Accessible Disciples Ministry at Unity (with leader Julie Brickhouse)

Host Tim DeCresie interviews Julie Brickhouse, who leads the Accessible Disciples ministry to individuals with special needs at Unity, and is taking her calling to help other churches as well!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Hello, and welcome to the Unity Community Podcast. This is a place where our church and family can hear real stories of life chains and discover how God is working through our ministries and missionaries both here and around the world. And from conversations with our staff and leaders and testimonies from our people, we're pulling back the curtain of what God is doing in the Unity Chapter. Thanks for listening. Let's grow closer to the Lord as we grow closer one to another.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

Welcome. I'm your host, Tim DeChristie. Thanks for taking a moment to listen. Today we're highlighting a ministry that reflects the heart of who we want to be as a church, a place where every individual is seen, valued, and included. Accessible Disciples is a ministry designed to support students with cognitive and physical disabilities and to walk alongside the families who love and care for them. This is more than a program, it's a space where belonging, faith, and community intersect in meaningful ways. Today we're going to spend time with Julie Brickhouse, who helps lead this ministry to learn how it began, what it provides, and the impact it's having on students and families. Alright, well, welcome Julie. We're so glad to have you with us today.

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Thank you, thank you. I'm glad to be here.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Well, let's begin with just telling us a little bit about yourself. What's your background?

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Okay, well, um uh I was a special education teacher here in Pitt County for a lot of years. Well, first of all, I'll kind of go back a little and I guess tell you a little bit about my family. I'm married to Joey, and we have two kids, Melissa and Kevin, who are grown and in their late 20s now. And um, I've been married to Joey for 33 years, and um I'm originally from Charlotte, and I c I came this way um because I grew up in I mean I came this way, excuse me, because I um went to ECU because I originally wanted to do physical therapy, but the math and sciences just didn't agree with me, so I had to kind of change my plan a little bit, and I ended up in in special education, and that's kind of how it started with for me. And uh so during the summers I'd go back home and work at some special schools or some um some spots in Charlotte, and I really knew that that was that was for me, and I was meant for that that area, and um the Lord led me to do that for my career, and I worked a little bit in Charlotte, and then um I ended up coming back this way because Joey was here, and um worked in Edgecombe County for a bit and spent the rest of my time in Pitt County in one classroom and was there for in that classroom for 25 or six years, and so I retired with him and now I'm um I work for ECU part-time. I teach a little and I um some on some occasions, and then I also work with interns, but I mostly most of my time is spent working with the um ECU Deafblind Teacher Support Program for the state, and so we work with um classrooms throughout the state, and most of my job is geared towards helping people become interveners who are like um kind of like Ann Sullivan was to um Helen Keller. So I train people to do that and work towards their national certification and that, and the rest of my time is either family time or spent doing accessible disciples kinds of things, and it stays biddy busy, excuse me, doing that, and um, so that's been enjoyable.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Okay, well, since you brought up accessible disciples, uh tell us about that program, how did it get started?

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Okay, well, um my involvement in special uh special needs ministry got started probably about 15 years ago. I was at another church um and I had gone to church, I think it was that morning, I had seen a parent um in the hallway who I knew who she was because her son had been in my classroom, and um I got to thinking, you know, we were in church and I just felt the Lord speaking to me and telling me, hey, you know, she comes to go to a uh a Bible study, but she's not able to go into the worship service because you know she would spend most of her time probably taking care of her son and wouldn't be able to concentrate. And I got to thinking about that, and I just felt the Lord lead me to to maybe look into seeing what we could do with that church to start that, and so it just stayed on a a small small framework there, and um things changed and we we felt led to come here to Unity and waited a little bit of time, and um so right before this building was done, and right about the time Ben Crabtree was here, um we uh I met with him one afternoon and mentioned to him and shared with him what was on my heart about starting a special needs ministry here at Unity, and he has been a cheerleader for us ever since, even continue continues to work with us on on special needs ministry. But uh, and so that's kind of how it got started here. And the pastoral staff was has been always very open to help, and they um, you know, when we got the classroom and when we expanded the classroom, the church has been so supportive of of that. And turns out that person, that teacher, or that excuse me, that parent that I had seen was Lisa Jordan, and so so that kind of you know is it's kind of neat how things have come come all together, and you know she's going to church here with her family, and you know, it's it's just neat, full circle.

