Letter from Lindy August 9

Pilgrims,
 
Felix has invested considerable energy and time into our intentional wrestling with becoming an anti-racist church. I encourage all to scroll down and read, not only what we are doing and studying as beloved community, ways you can make a difference through your actions and other forums in which to education yourself. As our Conference Racial Justice Minister has remarked in multiple forums, this work is upon us, white people.
 
One step your pastor has taken beyond our work in community is to participate in the Kaleidescope Institute summer workshop 2020. This nine day journey into ways in which we might adjust and form anew to meet this moment have, four days in, been enriching and challenging. Along the way, I am meeting colleagues across the church landscape who endeavor to do the same, and incredible ministry partners who are already deep into this holy work. I pray this investment helps shape our next steps, however they unfold in and of God. My hope is not only to link this into our day to day lives, but also our corporate witness and worship. Ask me and I would love to share who I am meeting and what I am learning for us together.
 
This training will be followed by a group of Pilgrims joining the Racial Equity Institute (REI) training in early September so that we build out concentric circles of intentionality and awareness and action to dismantle systemic racism within/without the Church. If you are interested in joining us, click on their website to see if there is availability.
 
Also, our work with Durham CAN engages us further in disrupting. Thank you all who have participated in our Core Team listening sessions. Thank you to the CORE team for drawing us further into this important work and organization. Tonight we will be joining with Mount Calvary UCC for our final listening session and I pray that this time together may kindle our relationship anew. Please pray with me.
 
As I close, I shift topics to wonder if there are any tech savvy and/or tech interested folks who might want to join our Sunday worship tech team. Knowing our time virtually will continue for who knows how long, we want to expand the team so as to offer our dedicated three a bit of a breather. As we look across the landscape of Autumn, we still see no in-person gathering on the horizon, so our hope is to continue to grow so that our virtual footstep gets more creative, more sophisticated and reaches even more people. We would love new voices in our imagining. Interested, please reach out to me and we can go from there.
 
Holding you tight, Pilgrim.
Pastor Lindy