Sacred Sitdowns
Sharing one’s personal story is sometimes hard, but it is holy. Sacred Sitdowns seeks to allow a safe space for faith-filled conversations with members and friends of Geist Christian Church. Hosts Kyle Brown and Danny Gulden hope that all those who hear will be enlightened and inspired. Listen with us. You’ll be glad you did.
Sacred Sitdowns
Core Value - Community
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In this episode of Sacred Sitdowns, Danny and Kyle wrap up season four's core value series with Michelle Latty, associate pastor at the Promise Road campus, to talk about our core value of engagement. They explore what it looks like when faith moves beyond words into action, from mission trips that turned into service learning trips, to the mentors who first showed them what a lived-out faith looks like. Michelle shares stories from Hurricane Helene relief work, the barriers that keep people from getting involved, and why the church is at its best when it is willing to fail.
Let us tell you a story. A story that will challenge, inspire, and change the way you see the world. We are your host. I'm Danny Goulden. And I'm Kyle Brown, and this is Sacred Sit Downs.
SPEAKER_02A conversational podcast that explores how the Spirit of God moves within this world through the power of story.
SPEAKER_01In today's episode, we will sit down with a member or friend of Geist Christian Church as they share their dynamic faith-filled story.
SPEAKER_02We hope that you will be enlightened and inspired by the words shared today as we gain deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. This is Sacred Sit Downs. Hello, everyone. Welcome to episode three of season four of Sacred Sit Downs. We are starting the season by digging a little bit further into Geist Christian Church's core values. We are on core value number three today, which is engagement. If you have not listened to our first two episodes, we encourage you to go and do that as well. Episode one was inclusivity. Episode two was faithful curiosity. I'm Danny, Kyle, good to see you again.
SPEAKER_01It is good to be here, and it is good to share the story of who Geist Christian Church is to our church members, but also to the community.
SPEAKER_02I really enjoyed our first two episodes. I think uh Sam, who was on our first episode, Sam Copeland, and then Ryan Hazen was on episode two. We've had wonderful conversations with them. And um today we're gonna have another wonderful conversation around the core value of engagement with Michelle Laddie. Michelle is the associate pastor here at the Promise Road campus. So hello, Michelle. Hello. So let me uh first of all define our core value of engagement for us. We believe faith calls us to action through justice, service, and learning that transforms our church, the world, and ourselves. Our faith becomes real when it moves beyond words and takes shape and acts of service, generosity, and advocacy that create meaningful impact. And so we're gonna talk a little bit today about the ways in which our faith becomes real, the way it moves beyond words. And so, how have you ever experienced someone's faith become real for them?
SPEAKER_01You know, it's it's a dangerous thing when you tell people that our faith is not just talk the talk, you gotta walk the walk. And so early on in my ministry, I had uh a youth come up to me who uh grew up in the church, a church that was very much a mission post, um, a place where folks came to to care well for others. And so he wanted to take this that he had experienced as as a as a youth and to take it out into the community. And he was a big thinker. And so he came to me one day and he said, Kyle, I got an idea. What if we do a mission trip to Africa? And I said, I think that's a great idea, but can we take a few steps back to talk about the cost of this trip and taking you and you know, the youth group? It's quite expensive and flights and all that. And so uh we kind of crunched the numbers and looked at it. And I went back and I said, Do you think this is a a good use of our resources? This is how much it could cost per person. Do you think everyone would have an opportunity to go? How would we raise money? Because there's a lot of logistical things that go into creating a a mission trip or a service learning trip. And so when he looked at the numbers, he thought it was more than that we could afford, really. And so we started looking at other locations. He wanted to go outside the United States and to create this opportunity for other other youth. And so we we settled on Guatemala. We found a really great organization that had a home base in Lexington, Kentucky at the time. And so we formed a relationship with them and and we took almost 20 kids down to Guatemala for their first international mission experience. Uh we built houses, we shared experiences, told stories, learned other people's stories. We were able to embrace them and to learn. That was there was really a lot of power in that experience. And and I just remember that was a kid taking words and wanting to put it into action.
