When Pastor Emily Kuenker was deciding which LuMin Midwinter Gathering to join, it seemed pretty logical to pick the one happening in the Olympic Peninsula, just across the state from her in Spokane. While that’s true, it was actually the focus on community organizing that drew her into attending that specific gathering.
Community organizing isn’t new to Pr. Emily who serves as the Pastor/Organizer at Grace Commons Spokane. And even so, she found herself walking away from the Midwinter Gathering with new tools to aid her in continuing the work. While many of the concepts were familiar to her, this was the first time that she had done a training where these terms were so rooted in Christian tradition. Organizing for Mission, the network that led the gathering, told organizing stories not only from their own ministry experiences, but from the Bible itself. Pr. Emily reflected, “All of a sudden I had these stories and this language that I could bring back to faith folks… Christian faith leaders have such a rich heritage of organizing that we inherit.”
The gathering was also a time for building relationships. Pr. Emily got to hear about the work folks were doing all across the country. It helped to break down her feeling that she was maybe alone in this work. Instead, she realized that she is part of this larger network of people who are deeply passionate about the role of faith leaders in the public sphere.
Like much of ministry, organizing work is rooted in relationship. What a gift it is to create spaces where folks get to live, learn, and grow in that work together.
Grace Commons Spokane is one of 179 ministries affiliated with LuMin, the ELCA Campus Ministry Network.