SPEAKER_02 5:06

So well, I hope to speak with Lisa um in another podcast. She doesn't know this. Okay, so uh I hope to catch up with her later um about beyond Capernaum.

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Oh, okay. Well, it's neat that her how the Lord spoke to her with my situation. It's just neat seeing her side of the story of how another piece happened at that church, how it just all the Lord worked in it and brought things together. So it's neat you'll you'll hear that.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

So now help me understand with accessible disciples, who is this ministry meant to serve?

SPEAKER_00 5:40

Well, um, when we first started, it was we were kind of gearing towards elementary age students, but it's for elementary on up through adult. We have um options there for you know a separate class for those in elementary school, we've got um a separate class for those who are older, and we also offer like if parents want their child to be in like kids' church depending on their needs, um we offer buddies for them to sit in that during that period of time. Um and so we just and we've got you know the Thursday night options, we have lots of different things going on, and we're hoping to grow with a lot of that too. So it um it provide for those in the separate classroom, it provides extra support, like um for those whether you know if they try to go into the sanctuary for the worship service, it may be too much too much noise or too many people, and um they just can't handle sitting for that long a period of time, and that's where our class comes in. And so it's not a babysitting type thing in our classroom. We have lessons each week, and um we use a specific curriculum. Um, and so we're we're diving into Bible stories and we adapt communication so that those who are non-verbal can have the option to make choices and and share in the story and share with looking up the scripture in the Bible and learning Bible verses and praying, and we have some adapted things for that. So they're they're have being active members of the class. So we're just we try to, you know, we haven't said that certain people can't come because we don't have that. When people come in, we try to see what the family needs and what works best for them, and we accommodate what works for them so they feel welcomed when they come.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Well, since you mentioned the families, what are some of the challenges you know families face with um students of special needs?

SPEAKER_00 7:23

Well, uh inside the church I would say um and our church, we're very blessed that we're in a newer church that all the um the accessibilities for uh disabled people that you know that law is there. Um, and so all those things were addressed when you know when this church was built. So we're very fortunate in that way, but there are so many churches that don't have that. Um they don't have all the ramps that are needed, they don't have the buttons to open the door, and um once we add it on to the classroom next door or down the hall, the um we had a an adult-sized change in table added so that uh you know, not just kids can be changed if needed, then you know, because we have a lot of adult-sized um class members, and so if that ever happened that that was needed, you know, that's there, and that's just one little more way of um helping them feel a part of things. And um some of the challenges like that at all churches, there's such a high percentage of uh churches that don't offer any type of special needs ministry or just don't welcome families, and it's amazing how many parents that um I've talked to here and at other churches and at conferences I've been to, so many churches are not welcoming to um to families, or the things that these these even pastors or or church staff have said to the families and just to make them feel like they're not welcome. And um, and so when you when that happens, you're not only knocking out that individual, you're knocking out their family, you know, their brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, um, extended family, uh friends, or a lot of them come with personal care workers. So that word spreads that that particular church is not friendly to people with disabilities, and so and so that just you know hinders that and you're not you're not showing the love of Jesus when you're not welcoming people with disabilities, and so so they face that. Um they just want to know that they matter and that um unity or unity is a welcoming place, and we're very blessed to have that. And um they just want to know that that somebody recognizes them and has you know concern for them and love for them and um to feel like they belong. Um and they want to be able to find a life group, whether it be with those other families that have a child with a disability or with um with you know another class, just where also so they can know their child is being taken care of while they're while they're there. So um, so those are some of the things in the church, but now outside the church, if you look at that, just mainly you know, not feeling welcomed in um some cases. Um when sometimes you know you have situations where they're being stared at, or you know, and those can be things, but over after a period of time, I'm sure you tend to grow a thick skin to some of that stuff, but they do deal with a lot as far as a lot of resources aren't available, especially when you're in a smaller county, there are less things available for them. Um, a lot of them have to really learn how the system works and how to to advocate for their child, and because there's so many ins and outs and things that you don't realize and things that you never thought you'd have to deal with. Um, and like even with within school and having to deal with IEPs and all that kind of stuff. So they have a lot to deal with, and that's why it's so important the church is there so we can be a place that they can come and know that they're accepted and loved and um a part of that.

