βFrom a Wave to a Welcome: Invitation as a Spiritual Practiceβ
Sunday, September 22, 2024
How do UUs embody the core value of liberating love? Perhaps we commit to βinvitationβ as a conscious practice, continually inviting new experiences and new ways of being to co-create a better world. This week weβll consider how an everyday welcome might transmute into a radical welcome.
Kate Steinberg, Ministerial Intern; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Richard Davis - Lowell, Worship Associate; Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate; Linda Enger, Trustee; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Jon Silk, Drummer; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong; Eric Shackelford, Camera Operators; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Meg Arnosti.
The ancient question, βWho am I?β inevitably leads to a deeper one: βWhose am I?β because there is not identity outside of relationship. You cannot be a person by yourself. To ask, βWhose am I?β is to extend the question far beyond the little self-absorbed self, and wonder: Who needs you? Who loves you? To whom are you accountable? To whom do you answer? Whose life is altered by your choices? With whose life, whose lives is your own all bound up, inextricably, in obvious or invisible ways?Β
"Invitation to Participate in the Democratic Process"
Sunday, September 15, 2024, 10:50 am
How do we as UUs live into our values as we engage the democratic process? How is this a spiritual practice? As we sort through all the chatter, let us find ways to ground ourselves in what we believe to participate in the democratic process intentionally.
Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Kate Steinberg, Ministerial Intern; Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate; Cal Ball, UU the Vote; Lucy Smith, Board Secretary; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong; Eric Shackelford; Francisco Castellanos, Camera, Camera Operators; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Anna Newton.
Unitarian Universalists are rightly proud of width and breadth of our institutional welcome. But who decide who is welcomed? Who belongs? What are the systems that we can either critique or build to deepen our understanding of welcome?Β
Rev. Sinclair offers a reflection on belonging, and how we are drawn to faithful life in community, sometimes in spite of ourselves.
Is making a meal or baking or creating art or music an expression of your love? Let us lift up the many labors that go unsung, the under appreciated and maybe uncompensated work of people for others that enrich our lives in priceless ways.
This podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Lorelee Wederstrom.
Weβll explore the depth of tradition and the benefits of renovation through a journey at sea.Β
In the uncertainties of our times, our mistrust β of the future, of ourselves and one another β might be justified. But we are called, as people of faith in a liberating love, to cultivate greater trust. Letβs explore how to become more trusting and more trustworthy in the face of change.
Rev. Karen Hering
The life of the spirit is all about triage: attending to this thing and then that thing, each in its time, with care. But the planet spins beneath our feet, sometimes careening wildly, and our days are disjointed and dizzying. When the known world flies apart, what holds you in place? Join us for pancake brunch after the service.Β
There were some audio issues with this recording. The audio gets better at the 30 seconds mark.
We are all familiar with the story of Henry David Thoreau and his two-year experiment on a plot of land owned by his teacher, Ralph Waldo Emerson. We are less familiar with the story of Harriet Jacobs, Thoreauβs contemporary, who also, alone, entered a space that cut her off from society, and who also wrote a book about that experience. A look at these two experiences and the national appetite for one story, to be told in one, specific way in every school in the country for almost 200 years, and for the other not to be told at all gives us insights into the dangers of a single story, dangers that contort our history and uphold power in the same hands. Over, and over, and over again.
As hostile laws are adopted across the county, queer families and individuals are making their way to states like Minnesota. We will paint a picture of what is happening, how Unitarian Universalists are connected, and supporting the effort to find safety and sanctuary for those who are migrating to Minnesota.
This service begins with a reflection by Sara Ford followed by Kevin Ward and Jess Goff.
What happens when a book changes your life? You buy copies for your friends? Or maybe you talk about it in a summer service. In 2016, the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote The Book of Joy. Some of their ideas are weird and unattainable (like β Can you really train your mind to have mental immunity? Can you really have empathy for your enemies?), but then again maybe joy can happen. Jess Goff and Kevin Ward will share their favorite passages and meditate aloud how this book has transformed them.Β
This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Chris Russert.
