By the Rev. Jennifer Nordstrom
October is going to be an exciting and important month for First Church’s future, and an opportune time to explore our October theme of what it means to be a people of courage. How might we deepen our vision of our future together by looking through the lens of courage?
The Board of Trustees will be engaging the congregation in a formal process for deciding our future direction for the next five years. In their “Our Courageous Future: Deepening Our Vision Together” sessions, the Board is going to ask you to boldly dream what First Church could be if we live in the best version of ourselves. After hearing from you, the Board will take all your visions and draft them into Ends Statements, which will guild the ministry of First Church for the next five years. Be sure to take the time to participate in this democratic process of deciding where we will go together as a community!
The Sanctuary Discernment Team will also be asking you to share your thoughts with them in October. They will be holding a series of Cottage Meetings to both tell you about the options for providing sanctuary to immigrants facing eminent deportation, and to gather your opinions about whether First Church should provide such sanctuary. Now that the current US administration has canceled Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) for Dreamers, which protected young people who were brought to the United States at a very young age from deportation, this conversation is as important as ever. Come share your thoughts with the Sanctuary Discernment Team, as they wrestle with questions about courage, risk, and the commitment required to actually house an immigrant facing deportation.
I am looking forward to dipping into our collective courage well this month as we discern our most loving, spiritually-nourishing, inspired future.
With love,
Jennifer