From the Rector – a Culture of Welcome

Right about this time four years ago, I was on sabbatical from All Souls Parish in Berkeley. I had heard that Rev. Bruce had retired from Church of the Resurrection, and on the encouragement of some friends and colleagues, my family and I decided to visit one Sunday to see if we could imagine ourselves in this community. We spent that summer attending different churches from coast to coast, and we all agreed that the welcome we received at Resurrection was far warmer and more authentic than anywhere else — even at parishes where we had previously been members, but now looked like strangers to most folks!

On that Sunday in Pleasant Hill, ushers helped us find our way in and let us know what was available for our kids, and folks then smiled at their wiggles and shenanigans during the service. People greeted us at the Peace, and they invited us to coffee hour. As we munched some truly wonderful melon on the patio, more parishioners introduced themselves, and one even encouraged us to check out All Souls, since it would be a much easier drive for this young family living in Berkeley! At that point I confessed my role, and we had a good laugh… but I so appreciated the kindness of the suggestion. We drove home that day with a bag brimming with Gravenstein apples from the orchard (they are the very best for pies!), full hearts, and a lot of curiosity about what might unfold in the years to come.

I take such joy in the ways this culture of hospitality continues to play out here each Sunday. I love watching how so many members take initiative in reaching out, introducing themselves, and helping to welcome visitors into our home. Our ushers do a phenomenal job in supporting folks as they find their way in, but especially after the service, there are often more visitors than Whitney, the ushers, and I can all talk to at once! Just the other week, more than ten percent of people worshiping in person at Resurrection were here for the very first time. As much as I wanted to greet each person individually, I was so grateful to see the whole church family connecting with these people who were honoring us with their presence.

Wonderfully, new folks are arriving here nearly every week — this is growing to be a steady trend. There are countless reasons people decide to try out a church, but among them, I often hear a longing for authentic community, the need to find hope in a broken world, an eagerness to join together to serve those in need, and woven through it all, a deep desire to come to know God in a way that is relevant to our daily lives. These are tender hopes to seek, and as such, showing up to church for the first time is an inherently vulnerable thing. It takes courage to walk through those doors, even if a friend has invited you.

So please, keep up the good work. If you see someone standing alone at the Peace, go out of your way to greet them. If someone is reading and re-reading the bulletin board, say hello, and invite them to coffee hour. And if someone is holding a cup of coffee on the patio, chances are very good that they are not hoping to be left alone there! Thank you for all the ways you step up, go out of your way, and choose to make yourself a little vulnerable in order to help another person feel more comfortable here. This is who we are as a church community, and I am so very grateful to each of you for the love you share with every visitor who arrives on our doorstep.

Peace,

Liz+