In a consumer society focused on limited resources and rugged individualism, many are left feeling estranged from one another and numb. How might we move from a culture of scarcity towards abundance, understanding the power of sharing, and embracing our human vulnerability as a strength? Each of us can help and be helped, and through our empathy can find and build bridges of resilience, community, and hope.
"Spiritual Practices and Climate Justice"
Sunday, July 7, 10:50 am, 2024
"We can never return to innocence, but we can move forward with integrity."
- Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman
The 20th-century spiritual leader, Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman, loved San Francisco. A mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Pauli Murray, Thurman found in this city a special dynamism, a variety of people, and chance interactions that could be a gateway to transformation, individually and collectively, to resist racism, classism, and hardness of heart. In a time of climate crisis, what is love asking us to do? Spirituality and activism are not oppositesβThurman would often say they are complements. To sustain long-term work for changeβwhether challenging air pollution health risks, adapting to rising sea levels, cultivating food forests and community gardens, securing safe, affordable housing, or preparing renewable energiesβrequires vision, community, and time to "center down." Let's explore how personal spiritual practices may help inform our work for climate justice.Β
Rev. Daniel Lawlor, Guest Minister; Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate; Galen Workman, Moderator, Board of Trustees; Jessie Nucho, flautist; Nancy Munn, songleader; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, pianist
Eric Shackelford; Francisco Castellanos, Camera, Camera Operators; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
What does it mean to have a conversation or an encounter with another human that invites the divine into relationship? When we talk about βgoing deep quicklyβ and knowing each other βin all our fullness,β what do we mean? Why are these things important? And what do Herr Buber and Mr. Douglass have to teach us about all this?
"Radical Rethinking of God: God is Queer"
Sunday, June 30, 10:50 am, 2024
On this Pride Weekend, we will dive into Queer Theology: What does it have to say about the nature of God and of the holy? Why is that important for all of us?Β
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Carmen Barsody, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Lambert Moss, singer; Andy Kessler, Songleader
Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Thomas Brown, Jose Matias Pineda, Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
This sermon podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate Caswell Burr.
There is a great, interconnected web of existence, a great and entrancing mystery, and we are starting to see more of the effects of our neglect for that interdependence. How can our UU faith and principles help guide us through the growing imperative to change our relationship with the natural world?
This Sunday reflects on the milestone events since Rev. Kathleenβs arrival at Unity Church in September 2022: successes, missed opportunities and work that is still in the making.Β
"Harmony Unveiled: The Secret Music of the Renaissance"
Sunday, June 23, 10:50 am, 2024
"Bigger" Music Sunday is thrilled to present "Harmony Unveiled: The Secret Music of the Renaissance," a mesmerizing service full of vocal and instrumental masterpieces sung by AretΓ© Singers, an East Bay ensemble renowned for their innovative vocal performances. They will team up with RammDance, which features LΓ©na Alvino, Noelle Tham, and Maddie Sager with choreography by Courtney Ramm, as well as Matthew Xie on lute and Jamie Mulfinger on flute and recorder.
This exquisite program offers an immersive journey into one of historyβs most vibrant and transformative musical periods. The congregation will experience the rich tapestry of Renaissance music, marked by its intricate polyphony, lush harmonies, and emotive depth. The shared cultural and historical significance of the performed music will not only entertain but also enlighten the audience.
Mark Sumner, Music Director; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; AretΓ© Singers led by Tim Salaver, Music Director; Matthew Xie, Lute/Baroque Guitar; Jamie Mulfinger, Flute/Recorder; Courtney Ramm, Director and Choreographer, Maddie Sager, LΓ©na Alvino, Noelle Tham, RammDance
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Francisco Castellanos, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Judy Payne, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
βWhat They Taught Us?β
Sunday, June 16, 10:50 am, 2024
What does it mean to be a man? What did we learn, from whom, and how? What do we want to pass on?