SPEAKER_02And we we made the shift in calling mission trips to service learning trips. And not necessarily that anything about the term mission trip was bad, but it implies that we are going to give a community something that no one else could give them versus service learning as we're going to serve them and serve with them and also learn from them as well. And so we made that shift in our terminology, and um I really like it. Michelle went on her first first service learning trip this past spring down to Christmount for Hurricane Helene Relief. What was that experience like for you? What did you uh learn from that?
SPEAKER_00It was it was incredible. I kind of knew I first of all I was jealous of my children. My children had gone on service learning trips, you know, through youth group for years. And um, I had never attended my church growing up. We just we didn't do mission trips at that point. And so going, getting the opportunity to go down this year was um it was wonderful. It was a diverse group of people. We had 21-year-old up to 75-year-old, so a lot of um different age groups. And we just we went down there to help. I mean, that that was our one mission to help. They needed help and we were there to give it in whatever method or manner our bodies enabled us to do so. And it was neat just to watch everybody provide their own their own help, you know, what they could provide, and they gave it their all. And it was it was really cool.
SPEAKER_01She talked about that 21-year-old and the oldest member on that group, and it was like a 50-year difference between the two. They're working hand in hand, putting in a a French drain on the back of a building to help it keep from flooding uh due to the rains. And so they were drilling holes and laying pipe, and it was just a really cool moment to see two drastically different folks on the age spectrum working together for a common good, which was to help with drainage issues.
SPEAKER_02So, for either of you growing up, was there someone who you knew or who maybe went to church with? Was someone who was a role model in your life who modeled a faith that was active, not just words, helped you see in action?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, I had my mom growing up, she our church um was a disciples' church in in Kokomo, and we she gave and tied through her actions and through her volunteerism, and she sang in the choir, she led our youth group, um, she led our ki our Cairo. I mean, she she was always doing something to give back to the church. She helped out with the church bazaar. She, you know, whatever she could do, that was her give back. And that was her providing her faith through her through her actions. There was also a gentleman there. Um, I spoke with him about him on the last one, Cliff. And he was a teacher by trade, and he had retired, and he still continued to give back. He was one of the leaders of the church. He helped my mom with Cairo. They sponsored trips out to their lake cottage where we would go. And I mean, imagine being a retired couple inviting, you know, 25 youth to come and stay at your cabin, taking you down the Eel River in little floaties. And I mean, just you invited that. You loved that. He lived for that. And you could tell it on his face. And that was his way of of engaging and giving back and showing his faith.
SPEAKER_01You know, you you talked about that idea of time and talent. So often when we talk about stewardship and giving, people feel that it's treasure that we're looking at, right? You know, we we need pledges and donations to ensure that we're able to keep the lights on and and the air conditionings running and the buildings and and the ministry and all that that takes place. But those other two things are equally important. And in the example that you gave of of giving of your time and talents as a way of engaging and building up the community are just as important uh to what we're hoping to do as a church. You know, for me, my first mission service learning trip, and you're gonna hear us go back and forth. We're still as a church kind of shifting, and so if you hear us go back and forth, we grew up with mission. Yeah, and mission trip. And so just so you know, we're learning and and shifting with you as as well. My first place was Chrysmo, and we went and did cleanup projects around the the camp. It was a way for us to provide a little maintenance to help keep costs low for you know the staff that they have, but cleaning trails and painting buildings and you know, it's kind of like uh a service learning light trip because I was a middle school kid. You never know how hard a middle schooler is going to work. And so it was kind of a confined place, but it challenged me. It put me outside my comfort zone a little bit. I had to work a little harder as an only child, a little harder than I probably did at home. And so that was kind of my first taste and watching the adults, my mom being one of them, but also Debbie Frazier, they were the ones that led us on that trip and kind of modeled what it meant to go serve and working alongside a bunch of uh middle school and a few high school kids on that first trip. It was a magical experience for me and one that I I love to keep sharing with folks.