SPEAKER_02 10:32

So well that breaks my heart when I hear you say, you know, there's churches out there where you know they're not um accepting of these students. What are some maybe misconceptions that people may have to act that way? And I know this is your opinion question, it's not based off of fact. Um but why do you think churches or just people in general respond that way?

SPEAKER_00 10:57

I think it's just because they don't understand, they they they don't know what they don't know, and they've never been in that life, you know, they just don't know what it's like, they don't know what the families go through, and they I guess and sometimes I feel like when people grow up when they're not in a family of somebody with a disability, they may grow up thinking that, oh, don't stare at them, and your parents always said, Don't stare, don't say anything to them, because then that that's just being rude. And so they probably feel like by doing that, you know, and yeah, maybe looking at them and saying hello that you're being rude and like you're you know, I I guess it's just a a cultural thing to a point and or just a misunderstanding that people just don't know.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

So for our own members, you know, like when you come into that second service, your group is you know right there on the when you come in the door. Um what would be appropriate response for people coming in, seeing those students?

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Just come by and wave and say hello. I mean, they love that. They love uh friendship and and and the socialization just like anybody else does. And and they that's the one thing that I have always loved, that's partial, I guess partially what drew me to that is they just they love you for who you are. There are no preconceived notions about you, they don't see you as oh, she wears that ugly dress, or she's this or she's that, or um they don't have any of that. It's a pure love and pure cons like interest in getting to know you and or or having your attention and and talking to you or you know, playing games or whatever, or but um it's it's it's genuine. And so, and I mean any of the parents that have been here have said how welcoming the church is, but but we would always love for anybody to just come up and say hello. I mean, don't feel like you have to turn your head away that you're scared to look at them when they're in there, you know, just um wave or just say hello. So so and um especially when we go into the worship service, and I know I always kind of worry like we're gonna, you know, somebody might not appreciate the the noises sometimes that are back there, but you know, being back there is one of my favorite times of the week when we're back there, and it's amazing how many of them know the songs, and uh that because their parents are so wonderful to work with them and make sure they're listening to that music in the car at home, and they know the words to a lot of the songs we sing in church, and or they're raising their hands, and it's just a pure love for Jesus that a lot of us don't have, you know, because we you know we have all these things around us that we let stop us from worshiping him because we let the things of the world mess us up, but they don't do that. I mean it's just a it's a genuine love, and um so they're welcome any time to speak.

SPEAKER_02 13:27

And I think that's a conscious reminder we need to tell ourselves is they are people too.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

Exactly. That's what we're doing.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

You know, they may not can speak, they may not can speak as well as you know other people, but they do have feelings.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

That's right. And even for the nonverbal students or or members, they uh they may not speak, but they hear you talking to them or just uh I mean, if you say hello, they may try to reach their arm towards you just as their way to say hello. And um, so yeah, I mean, any interactions are wonderful, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:58

Yeah, I remember uh me being a special ed teacher as well, uh, when I was teaching at one of the schools here in Pitt County when I first started. Uh I guess I could say this now because I'm retired, so whatever. Um, you know, I would bring the church van and bring all those kids here. Oh nice. You know, and so um nice it was just a good time, you know, we just because they are like you said, they just love unconditionally and it doesn't matter, they're not worried about what they're wearing, what they're not wearing, you know, they just kind of roll with the punches and they joke around and it's it's a good time. So I would encourage any listener to get involved in that ministry and you don't know the blessings that are there.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

That's right, that's right. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 14:40

So with that, uh you also talked about the challenges the family faces. What what are s some of the challenges maybe at home that us as a church might could further, you know, support them?

SPEAKER_00 14:55

Well, um they at home, I mean, you think you think after you've had a long day of work and you're ready to come home and just sit for a little while, you know, in their situations and the majority of them, you know, they go to work and you know, they have a whole nother evening of work because they have all the extra things to take care of and not just, you know, whether it be schoolwork, but all the other needs of the child. And um, you know, I used to think about this sometimes when I'd get home from a day of work and you might have a loud day with a lot of noises or screaming or you know, some issues related to physical things related to the students, and um, you're just drained, and I can st sit at home and kind of relax and um just have a few minutes, and um, but they're not always able to get that. But we do that's kind of one of the reasons we've tried to have like our periodic um respite nights, like for our parents to get together and just they go hang out in one room and just eat and talk about whatever and just fellowship, and then we hang out with their kids in the other room, so they have a couple hours to hang out. So, so that's something if anybody ever wants to get interested in or um and wants to get involved with that, that would be helpful.