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Sam King, Worship Associate; Trio: AkanΓ© Ota, Kei Uchida, Tetsuya Taura, singers; Yuki Ota and Haruka Ota, cellists; Mark Sumner, pianist
Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
Fatherhood has changed a lot since the first celebration of Fatherβs Day in 1910, as have ideas about masculinity. Worship associates Charlie Caswell, Chris Russert, and Isaac Fried will reflect on their own experiences of fathers, and the joys and the challenges of navigating maleness amidst a culture that insists on binary thinking. β
"Metaphors for Us"
Sunday, June 9, 10:50 am, 2024
Bring your flowers this week as we engage in the ritual of the end of our year, where we make visible the life we have made tangible among us.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Dennis Adams, Worship Associate; Liz Strand, Secretary, Board of Trustees; UUSF Bell Choir led by Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Nancy Munn, Akane Ota, Soloists; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong, Camera; Francisco Castellanos, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Thomas Brown, Jose Matias Pineda, Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Linda Messner, Head Usher
We are well aware of the realties of climate change; we see evidence of the changing earth on an almost daily basis. Yet climate fatigue β the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness is also evident. How do we cultivate a sustainable level of energy and care for the environment when our own resources are often thin? How is that climate of care practiced within, among and beyond us? β
Beethoven was completely deaf when he embarked on his masterpiece, Ode to Joy, and itβs a tragedy that he never heard a single note of it except inside his head. At many times in our lives, finding joy may seem impossible. Life can seem painful or tragic, and joy completely out of reach. Not ignoring the truths of the tragedies and challenges of our world, how can we cultivate more joy in our lives?
Ukraine. Israel and Palestine. Haiti. Eritrea. Ethiopia. There are so many places around the globe where violence and the war that follows results in an endless cycle of retaliation and devastation. On this Memorial Day Sunday, we honor those who have died in past wars, while maintaining the hope that we can learn the things that make for peace.Β
"A Look Back"
Sunday, June 2, 10:50 am, 2024
Let's look back on our year together.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate; Galen Workman, Trustee; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Andrew Kessler, Guest Director; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong, Camera; Francisco Castellanos, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Thomas Brown, Jose Matias Pineda, Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
"Meditations on the Transformative Power of Street Ministry"
Sunday, May 26, 10:50 am, 2024
Join Rev. Charlotte as she reflects on her experiences as a street minister in Marin, the transformative power of connecting with our unhoused neighbors (and how it changed her life), and her new project helping communities create spaces of belonging for all people.
Rev. Charlotte Maitreya Cramer, Guest Minister; Sam King, Worship Associate; Linda Enger, Trustee; Shana Downs and Jill Rachuy Brindel, cellists; Akane Ota, Songleader; David Jones, pianist
Francisco Castellano, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Thomas Brown, Jose Matias Pineda, Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
"The Fight to be Authentic, and Loved"
Sunday, May 19, 10:50 am, 2024
It is so central to want to be seen and loved for who we are, understood, if we can be so lucky. It is also the source of so much pain (and power) to make that journey in a world, in a family, at a time that won't easily make a place for you in the family of things, to paraphrase poet Mary Oliver. Drawing from Lamya H's "Hijab Butch Blues," let's talk about some of the journey to being authentically ourselves.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Daniel Jackoway, Worship Associate; Galen Workman, Trustee; Nancy Munn, voice and piano
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Francisco Castellanos, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Thomas Brown, Jose Matias Pineda, Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Athena Papodakos, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
A flower celebration Sunday homily.
"A Polymath Nun and Why She Matters on this Mothers' Day"
Sunday, May 12, 10:50 am, 2024
Reflections on Hildegard von Bingen: The Patron Saint of Late Bloomers. She founded her own abbey, created her own language, and wrote one of the first musical plays. She was a wonderful composer who set her own lushly poetic texts. Hildegard was 42 before she started writing anything down, and she was also someone who didnβt accept her place in the world. In a male-dominated church, she went on preaching tours at a time when women were not supposed to preach, especially in public. She refused to behave in a certain way. She wrote at a time when, if the church authorities had not thought she was divinely inspired, she could easily have been put to death as a heretic. Let's witness how else she might inspire.
