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This past Sunday, I had the chance to speak at the Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church about New Beginnings and domestic violence. I spoke at two morning services before the offering plates were passed around and it was overall a wonderful event. It's an extremely generous gesture that they choose us to devote their entire April offerings to us. For those that are a bit hesitant to speak at events, I wanted to share some highlights of things I learned/liked/saw so you get a sense of what it all entails.
5. Church hymns are catchy - My favorite was probably There's A River Flowing Through My Soul. Now, this version on youtube does not really do the song that was sung by EUUC folks justice. The version they sang was a much more upbeat almost T-Pain styled song.
4. Neighbor - Maybe it's just me, but Seattle can be frighteningly unfriendly sometimes. That was not the case here. The "turn around and say 'hi' to your neighbor" moment was a nice one. We need to do that more when there are gatherings of people.
3. First Time Visitor Parking - I'm not making a joke but I think it says a lot when an organization has premier VIP parking for first-time guests and visitors.
2. Advocates for Women - I learned that this church has a group called "Advocates for Women" that describes themselves as men and women who are "passionate about improving the lives of women suffering from gender inequality, domestic abuse, sex-trafficking, inadequate health care, under-education, and poverty around the globe." Nice!
1. The People - Everyone that I met and interacted with was unfailingly pleasant and welcoming. A special shout-out to Terry and Reverend Eric!
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F.A.Q.
Q: Is New Beginnings affiliated with any religion or church?
A: No. We receive support from many different churches and religious groups but we do not identify as, say, a Lutheran or Catholic organization.
This is so wonderful Luke! What a generous gift the offerings from April is, good to know we have such impressive community support!
ReplyDeleteThanks! A very generous gift indeed from a new donor no less!
ReplyDelete