This past Sunday, Pastora Inés walked us into the holy procession of the aroma of Christ in 2 Corinthians. It was here we were called: not to contradict the character of Christ, but instead to embody His body with the integrity of the aroma we emanate – both as individuals and as a community. It was a beautiful, powerful, and fragrant word – culminating in aromatic smoke swirls of palo santo rising in the room as we received beloved communion as a beloved community.

Community Groups

One of the ways we have most profoundly experienced the gift of the aroma of Christ among us is through community groups. There is something so simple and so sacred about entering into a space where safety and belonging welcome us as our most whole selves. It just smells like Jesus.

This past year, we embarked on our first season of small groups as a church. And across the board, they were a resounding success! So this fall, we’re hoping to set sail again with even more groups! Which means we’ll need more leaders!

If you are interested in starting a group – whether as a host, leader, or both – we’d love to hear from you! Groups can be topical (deep diving into an issue or book). Or groups can simply focus on cultivating community. The main thing is gathering people together in such a way that smells like the aroma of Christ!

Got an idea for a group? Or interested in becoming a small group leader? Great! You can fill out this simple form to let us know!

Beach Day and Bonfire

Join us on Saturday, Aug 26th for a relaxing day at Dockweiler Beach and an evening around the fire pit. Come for a while or stay the whole day! This invitation is open to any and everyone! Similar to our church familia picnics, the aim is simply to connect and have a good time outside of Sundays – where we just never have quite enough time together! So go ahead and save the date! We hope to see you there!

Greenline Housing Event!

This past Sunday, Rochelle shared with us about a fundraiser event the Greenline Housing Foundation is having on Sunday, August 20th. If you’re unfamiliar with Greenline, they are a local non-profit “reversing the effects of redlining and housing discrimination by providing down payment grants, financial education, and home maintenance assistance to qualified people of color to help restore justice – as God intended it, one home at a time.”

As a church, we would like to come alongside Greenline and offer support in the planning of this fundraising event and on the day of the event. We are assembling a team to help with marketing and publicity, graphic design, hosting, and general planning. If you are interested in volunteering and lending your talents to this important event, please reach out to Rochelle Miles at relithe@yahoo.com.

We also shared on Sunday that if you’re interested in attending the event but need financial assistance to do so, don’t hesitate to reach out! We’ll gladly purchase a ticket for you! If it’s on your heart to be there, we don’t want any obstacles to get in the way.

I hope you’re finding ways to beat this heat, familia! I am grateful for you and for this faith familia we have all cultivated together! May we be and bring beautiful fragrance everywhere we go this week!

Bobby