God Reaches for us
God is always reaching for us, and we reach for each other. Christ is with us, Christ is for us, and goes with us.
Led by the Spirit &
Open to the Flow
We go where the Spirit takes us and follow Her flow. We move with the Spirit, listening to each other and trusting God’s direction for our community. We stay flexible, brave, humble, and ready to go where God leads. We walk by faith, not by sight.
Freedom for All of Us
We lift up Blackness with pride and power. We honor our Indigenous siblings. Through wide solidarity, we resist the lies of whiteness and the chains of empire with its prisons and wars on our communities. We get free together.
Our Roots
We Keep the Ancestors Close
We are not alone. Queens and kings, the ones who crossed oceans, the ones who sang in hush harbors, who danced, who marched, who prayed, who dreamed, the ones who got us started—we call their names. Their strength runs in our veins. Their joy is our inheritance. Their knowledge—rooted in the earth, creation, and ancient tradition—guides us through teaching, ceremony, and sacred remembering. Through ritual, rhythm, and reverence, we call them in.
with thanks to Mama Itihari Touré
Turning the World Upside Down
Jesus flipped tables. Harriet ran north. Malcolm spoke truth. Our holy protest is turning the world upside so that it’s right side up. Through Gospel-centered resilience-based organizing, we create the world as it should be while calling into question the legitimacy of the powers that be.
Ceremony is our First Language
Through prayer, ritual, and celebration, we meet the Holy Spirit, and open the gates for ancestors. These sacred moments shape who we are as we bless each other before God. Whether it’s a shout, a sway, or a silent tear—God meets us there. The tambourine, the libation, the laying on of hands—it’s all sacred. We honor our bodies, our breath, our story.
Co-creation
Like a choir, we each bring our part. We know theology is contextual and springs from God’s people, we are always prepared—and actively preparing—to give an account of the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3). We do this by taking turns in preaching, shaping and leading liturgy, and mystagogical reflection.
with thanks to James Cone
Caring Like Kinfolk
We support one another through hard times. We meet each other where we are—community taking care of community. No one left behind. Like aunties at a church potluck—making sure everyone eats. Through mutual aid and harm reduction we undo wrongs. We see the pain caused by oppression and we answer with love that shows up and does not let go.
We Are Beloved
No matter what the world says, we know the truth: we are God’s children and made in God’s image—Black, Brown, Queer, Trans, Disabled—and we are holy. God made us beautiful, and God made us good.
We Go Deep
We focus on doing things with care and depth and take the quality of our relationships as the measure. We take time with each other. We make room for healing, and go “inch wide, mile deep.”
with thanks to adrienne marree brown
Faith-expansive & Faith-expanding
We don’t gatekeep Spirit—knowing God meets us in many ways. We come from different places. We all have different faith, even when we go by the same name or religion. It’s what we do that binds us together—how we make room for love and freedom, and make way for Spirit. God answers to many names, Jehovah Jireh, Most High, Elohim, Olodumare, Great Mother, Creator, Ometeotl. We give thanks that They can be known to us in so many ways.
Out of Death, New Life
God knows how to work with dry bones. Out of crucifixion, comes resurrection. God comes to turn our mourning into dancing, and even in the valley, God is doing something new. Our people have always found life in the ashes—and so we rise, and rise again.