SPEAKER_02We'd we had a gentleman when I was in youth group uh named Mike Green, and I know Mike sometimes listens to our podcast. Uh Mike, if you are a shout out to you, but he was a youth sponsor, and Mike would he was always at youth group. I mean, it was a volunteer, we had a youth minister, but Mike was one of our sponsors, always at youth group. Would often we had a gym at our church, so he would come up and open the gym for us if we wanted to come play basketball and play basketball with us, uh, was always the van driver, one of the van drivers on our our church retreats and the regional youth assembly and all that. And so if there was something youth group going on and the uh the doors were open to the church or the youth was gathering, Mike was always there. And so really, when I when I first became a youth sponsor before going into ministry, really Mike's one of the people that inspired me to do that. But I'm just I I I still reflect on this day how different my church experience would have been as a teenager had I not known Mike. You know, how had he not uh I mean he probably didn't realize the impact you know he had on on so many of us. So I think about people like that who were giving of their time, their gifts really to to help and benefit and and develop relationships with other people.
SPEAKER_01You know, last podcast we were talking about that invitation from Jesus of come and see and how faith is is an experience lived out. It's it's a journey, if you will. To me, it plays so well into what engagement is, right? We can we can talk Bible and do Bible studies, and they are an incredibly important part of our faith development. But you know, that come and see, Jesus didn't give the disciples all the answers and focus solely on studies and giving them reading lists. He invited them on a journey, that engagement. Come with me, learn with me, grow with me through the interactions that we will have along this journey together. And to me, it it flows so well into this core value engagement is we need to do the study, but also this go-and do aspect of what the church is called to be and do as members of the body of Christ. And so what engagement for you has been meaningful or or life-giving in your faith development beyond just the studies and and the scripture readings?
SPEAKER_00I think a lot of my early engagement here was with children. And um, I got involved in children's ministry as a member here and didn't really look back. I feel like as a church participant, you don't just come and sit in the seats. That's you come and you participate. You come and you give back. You come and you you find a place to fit in, you find a place to volunteer, and that's part of of being a Christian. It's part of being part of a community, it's part of being his Christian church. It's not just a come every Sunday and check the box that you attended church. Um, children's is where I kind of dug my heels in. Um, then Kelly Dick was here and we created the G56, now G56. That kind of gave us an opportunity because the kids were a little older, they were fifth and sixth grade, to really do some service with them. And we created a service week with them and got to go and participate in a lot of different activities. One of my favorite ones, some friends of mine had a mint ministry they called Two Dog Mission, and we served the homeless people in downtown Indianapolis. And we gathered our G56 crew and we went and helped them one Sunday. Literally, we had made sandwiches, we brought waters and chips, and we walked around downtown Indianapolis and passed out food, you know, to anybody who needed it. We had clothes so they could kind of like shop in our little shop. We had shoes and bags and belts and you know, anything they would need. And it was just to watch the kids interact and know and see that they were making a difference was was really pretty cool.
SPEAKER_02You were instilling that in them at a very early age of the giving back. I I think that's always the biggest challenge in this day and age is that our faith becomes real, right, when it moves beyond words. I have rarely met someone who got more involved in something that their faith led them to be involved in that they regretted doing. And so I think sometimes when people hear us talk about engagement as pastoral staff, they're thinking, well, they they need people involved in church. And that's, you know, that is true. But it's also because I think we sense that that works. If you do something beyond just coming to worship, your life will be different. Your life will be transformed. And I think about this Micah scripture that we have paired with this core value the do justice, love kindness, uh, walk humbly. At that time, what what Micah's speaking into is uh religious people thought that God wanted more sacrifices and bigger offerings and more rituals, right? So these grand gesture type of things. And really what God wanted, God didn't want empty religion like that. God wanted transformed living. And by doing those things, by doing justice, loving kindness, walking humbly, that leads to transformed living. And so I think you know, the engagement piece is not just because we need people to do things. In fact, I'm kind of of the opinion that sometimes in church, if if no one wants to volunteer to do anything, then maybe it's not important to the ministry of the church. And so I think the engagement piece will transform and change your life.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's like I think when we as a church we volunteer at Fisher's Youth Initiative. And I know from us doing planned group events there, that has sprung out, multiple of our members going off on their own. And now they're doing it on a weekly or a monthly basis, helping out there. So it helps our members get engaged. It helps our members find faith and find a purpose and help to go out and serve the community.