SPEAKER_02 15:58

Um How often does that happen?

SPEAKER_00 16:00

We we've been trying to do it every two or three months or so, just periodically. But um, once we gain more volunteers, and maybe we can start to increase some of that a little bit more.

SPEAKER_02 16:08

So maybe that's a less evasive way to get involved in that ministry as opposed to maybe a Sunday morning.

SPEAKER_00 16:17

Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 16:17

You're like, oh, I'm just gonna come and observe and help with whatever.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

Right, right. And that's the thing. Um you don't have to be in the the field of special education or any of the therapy things or any of that, just a willing heart to help and to to do whatever it is you're good at, even if it's you know, taking care of getting the meal together for the family and um and you know, having that set up or you know, or just hanging out with us in the room. I mean, once you're there, you'll realize how much fun it is to just to hang out with them. And it's a blessing to the parents to kind of give them a chance to talk with each other, and they go through things that we have no idea about related to you know the laws and what you know how to get assistance that they need for their child at home, and um, and there's just a lot of stressors, and it is a higher higher percentage of those families like with divorce, and just there's just so many stresses that go on in in their life because you know they've got work and you know and all the care that it takes, and it's it's a tough, a tough thing to go through. But I mean we have some wonderful parents here, and that's what amazes me of the parents that are involved in our ministry. They're you know, they've got a lot going on at home, but they're they see the need for this ministry, and they are many of our leaders within our ministry to lead like the um beyond Capernaum and Capernaum Teen and our our planning team that we have with the Accessible Disciples. Um, they're all involved and are they're so excited about the thought of what we can do in the future and how we can grow and and reach needs for the other families because I haven't been through what they've been through, and but they want to help other families who are coming up through all of that now and want to be there. So as far as helping, just you know, I'll I need to have a list, so you know, just a straight list of things we need, specific needs that we'd have, and maybe to share with the church or share on our site or something, so we you know that could be more of a help to families.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

So, you know, our church may be familiar with Beyond Capernaum, but then you mentioned another one that I wasn't teen.

SPEAKER_00 18:14

Right. Well uh we did have um well there had been all along since the since the same time Beyond Capernaum came, um, there was the the other Capernaum group for the teenage group, but the um the organization that was um supporting them could no longer do it anymore. So um that particular parent came to me and said that she would like to keep it going, and so I mentioned to her, you know, I'll help with the lessons and we'll get that together and we'll we'll make it happen. And so she's been taking over, um, you know, organizing and taking care of that. And she also, just like Lisa and some of our other families, have great ideas for uh moving forward with that. So we're hoping we've got the Capernaum teen group now, and um we're hoping if we can get enough volunteers to come help on Thursday nights also, we'd like to grow it to have the younger, like elementary age group and have Capernaum kids so we can um kind of grow that to give them a Thursday night because sometimes it is tough for families to come on a Sunday morning because they have so much going on during the week, and it can be hard for them to be able to do that, and we would love to be able to maybe offer while those are going on, maybe have uh a life group for those families who bring their children so they could have a life group with each other, you know, and and have that going on. So that's one of our things we're hoping to bring up.

SPEAKER_02 19:26

And maybe to put that in persp perspective for our listeners, you know, you think about oh man, I need to you have little kids or whatever teenagers, hey, we're gonna have a date night, you know. I want to go out with my wife and go do something. It's been a month, we've been so busy. Yeah, um, but you're busy in comparison to parents of students with special needs is totally different. And so you as a you know listener, just as a traditional family style background, you know, you think about how you might feel weary, and that's why those nights you're talking about we need volunteers, they need it maybe more than what you might think you need it.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

Right, and it's a lifelong thing too, because I mean when you know when your child gets older, you know, and they're moving out on their own, in a lot of cases that's not possible, especially when you're in a smaller town and there aren't as many options, and so so they they need that continue. That's why like Bianca Purnum comes in, you know, on Thursday nights that gives them something else to do for with their family or with if they're living in a group home or whatever that provides that too.

