 Hey LNPC!
I am part of the Creative Team for a 4-year, Lilly-funded project Youthfront is doing called "Presence-Centered Parenting," to empower parents and grandparents in faith formation with their kids. It involves things like designing day camp curriculum that has take-home components for families, involving grandparents in camp, creating support groups for parents, and offering training, support and resources to church leaders. Most of this is happening in the Kansas City area where Youthfront's ministry is centered. My role is largely in the brainstorming and writing parts of the work, but I also lead workshops and get to collaborate and learn from really creative, gifted leaders in ways that circle back and impact my own leadership at LNPC. We just has our one year check-in gathering last week (some of us pictured above, including dog, Chili), and it was really cool to see how LNPC's own attentiveness to resonance is shaping that project, and vice versa. I want to share with you the YF Family blog. It has lots of great articles, and their app is fantastic - with helpful resources and links. Posts include things like: Intentional Summer: Making the Most of Your Days Everyday Outside: Making Time Outside Part of your Summer Rhythm Discovering Holy Moments: Rituals for Families Perfect Parenting: What it really means to "get it right" You are the Equipment Two articles I have written for the project are here: A Call to Just Be Set-Apart Space: The Practice of Retreating With Kids I'm excited to share more with you down the road as the project unfolds! Kara  If we really had to choose between dependence and independence, we would be in trouble. The choice is actually between alienation and interdependence.
Independence is alienation. It cuts us off from others. But mere dependence, in a subtle way, is alienation too. For mere dependence is slavery; and the slave is an alien. But interdependence joins us with others through the bond of joyful give-and-take, a bond of belonging. Dependence ties us with ties of slavery. Independence ties us with ties of illusion. But bonds of interdependence are ties that set us free. One single gift acknowledged in gratefulness has the power to dissolve the ties of our alienation, and we are home free--home where all depend on all. The interdependence of gratefulness is truly mutual. The receiver of the gift depends on the giver. Obviously so. But the circle of gratefulness is incomplete until the giver of the gift becomes the receiver: a receiver of thanks. When we give thanks, we give something greater than the gift we received, whatever it was. The greatest gift one can give is thanksgiving. In giving gifts, we give what we can spare, but in giving thanks we give ourselves. One who says "Thank you" to another really says, "We belong together." Giver and thanksgiver belong together. The bond that unites them frees them from alienation. Does our society suffer from so much alienation because we fail to cultivate gratefulness? The moment I acknowledge the gift as a gift and so acknowledge my dependence, I am free--free to go forward into full gratefulness. - David Steindl-Rast, Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer
We transition from Summer to Fall with a special
Indoor/outdoor Worship Service welcoming back Sandy Forseth, Community Mandala Artist, with back to school blessing for students and teachers, followed by a BBQ potluck picnic lunch! Sunday, September 3, 10 am Picnic deets: Beef and Veggie Burgers and condiments provided. Bring something to share!  Look at this empty room!
The Swedish Death Cleaners have been hard at work! The Hub is now filled with more treasures! Through July, come take whatever you'd like!   This Quarter's Waffle Worship:
Sunday, July 30, 10 am Potluck Brunch Patio Picnic Paradoxically, NO WAFFLES THIS MONTH - BRING A BRUNCHY FOOD OR BEVERAGE TO SHARE! (Coffee and water provided). This Month's Theme: Listening, Sharing, Praying. Sometimes done as "sharing highs and lows" or "What are you grateful for? What are you sad, worried or angry about?" or "Rose, Bud, Thorn," checking in with one another, listening with care, and lifting each other up in prayer are essential ways we live in the Way of God, and practice being church together. Come enjoy a morning of singing, scripture, sharing, listening, praying, playing and enjoy brunch together on this summery Sunday morning. 5th Sundays are a time of connection and learning for all ages, practicing belonging to God and each other, and exploring together aspects of our Christian faith and practice. (like Sunday school for all ages!)  The All-Church Book-Read plan is set for 3 Weeks in October,
In-person and zoom. LNPC Discussion Week 1: October 11, 7-8:30 pm. Discussing Chapters 1-4. Week 2: October 18, 7-8:30 pm. Discussing Chapters 5-8. Presbytery Event: Week 3: October 25, 5:30-8:30 pm. Dinner, Presentation by Andy Root and Conversation. will include zoom (except for the delicious food, can't share that via zoom. Sorry, Kelly and Linda). Feel free to read ahead! Pick up your book in the gathering room, optional donation $15 (pay online or leave check for Krysta in the office). This is going to be fun!  This summer we are aiming to have a regular time slot, probably Wednesdays 12-3 pm, beginning next week, July 19 through August 30. (We'll confirm this weekend, July 16).
If you would like to participate but are not available Wednesdays, or if there are some Saturdays you'd love to pitch in, please let Kara know so she can put them on the calendar and invite others! FYI - Swedish Death Cleaning is our purging and organizing project to revamp our space and ready it for the this congregation in this time to use well. |
NOTES FROM LNPC LIFEA collection of ongoing updates, check-ins, and announcements Archives
November 2023
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
