Nearly 130 years ago, six women gathered in a church basement of a Disciples of Christ church in St. Louis praying that God would help them know how to faithfully respond to the deep human suffering on their doorsteps. What emerged was a heart for care that moved them to open a home for children and widows, responding in locally relevant ways to people in need in their community. This was the beginning of the National Benevolent Association (NBA). Tomorrow United Christian Parish (UCP) will commission Anna Westin to take her part in this story of transforming lives.
Anna has been chosen to participate in a 10 month internship through the National Benevolent Association’s XPLOR program. Through NBA XPLOR Anna, along with three others chosen from across the nation, will have the opportunity to explore lives of faith and justice, while serving in the community through:
· Hands-on Service/Justice Work — Interning at St. Joseph the Worker House in Davenport, Iowa, whose mission is to “offer services and transitional housing for homeless women and children in a setting which is homelike, healthy, loving and supportive, and to provide connections to local services that assist families.”
· Simple Living in Community — Learning and practicing faithful, intentionally simple and culturally competent communal living.
· Spiritual Discernment on Vocation — Striving through spiritual disciplines to discern the purpose for which one’s soul is made.
· Disciples Leadership Development — Living out one’s Disciples identity and unleashing one’s leadership capacity.
You are invited to join us for Anna’s commissioning as part of our worship Sunday morning, August 9 at 10 a.m. UCP is located at 745 N Brush Street in Lakeport.
Rev. Shannon Kimbell-Auth serves as pastor for United Christian Parish in Lakeport
