I'm curious how this story came to NPR now! Great to see Pr. Duncan featured, for sure. Fascinating to hear the history at Messiah. The NPR piece hit some of my congregation at a good time. We, a rather white ELCA congregation in rather white Valparaiso, IN were already talking with neighbors in Gary about how to better be church together, about ways to try to strengthen relations long stretched thin (at best). Our Social Concerns committee, hearing the NPR piece, was eager to schedule a series of meetings to discuss Dear Church. Figuring, "Why would we restrict it to just a few of us?" I'm now figuring out how to write the invite to the church. Will hopefully be an interesting ride, and a part of a better way forward.
Such a well done piece! I loved the gospel focus of this story -- not what you usually get from the usual news sources! I'm grateful for this story and for your ministry!
I'm curious how this story came to NPR now! Great to see Pr. Duncan featured, for sure. Fascinating to hear the history at Messiah. The NPR piece hit some of my congregation at a good time. We, a rather white ELCA congregation in rather white Valparaiso, IN were already talking with neighbors in Gary about how to better be church together, about ways to try to strengthen relations long stretched thin (at best). Our Social Concerns committee, hearing the NPR piece, was eager to schedule a series of meetings to discuss Dear Church. Figuring, "Why would we restrict it to just a few of us?" I'm now figuring out how to write the invite to the church. Will hopefully be an interesting ride, and a part of a better way forward.
Such a well done piece! I loved the gospel focus of this story -- not what you usually get from the usual news sources! I'm grateful for this story and for your ministry!