Dolores Perez Heilbron; Louise Diskerud; Judith Stoddard; Kathleen McClung; Nancy Munn; Maggie McGrann, Worship Participants; Carmen Barsody, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Yuhi Aizawa Combatti, Guest Soprano soloist, Nancy Munn, AkanΓ© Ota, Soloists; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong, Camera; Jackson Munn, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Thomas Brown, Jose Matias Pineda, Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Judy Payne, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
This sermon podcast begins with a reflection from worship associate Sara Ford.
On this Motherβs Day, amidst rising conflicts near and far, let us lean into inspiring stories from our global Unitarian community and ancestors, including Dr. Lotta Hitchmanova, a Jewish journalist from Prague who spoke out against the Nazis and then dedicated her life to humanitarian efforts. Dr. Lotta helped literally thousands of children impacted by the second World War and the decades following it, she worked with the Unitarian Service Committee in Europe and then established a branch in Canada.Β
"Treasures from the Journey"
Sunday, May 5, 10:50 am, 2024
Our high school seniors will be sharing the stories, relationships, and learnings from their time growing up in a UU church and answering what they treasure from their journey.
Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Claire Cover, Bree Shennum, Charlie Zwibelman; Galen Workman, Trustee; UUSF Bell Choir led by Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong, Camera; Francisco Castellanos, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Thomas Brown, Jose Matias Pineda, Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Judy Payne and Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
"When Legacy Propels Boldness"
Sunday, April 28, 10:50 am, 2024
The word "legacy" always draws for me images of things past: heavy, anchoring, a little dusty, and old. But in reality, they are just as often more like a sail for covering fast oceans or a ballast for weathering storms than a heavy anchor somewhere fixed and forgotten. This Sunday, I will talk about some of the legacy of the UU Service Committee (UUSC) and its living legacy as I return from a trip to Poland with its Board to meet with organizations doing the work to protect human rights and serve war-torn lands as boldly as that which launched the organization over 70 years ago. Moreover, this Sunday we will talk about our own legacy in this church with our Allyne Circle and those we honor and name this Sunday who are added to our plaque.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Sarah Ellerman, Allyne Circle; Linda Enger, Trustee; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong, Camera; Francisco Castellanos, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Thomas Brown, Jose Matias Pineda, Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Linda Messner, Head Usher
Coming of Age Sunday celebrates the signature year-long journey of our ninth grade youth, transitioning from the inherited faith of childhood to the adult journey of faith, and marked by youth sharing their statement of faith or credo.Β
"Understanding Autism, Each Other, and Ourselves"
Sunday, April 21, 10:50 am, 2024
For many people, when they learn they're on the Autism spectrum, they gain a rich and empowering understanding of themselves. Let's learn about these identities so we can support each other's unique spiritual journeys and be a more accessible and compassionate congregation!
Sam King, Guest Preacher; Rev. Millie Phillips, Affiliated Community Minister; Tad Hopp, Worship Participant; Eric Hamilton, Guitarist; Mark Sumner, Pianist; Ben Rudiak-Gould, Songleader
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Francisco Castellanos, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Thomas Brown, Jose Matias Pineda, Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
"Perspectives on Earth"
Sunday, April 14, 10:50 am, 2024
From the astrophysicist, Neil deGrass Tyson, to the botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and through the eyes of the poets, how do we see earth? And what does that tell us about ourselves and lifeβthis lifeβon this planet we call home?
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Richard Davis-Lowell, Worship Associate; Greggory Stevens, Story for All Ages; Galen Workman, Trustee; Members of the San Francisco and Kensington Unitarian Universalist Church Choirs; Mark Sumner and Bryan Baker, directors; Wm. Garcia Ganz, pianist; Reiko Oda Lane, organist; Jon Silk, drummer
Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
This sermon begins with worship associate Ari Giles reading "Good Bones" by Maggie Smith.
