““I had it my mind that you can’t have both a commitment to social justice AND a commitment to Jesus. All politics needs to hear the truth of the gospel and be challenged by the truth of the gospel.” ”

““There is a quiet exodus from the church that we have become aware of. People of color are leaving predominantly white spaces and many are not going back to church at all. They’re beat up and disillusioned by what they’ve experienced and what they’ve seen — where only their labor is desired but not their voices. I suspect God is raising up churches where they can be healed.” ”

““I think the urgency is really understanding what discipleship really is. Not by a set of rules or a set of beliefs, but by the kinds of relationships that build transparency, trust, and love. I want to make sure we don’t focus so much on the doing that we forget about the being.” ”

““I think we have severe hatred and separation between people. I think we have to come back to charity and kindness and grace for each other.” ”

““What has helped me most is encounters with people who are very different than me and the freedom to explore theologically — but also encountering everyone else’s theology as well — and not feel like there’s some secret agenda.””

““When I think of spirituality or “God” — if there is a God — that concept of God is in everybody. We should respect everybody, we should treat everybody well. And when I see a church bringing people together with all different backgrounds, that speaks to me of the highest spirituality.” ”

““What has helped me most is confronting privilege, and experiencing worship with a wide diversity of people has been amazing and glorifying.””

““There is this sense that “we don’t have all the answers and we’re ok with that.”
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““I’ve been involved in lots of different types of churches, what I’ve loved about this community is the openness and not being afraid of being open. Basically saying we love you where you’re at without actually having to say, “we love you where you’re at.””

““You’re not just doing things with an agenda for getting more church members or saving souls…there’s no agenda. There’s just this genuine desire to journey with people.”
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““I am concerned about the fallout from COVID and all the people who will be facing evictions. How will we find places for people to live. There’s a huge uptick in people who are food insecure. I see the church needing to get ready to meet these very pressing needs.” ”

““There’s an element of people finding their voice or their mission here. I think there’s something about inspiring people to do their own thing and not colonizing it.” ”