SPEAKER_02 20:30

Okay, well let's shift gears a little bit. What what are some ways you're seeing God work through this ministry?

SPEAKER_00 20:36

I see so much, it's it's amazing. The um I mean I see how like our class is growing, and I mean Beyond Capernaum is amazing, and I see um see that growing. Um I see like let's see, um well the addition of the the mom coming along to do the Capernaum teen, I mean that's been a blessing to have, and just how his like you're not always sure how things are gonna work out, but God always comes in and and and makes it go that way. Um we're also you know, we're hoping to grow with the sibling groups, but like I said, if if we continue to to help that grow, that's that's kind of on our hearts to have that done. And another thing with with me is more of a thing I'm working on the side that's been a blessing in God has been in this, because you know, ever since we got this started, you know, this shouldn't be just a unity thing. This should be every church should have something to some degree, whether they can't do it all, there should be something at every church to welcome families because no church should be turning away a family just because they have a member in their family with special needs at all. And um, so that's kind of a big thing that's kind of been on my heart to do. And then I was just trying to figure out how to how I could do more, and then um Ben Crabtree called me. It's been two years now, and um and he had the idea of he's he's a head of the Ohio, he started this Ohio Bible Institute for some online training for people, and so we're um he reached out. About creating some special needs ministry training modules for churches to start their own special needs ministry. And so that's been a two-year thing, and I overloaded Jake with doing videos of me, like 57 videos of me, and then bunches and bunches of videos of interviews with families and um lots of different people involved in the whole area, teachers and um pastoral staff, and lots of different interviews. So so now the next step, like we're the the finish line is very close. So we're we have all the parts of it together and um and then just got to finish editing and putting it together, and then um Ben's gonna take care of putting it online, and then that will be ready. But uh another blessing that has happened recently is um we call them kind of our our guinea pigs, but uh a church from Lincolnton reached out to me to um help them because somebody had shared what we were doing at Unity, and so um they were interested in you know just talking about special needs ministry, and I don't even think she knew that I was working on those modules, and so um anyway, one thing led to another, and I just went this weekend to um do they they came to Greenville to see what we do here and then in the fall, and then I went up there this weekend and did a kind of a training with them on Saturday and then spoke to the church on Sunday because their special needs ministry will be starting in in May, and so it's just a a blessing to see, and they're a small church, but they've I mean they're really I mean they're proof that a small church can have a growing special needs ministry, and um when there's a will, there's a way. That's right, that's right. And so that's been wonderful, and that's that's kind of another piece of you know where you feel like God's leading everything, and um, it's just all the little pieces of things like you're not sure how this is gonna work out or how can you grow this, and then it's like out of the blue, these people come, and even how Bianca Purnum got here. Um I had reached out to well Lisa reached out to me a few years or years before that to ask if I was when she was first starting Bianca Purnum, and I couldn't, I was so busy I just had to, I couldn't take anything else on my plate. And um, so anyway, once I retired and had a little extra time, I contacted her. Well, right about that same time that happened, the other volunteer that would help speak um on different weeks, she was you know saying she couldn't help anymore, and then also at the same time the church had just notified her that they couldn't handle taking care of Bianca Purnum anymore and she'd need to find somewhere else. And so at that same time, that's right about the time we talked to Jeff about maybe um bringing them here to come. And once that happened, it's like everything just blossomed. I mean, in no time at all, you know, they were very open to it, and they had all the weeks covered, I think, for that year, for that whole school year of the meals taken care of for the whole thing, and how that ministry has grown from m maybe a hundred or less less than a hundred to um I'm like between a hundred and fifty, close to two hundred each week. And um that's phenomenal. So it's neat to see, you know, how God put that in place to speak to me, to call her, and you know, to um it's just neat to how all of it kind of comes together. So so yeah, he's he's been in it all along, and it's just neat all the even just little tiny things is is it's wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 25:06

So that makes my heart happy. That is that is good stuff.

SPEAKER_00 25:10

So yep, yep.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

So what are um well I guess this would be an obvious answer in my head is how have you seen maybe the participation of parents or families coming to Unity because of this program?

