Belonging Starts with Being Who You Are.
Do you know who you are?
Are you young, full of wonder, full of energy?
Are you older, full of wonder, full of energy?
Are you young, low on wonder, depleted of energy?
Are you older, low on wonder, depleted of energy?
Are you a sister, sibling, or brother? Are you a mother, father, or guardian?
Are you someone who worries? Are you someone who loves?
Are you a teacher, Doctor, nurse, or lawyer? Are you Christian, pagan, Buddhist, Muslim, atheist, or something else entirely?
Belonging Starts with Being Who You Are: Do you know who you are?
The truth is beloved; we are many things at once. Belonging Starts with Belonging
Belonging Starts with Being Who You Are. – Rev. Phoenix
This Month, at the start of the 2025-2026 Church, we will explore what it means to belong in a way that is all of us scared, all of us loved, and all of us is wanted. And how we ensure that we are creating a space of belonging for ourselves and others.
September 7 – Where the Waters Return ( Water Communion & Ingathering Service) Led by Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs with Worship Associates Lynn Sodora & Dianne Dusman
Each of us carries stories—of joy and sorrow, change and stillness, wandering and homecoming. As we gather for our annual Ingathering and Water Communion, we honor the beauty of these stories and the waters that hold them. Whether you’ve been away or nearby, weary or well, this is a time to return: to yourself, to your community, to what matters most.
In this multigenerational service of ritual, song, and reflection, we celebrate the sacred act of showing up again—with our full hearts, our honest selves, and a willingness to be transformed by love and connection.
Please bring a small amount of water to symbolize your summer, your journey, or what you hope to release or receive this season.
September 14 – Sacred Questions, Shared Journey
Led byRev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs Worship Associate Dianne Dusman
As we begin this new chapter together, join us for a special interactive worship experience where curiosity becomes a spiritual practice and questions are welcomed as holy companions on the path. This service invites you to bring the questions that stir your heart—about theology, ministry, identity, vision, and more—and engage in a collective spiritual exploration. Live during worship Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton will be answering your questions; as many as they can get to that is.
September 21 – From Questions to Covenant
Led by Rev. Phoenix Bell-Shelton Biggs with Worship Associate Tara Sollman
Following our service of sacred questions, we now reflect on what it means to move from curiosity into commitment. As minister and congregation, how do we shape a shared life rooted in trust, care, and collective purpose?
We will begin naming the values we hold, the hopes we carry, and the sacred work of becoming a community—together.
September 28 – When The Venn Diagram Explodes
Led by Melissa Mattson and Max Donnelly
Intersectionality isn’t division, it’s our power. When we honor the whole person, our similarities unite us and our differences forge unbreakable bonds.
