Expanding Hospitality & Welcome: Now What?

Over the past three months we have been blessed to hear from four incredible speakers who have shared their gifts with us and helped us consider new ways of expanding our hospitality and welcome. Pastor Emily Harkins shared her experiences from leading The Dwelling, a church for the unhoused and others on the margins in North Carolina. Jamie Bruesehoff helped us consider how we expand our welcome to people of the LGBTQIA+ community. Kelly Champagne opened our eyes to the ways our spaces and language communicate welcome. And Tyra Dennis lead us in powerful worship expanding our thoughts on the impacts music and worship has on welcoming others. If you missed any of these conversations, you can watch their presentations on our website at https://www.christserves.org/expandingwelcome.

I am so grateful to you for participating and listening. I know that these conversations could be challenging and uncomfortable at times. There was so much information that it felt overwhelming and possibly unachievable at times. It is scary and heartwarming, exciting and anxiety producing. Whatever you have felt throughout these conversations, know that it is okay!

Here is the thing, we aren't going to be The Dwelling. We aren't going to be the queer church. Alex and our music ministries aren't going to be Tyra. Not only would those expectations be unfair, it just wouldn't be possible! We are Christ the Servant Lutheran Church which means we are going to be US! We have an incredible 50 years of history that has made us who we are today. I believe we have many, many more years ahead where we will build on those 50 years, continuing to discern the ways God is calling us, and adapting to the world to continue to bring the Good News and love of Christ to those God calls us to.

I believe we have learned and experienced a LOT of new things over these past three months. The question isn't how do we become those things we experienced. The question should be how can we take what we have learned and experienced and adapt them to who we already are, continuing the legacy of Christ the Servant while looking ahead to the future.

We are already seeing the fruits of this thinking. Our conversations three months ago began with Pastor Emily sharing how we can be more hospitable and welcoming to those who are unhoused. Since then, we have had about four people who are unhoused become regular worshipers attending almost every Sunday. During our last Sunday of this series as Tyra led us in worship we witnessed Latrina walk down the center aisle of the church twice, hands raised in the air, praising God. You may not know this, but that was the first time Latina has entered the sanctuary. Sure, she has come into our building plenty, but never through those double doors past the tile and onto the carpet. Church, that is the power of the Holy Spirit!

So what comes next? As I have asked before, I ask you to continue to pray for this community and for clarity in the ways God is calling us. We are only beginning to celebrate our 50th anniversary. This fall will bring many more moments of great joy and celebration. As we reflect on the past 50 years, I ask that you not get so caught up in the past but instead think about how our past has prepared us for what the future might be. We are preparing a special appeal that you will hear more about at our congregational meeting on June 29. This appeal will help us liven up our spaces to create more hospitable atmospheres in our building. We have a list of ideas of ways to bring our church outside of our doors and into the plaza connecting more with our community. We are exploring the musical gifts of this congregation and considering out-of-the-box ideas to expand our musical offerings.

Even with all of this, we must continue to dream, discern, pray, and listen. I don't believe God is calling us to continue to do what we have done the past 50 years. Instead, I sense that God is stirring up in this place all kinds of new things that build on the foundations of the past 50 years. I truly believe our brightest days are ahead.

I wonder what your take aways are from these speakers? What ideas are simmering in your minds? How are you feeling God's call in your life and in the life of this community? What are your hopes for Christ the Servant in the next 50 years? If this past Sunday showed us anything, it is that the Holy Spirit is alive and well in this place. And often times when that is the case the best and most faithful thing we can do is get out of the way and let Her fly! Are you ready?