SPEAKER_00 25:30

The large majority of them have um have come because they found out that we had this here. Um actually it's another little side story. Uh, and uh yeah, one of our um personal care workers that comes with one of our students is so neat because she is in a completely opposite denomination type, but she's very um very she sees the need for this class, and so she worked with one particular student, but she worked it out so that they could find an had another person to come with him on Sundays so she could bring her other client and to help, you know, so she helped grow our class through that.

SPEAKER_02 26:05

And so um, so they they see the need, I mean they they know that we have it here, and I think it's you know what are other things that people need to realize about this program, these students, these families that maybe we haven't talked about yet?

SPEAKER_00 26:19

Well, um one thing now we did go ahead and talk about it. We did mention about you know the need for volunteers and just remember that you don't have to have a special education background, like like for example, my husband Joey. Like before he he knew me, he'd never been around people with special needs, but now he's my right-hand man. If I have like something I need built or something done, he takes care of it. And he, you know, he he uses his work, I guess, to to you know, to serve in that way. And so, um, but so if any any other talents like Jennifer Dyson helps us with our website and you know, lots of things like that. Um, as far as looking to the future, like um things down the road, um, we'll just continue to need volunteers to help with different nights of the week, you know, depending on people's availability. Like we're hoping, you know, a big dream down the road would be um to have some type of program during the day because once individuals turn 21, there's nothing available really except for like things that are at the parks and rec stuff, and um, but there's nothing else for them to do during the day. And so we would love to be able to offer maybe like Bible study during the day, during the week, and um, and even during the summer, offer camps for kids to um to do that, and we've had that discussion too. But it's just goes back to needing volunteers and you know, young and old, um, to you know, because they don't always need older people like us, you know, they need some some young people to be in there to, you know, more their age and to to pair up together.

SPEAKER_02 27:44

So I mean God calls us to be the hands and feet.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 27:48

And so, you know, as many so if they want to volunteer, how do they go about making that happen? Who do they need to see? Come find you.

SPEAKER_00 27:55

Yep, they can find me or um or they can uh reach out to our our school our class email. It's a um accessible disciples.unity at gmail.com. And um they can reach out to that or or reach out to me um through the I think it's on the church website of the the contact information as well.

SPEAKER_02 28:14

So and your classroom is right there on the kids hallway, the first door on your right?

SPEAKER_00 28:19

The first door on the right, yes, it is. And um we have so we not only have our classroom section, but the church was was wonderful to um to knock out part of the wall there, so we also have a sensory room. So for right now, our that sensory room is also um part-timing as an elementary classroom, too. So um so we had to cover up our sensory wall so it won't be a distraction while the the younger ones are doing their lesson, and then we can you know we uncover it after that. So um, so we were very fortunate to be able to have that too.

SPEAKER_02 28:47

So well, it is such a blessing that Unity can have this ministry, have you a part of it with your expertise and your background, and obviously your heart. You're not gonna give that much not having the heart for it. So we greatly appreciate that. And uh, before we close, I just want to pray for you, pray for the ministry, and uh continue to watch it grow. Okay, thank you. All right, dear Heavenly Father, I just thank you so much for Julie and this ministry of accessible disciples and the work that she's doing. And uh, just ask that you continue to give her vision, give her strength, give her direction, uh, give the church staff um the direction they need as well, Lord, and continue to support her as they move this ministry forward. And I just pray for the families and the students that are a part of this ministry that you would continue to undergird them with your strength, Lord, and give them what they need. Um it's a 24-7 job of watching watching over these kids, and we just pray that you continue to just give them that love and devotion and just your grace in raising these students, Lord. And so we just thank you so much for all that you do and just pray that you would work on the hearts of our listeners and just prick them to you know be a volunteer and and get involved. And um we just thank you so much for all that you do and uh for your love and your grace that you show us. In the name I pray, amen. So thank you so much, Julie, for being with us. Thank you for having me. And thank you to our listeners, and as always, as God is writing the story in your life, go and tell.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

Thanks so much for listening to the Unity Community Podcast. If today's conversation encouraged you, we'd love for you to take one or more next steps. Join us this Sunday morning for worship at 9 or 10 30. Get connected to a life group andor find a place to serve. You can learn more about Unity and how to get plugged in by visiting the links in the show notes. So until next time, let's grow closer to the Lord as we grow closer to one point.