SPEAKER_01Talking about the service learning trip we did uh middle of May, one of the things that I've loved is watching folks from that group continue to do acts of of service in the community here and now. And so I'll see on Facebook. Matter of fact, last week I had an opportunity on Wednesday to go with uh two individuals who were on that service learning trip uh over to Gleaners and spend uh the morning with them. Uh and so when they got back, they saw or they felt a need to continue that act. And so they knew one another and thought, hey, why don't we go volunteer at Gleaners? And it's just been so cool to watch that play out here in in the greater Indianapolis area, which is exactly what we would want to have happen on each and every one of our trips. Exactly. I mean, you said Danny, no one has ever been engaged, and after that engagement or that experience has said, I'm not better for it. They may have not fully enjoyed it or liked everything about it, but that they are better because of that experience. Right. And I I think that is true when we make our faith put our faith in action.
SPEAKER_02Right. And it may just be you try something and you realize that's not your gift, but there's other things you can try. Absolutely. Let's talk about barriers to engagement because we serve busy communities. What for both of you have you seen as barriers for engagement for people?
SPEAKER_01Time. I mean, I think people struggle with having or being able to create the time they feel they need to do it. Um and and that can be uh a a big struggle, whether it's kids' schedules, their schedules, it's just hard to hard to make the time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and I also think um I know for me, one of my first was uncertainty. I mean, I when I first uh was approached about volunteering in children's ministry, I was like, I can't do this. What am I gonna what I don't know, you know, the Bible, what how am I gonna teach the kids the Bible? Um but I was assured and you go in there and you just what you don't know, you don't know. And so you find out and it was it's a lot more engaging, a lot more easy to do, and fills you up, fills your cup up more than you can imagine.
SPEAKER_02I I think there is a the the time is a big thing and and I am not one who laments that we are no longer living in the same cultural realities that we were twenty-five, thirty years ago when no stores, you know, nothing w happened on Sunday except church. Uh because lamenting that is not gonna bring it back, and that's not gonna change. And so I think it's actually in a way a blessing in the sense that it's forced us as the church, as Christian community, to be more nimble and to meet people where they're at. I think there is also a fear that people think they're not gonna be as good. You know, it's a comfort thing like Michelle talked about, but what if I'm not good at this? Or what if coming to this study puts me out of my comfort zone, or what um it's just easier sometimes to deal with the known versus dealing with the unknown.
SPEAKER_01You know, I've found though, if we can get over that initial fear, time, unpreparedness for it, if you will, then most folks are are repeat offenders once they do it. And what I mean by that is once they've done the engagement piece of it, whatever that may be, they'll continue to do it. It's just that initial hump that they have to get over. I think of our mission trips, most kids, once they've gone on one, I know that for the next six years they're gonna be going on one because of that experience that they had. The adults are the same way. Guatemala, most of the folks are at, well, when are we going again? Uh once they've gone on one, it's not like they've ever said, I don't want to do it again. Even though it's hard and uncomfortable and it's a long days. And I always tell folks, here you are shaken up, you're out of your routine, you're not in your bed, uh, it's not your shower, uh, you're on someone else's timetable, not your own, but everyone is having that same experience at the same time. And you're like, all right, let's go and let's see how this goes, right? But once they get there and once they've done it, they usually want to do it again.
