A Message from Angelina

Dear church family,

If you were present for worship on Sunday August 13 then you heard the news that I am ending my time on the church staff on August 31, 2023. This decision follows a long period of discernment of what the future may hold for myself and my family. To be clear, I am not stepping into a new position at a different church. I am stepping back from serving any local church as I turn my focus to where God is calling me in this season of my life. I do not know what is next and I welcome your prayers in my ongoing discernment. I am so thankful for the eight years I have spent with this faith community. I remember my first day in 2015 ending with a lovely dinner with the staff-parish relations committee at Mercato’s Italian restaurant downtown and how warmly I was greeted. That warm greeting continued with each new group, committee, and person I encountered. I remember those early months of learning how to craft and share a meaningful children’s message. Since then, I have shared over 300 children’s messages and they have all shared the same core theological commitments of what it means to be a United Methodist: you are beloved, beloved by God and beloved by our community. You carry God within you, you share God’s love simply by being who you are, you are invited into the deeply holy work of transforming this world for the better and, thanks be to God, you are not alone in it. As adults we know that living into these truths takes an open heart and an open mind, a commitment to seeing all people as beloved of God and that our liberation from the systems of oppression that dehumanize us is a collective effort.

These theological commitments shaped my work with you, the church family. With the leadership of our discipleship ministries team, we celebrated all the ways this community seeks to connect with God, each other, and the wider community each fall during our discipleship fair / Celebration of Ministries. This same amazing team of pastors and lay people envisioned and developed Bible studies, book studies, small groups, Sunday morning faith formation, Advent and Holy Week spiritual practice opportunities, fellowship opportunities, and the joyful fun of Affinity Nights. I am so excited for all the powerful ways this group will continue to vision and support the adults of our faith community as you continue to shape your lives in ways that are pleasing to our God.

I am thankful for the times you said yes to trying new things. Together we transformed Fall Festival into an offering of love to our neighborhood that welcomes hundreds every fall. Together we launched Messy Church to meet the real needs of families who hunger for accessible spiritual formation that meets them where they are. Together we say yes to our call to radical hospitality and became a reconciling church and have since been a fixture at Capital City Pride’s annual festival. Together we said yes to the gift of the South Sound Cooperative and continue to deepen our relationships with our Methodist siblings in the region. Together we said yes to finding new ways to love and worship together during the pandemic. I am awed by all the ways this community has stepped into the unknown together and said yes to sponsoring refugees and newly released friends. With our commitment to supplying Madison with school supplies for a grade cohort each year we can be proud of the way we love those families. We transformed Madison to be the only school in the district where no one needs to struggle to provide needed educational supplies. Our stepping out with our yes inspired other churches and community groups to follow suit. When you trust each other and when you say yes to what God puts before you, your light shines for all to see.

Working with Pastor Heather and Pastor Alexa this year has been such a gift. Personally and professionally, their support and trust gave me the space to exhale and grow. They have a deep love for this church family and all the ways you will adapt and thrive into all that God dreams for you. Trust them, trust each other, and trust God.

You are and always will be beloved.