There is a voice within you which no-one, not even you, has ever heard. Give yourself the opportunity of silence and begin to develop your listening in order to hear, deep within yourself, the music of your own spirit.Β Β β John OβDonohue, Anam Cara
In a world full of distractions, screens, video bingeing, and climate unraveling, paying deep attention to our inner lives β and the wisdom and music that is there β is critical. Tuning in and encountering the deepest parts of ourselves can help us unearth the hidden treasures, insights, and clues within that can lead to more aliveness, joy, and abundance. This Sunday, weβll explore concrete practices that can help us tune into the βsong that is our life.βΒ
After two decades in Unitarian Universalist ministry, Rev. Justin Schroeder and his wife, Juliana Keen, launched Holding Space for Change, a practice that accompanies and supports people through life transitions. They provide spiritual direction/accompaniment, therapy, grief support groups, divorce support groups, life-transition support groups, and more. Between the two of them, they have over four decades of experience in spiritual leadership and social work.Β
"Person by Person by Person"
Sunday, April 7, 10:50 am, 2024
Person by Person by Personβ¦ that is how change occurs. Not once and for all, but continuously. Change changes what is possible, and each person we engage makes the possible a little more hopeful. In the words of Bryan Stevenson, βYou donβt change the world with the ideas in your mind, but with the conviction in your heart.β Change requires intention and a willingness to take risks. We suspect that change will not always turn out how we expected it to, and we know what was gained can sometimes be lost. But this is the Fools' way; it's our theory of changeβperson by person, the world is changed.Β
ΒCarmen Barsody & Sam Dennison, Faithful Fools; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Jack Dello & Sherry Dello, Canvass Chairs; Liz Strand, Trustee; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Claudine Jones, Rusty Harris-Bishop, Morgen Warner, soloists; Jon Silk, Drummer;Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, pianist
Jonathan Silk, Audio and Video; Eric Shackelford, Camera; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
"Roll that Rock Away"
Easter Sunday, March 31, 10:50 am, 2024
Life has a lot of tombs, losses, and setbacks. And there are rocks, heavy and awkward, that protect and seal them. What are the ways we don't end our stories at the rock or tomb? What does it require of us to make resurrection also the stuff of our lives?
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Dennis Adams, Worship Associate; Bill Klingelhoffer and Courtney Young-Law; Canvass Testimonials; Linda Enger, Trustee; UUSF Bell Choir led by Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Nancy Munn, Vocalist; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
This podcast begins with Merrill Aldrich reading Luke 24:13-32.
What really happened on that Easter morning? A resurrection? An awakening? No one can say for certain, but we can say this β Jesus of Nazarethβs life after his death changed the world. On this Easter Sunday, it also has the power to change us. Come find out how.
"Lessons from the Road"
Sunday, March 24, 10:50 am, 2024
I was fortunate enough to have the gift of almost three straight months to renew and refresh in the ancient tradition of sabbath, or fallow times. Thirty-two of those days (but who is counting?) were spent on the road, circling through the American Southwest, with my husband. It is a modern pilgrimage that many of us have done some version of beforeβa car, a map, some time ago. I'd love to bore you with some of what germinated on the road. And thank you.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate; Kathleen McClung and Dennielle Kronenberg, Canvass Testimonials; Galen Workman, Trustee; Rami Bar-Niv, Pianist; Andy Kessler, Songleader; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Accompanist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
In his essay of the same title, the Hungarian cultural critic LΓ‘szlΓ³ FΓΆldΓ©nyi stages an encounter between Dostoyevsky and Hegel, between our creaturely sense of transcendence as finite-limited-mortal beings and radical Enligthenment's belief in unbounded progress and mastery. In a world mediated through switches, buttons, credit cards, screens, redlined neighborhoods and land as commodity for ownership, what do we mean by the sacred? In this moment of climate change and degradation of life, when the wounded world seems "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing," how do we remain attentive to the sacred song of life itself, to claim a deeper sense of belonging to the earth, shared history, and to each other? Worship associate Nancy Dilts and Rev. KP Hong amplify the work of honest storytelling, asking us to more creatively name this sacred life and work against its degradation.Β
Who among us really expected life to be a bed of roses? Barbara Hubbard will speak about how the Unity Church community has inspired, shaped and transformed her lifeβs journey.