Growing Sense of Community

It’s been awhile, eh? Much has happened since May 30, but I will focus on just a few key items. I’m still swimming with the master’s team at WSU, and I love it. Everyone has been so welcoming and friendly, and the coaches come up with creative, challenging workouts – and they offer great tips on stroke technique. I’ve also got a couple teammates who are about my speed, so we’re able to pace and challenge one another during workouts. I love it!

An interesting byproduct of my participation on the swim team is that I have also found a church home. I shared this on my family blog as well …

A few weeks ago at a Saturday afternoon masters swim practice, I was doing a kick set with one of my teammates, and he mentioned his church. Since I was still looking for a church home in Wichita, I asked him about it, and the first thing he said (sort of nervously) was, “Well, we’re kind of progressive.”

My ears perked right up. “Tell me more.”

And so he did. He told me about the new, inspiring pastor at College Hill United Methodist Church. He told me that the church supports a woman’s right to choose.

“What about non-believers?”

“Everyone’s welcome.”

“Good. I don’t want people judging me when Trent doesn’t come to church with me … what about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people?” I asked.

“Everyone is welcome and valued,” he replied. “My brother was gay, and I can’t abide churches that disparage people based on sexual orientation.”

“Was?” I asked.

“He died of AIDS.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, he was a great guy.”

So after swim practice, I got on the church’s website (http://collegehillumc.org/), and I was thrilled with what I found. Parishioners are encouraged to read Scripture with “patience, openness, humility, knowledge, critical thinking, skepticism at times, and a willingness to wrestle with complexity and contradictions” (College Hill Convenant). Yes! And the church is very focused on social justice and taking action within the community to raise awareness about injustice and take steps to right it (e.g., human trafficking in Wichita, the number five origination city in the U.S. [!!!] for exploited children).

So, my attempts to find a sense of community are paying off. I’ve got some great friends on the swim team, I’m meeting lovely and wonderful people at my church (and in my church choir!), and, since we’ve moved into our house, we’ve met most of our delightfully friendly and welcoming neighbors as well. It doesn’t hurt that we’re always out walking or playing with Eloise. Wichita is beginning to feel more and more like home, and I’m very grateful for that.

I hope you're all doing well.  Write when you have time, fellow blog authors!