SPEAKER_02And they, I think, appreciate getting out of the daily routine they're in at that moment so that they can experience something new because they're seeing things in a new way. I know, at least for me, when I'm, you know, have at pretty much the same schedule for several weeks in a row, I really get in routine and rut and that sort of thing. And so I don't I don't see as well as I normally, you know, I don't mean like visually, but just everything. I'm kind of starting to go through the motions, right? And so I think that happens when it comes to our faith, when we're doing the same thing over and over, we just kind of shut down, get in a rut. And so I think to do something new, whether that's going on a service learning trip, that's joining a new study, joining a new group, volunteering in a new way, in some ways it's it it it keeps us open to the possibilities uh God has in store for us.
SPEAKER_01Michelle, you were talking earlier about your kids going on trips and you being jealous as a parent. What did you see from those experiences of your kids coming back? I mean, how did that transform them in ways that that maybe the church didn't see, but you as a parent saw? Well, first of all, I got proof that they actually worked.
SPEAKER_00There were pictures, picture proof. I mean, I think that when they went, I think that surprised themselves that they enjoyed what they were doing. Now, had we asked them to do that at home, no thank you, ma'am, but they wouldn't have said, ma'am. But for you or somebody else to ask them to do it, they did it. They jumped in and did it. My son, he loved service learning trips. I mean, he absolutely would look forward to them, especially the the Puerto Rico one. He absolutely loved that one so much that I mean he was looking into doing something further after college just because he so enjoyed giving back and and doing what things for others.
SPEAKER_02I can't tell you, Kyle, you've probably had this experience too. How many youth I've taken on a service learning trip and some adults too, who when we got home, I was telling a parent or significant other, you know, so-and-so's a really hard worker and I s never seen any evidence of that at home. But yeah, I know my kids, they'll do things on a service learning trip that they would never do at home.
SPEAKER_01This was the first year that I got to go on a service learning trip with my daughter. I've taken a lot of kids on a lot of trips to a lot of different places, but this year I had an opportunity to go with her, and it was really cool to watch her engage and work in that element.
SPEAKER_02Well, I think anytime you get engaged in the life of a community in a new way, whether it's teaching children Sunday school, whether it's going on a service learning trip, whether it's going to a new study, whatever it may be, you are taking a risk. You are being vulnerable and you're putting yourself out there. And so what role do you think risk plays? I mean, how do we how do we encourage community support when it comes to taking the risk for someone to get involved further?
SPEAKER_01I think the first step is trying to make it as as painless as possible, letting them know exactly what it is that A, you're asking of them that you hope to have accomplished, whether it's a a week away, an event here, so that everybody has all the information before we move into whatever it is that we're asking of them. And and the second thing is you also need to be flexible because I've never been on a trip or done a mission or service learning experience that has gone Exactly as you hoped it would. There's always been a hiccup, a shift, a time change. And so encouraging people to be both and is here's all the information. And yet I need you to be open and flexible because things are going to shift. You can't be so rigid that when things take a detour, it doesn't throw everything off. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00I think you remind us all we get, well, you know, you got to pack your patience and you got to be willing to you try to foresee everything that's going to happen. Sure. Yeah. But and you try to plan for those, you know, those things. But I think patience is a is a key to to having a good time or to enjoying yourself on any kind of a service learning trip or any kind of a service project whatsoever.
SPEAKER_02I think too, encouraging people to do things outside of their comfort zone, do something they wouldn't ordinarily do in their daily life. And so sometimes, you know, we'll in church we'll ask the accountant, hey, will you be on the finance team? But I'm kind of intrigued about asking the accountant to teach Sunday school or teach children's ministry or be a five-six volunteer, the same way the person who teaches all week, hey, why don't you uh get involved on the finance team? You know, that sort of thing. I think the church is at its best when we are not risk adverse. Willing to fail, if you will. Willing to fail. Willing to fail.
SPEAKER_01Yes, that's a good way to put it. A couple of years ago you shared the story of the Savannah bananas. And I I loved it. You were inviting us to try any and everything because no idea is too crazy, too off the wall, too big, or too small. It's let's throw what ideas we have out there and let's let's give it a whirl. Right. And here's the deal some ideas work and some ideas do not. You can't be afraid to fail. Yeah, because we're all works in progress.
