus on it would be the nurturing of relationships in congregational life. As a lay leader in my home congregation I served as the chair of the membership committee for many years.

I love welcoming newcomers to our community. I love hearing the stories that people share – where they came from, what their hopes are, what drew them to our door. I love finding ways to help members of our community discover hidden talents and encourage them to share them with the larger community.

And I love helping to foster a communal culture that seeks to be both welcoming and engaging. I hope to be a part of a community committed to finding ways to work together to provide comfort and respite from the world but also one that reaches out into the world to work together doing our part to be agents of change – finding ways to turn inward together in part so that we can turn outward together.

I feel honored to walk with those who need support in finding their way back into right relationship with each other. Our congregations are a microcosm of the larger world in many respects. What I hope to help create is a safe environment wherein we can all practice the fine art of being human.

We need each other more than we may know. We need each other to share our joys and sorrows with. We need each other to help us smooth over our rough edges. As a social species we truly need each other to survive.