What is Church?

Dear friends,

Over 100 of us gathered last Sunday in two separate forums to talk about Ecclesiology--the theology of the Church. Thank you to everyone who engaged in the questions: What is Church? What is Church for? Together we contemplated different perspectives on these questions, and were invited to consider how our individual "ecclesiologies" inform our ministries, our participation at Trinity, and our opinions about matters of our common life. This work individually and in community is a really important "warm up" for the upcoming Vision 150 work we will do together over the summer and into the fall. As we pray and discern our hopes for Trinity going forward in the short, medium, and long term, it is helpful to be curious about our own theology of the church and that of others. The goal of the "What is Church" forum was to give us a "common vocabulary" to talk about issues beyond personal preferences. Understanding that we all love the Church, and we each bring deep theologies about what matters as a church and where our human agency and God's work intersect.

If you were unable to attend in person last Sunday, I offer a virtual version of the Forum below for you. Those who did attend may also find it useful to revisit the material. Please do reach out with questions and reflections anytime.

Your sister in Christ,

Nancy+