SPEAKER_02I think it's also important when we talk about engagement in the church, is that um we talked a little bit about Kyle, you mentioned busyness. I think you could look at anybody's calendar and be pretty overwhelmed. And so I believe that church and doing stuff with church shouldn't just be another thing on your calendar. Because if it's just another thing on your calendar, there's other things that are gonna win out, right? That are gonna be more more fun, more important. I mean, we do try to make church fun. I mean, that's probably another podcast, but I do think having fun at church is an important thing. So I think when we ask you to do something or we invite you to do something or ask you to consider, or when you come to us and say, I've got an idea for this new ministry or this new whatever it may be, I think it has to be life-changing. It has to slowly transform your life. It has to be meaningful, it has to be something where you get a type of meaning that you don't get anywhere else from any other thing on your calendar.
SPEAKER_01I agree. I think church is a place where your cup should be filled and not a place you need to pour out. And so uh, you know, you hope to create space for that. And again, there's that balance, right? Because there's also the engagement piece. There is there is a pouring. The key is that it shouldn't take every ounce of your cup away. Uh, that that it should be a balance. It's, you know, kind of that Mary and Martha thing that we talked about. You gotta have both the sit and be still at Jesus' feet, but also somebody needs to be in the kitchen working on uh a meal so that people will be fed. And so that's kind of the the balance church should should strive to to be and help people embrace in their lives.
SPEAKER_00Kind of like uh our small groups that we have here. I have started a small group and these women decided they wanted to commit two weeks a month or two days a a month to our little small group. A culture when we are super busy and you can't find an hour to do something, these women have decided that they want to gather twice a month. And so we do so. And these ladies have they look forward to this. This is one of the the highlights they say of their week when it's when it's a Friends in Faith week. So I am happy to be able to be a part of that. I'm happy to be able to lead them in this journey. And like last week we uh we met and we just walked the labyrinth. A lot of the ladies had not done that before, and to watch them walk through this for the first time and get so much out of it spiritually, I mean that's that to them was engagement. They were engaging in their faith walking through that labyrinth. And it's cool that we can offer that something like that to to our folks.
SPEAKER_02Someone who's inspired me. I had a father of a good friend, he was a member of my congregation in Atlanta. His name's Jim. And Jim was a um he and his wife did a lot of the food for church meals and youth group and that sort of thing. She had grown up, um, her parents owned a uh bakery, and so Jim had learned to cook. The thing about Jim was that he was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, so a decorated veteran. After that, had a very successful uh career in sales and business and had had done really well. And um, and then when he retired, I mean, even before he retired, he cooked for church, but afterwards, and so if you'd asked him what he had done for a living, he would tell people he was the church cook. And that's what he always told. And didn't tell didn't say any of the other stuff, but for him, that was his true vocation was serving food to people. I'm always inspired by that because I think what we're trying to help people find at church is not necessarily what you do for money, because we all need money, right? Um not what you do for money, maybe not what you've done in the past, but what is sort of your what are you doing for God right now, and what are you doing for others? And I think when we can begin to name that, that's very powerful.
SPEAKER_01I mean, I as you're sharing that, I think of of Amy and Bruce Russell. Right, right. Who have engaged and have always been engaged, but are creating engagement in and of themselves. And every Sunday, Bruce and Amy provide food, sweet treats, uh, savory sweets. Whatever else Bruce might cook up that day. And it's wonderful, but to me, that is not what they do in their professional lives, but that's what they do on Sunday. They create their hospitality coordinator. I mean, they are the queen and king of of creating a space of uh hospitality for folks. But in doing it, they've created engagement for other church members because folks stick around and they have some food and they talk to one another and they share their story. They hear someone else's story.
SPEAKER_02I mean it's what Bruce and Amy are doing for God and doing for other people.
SPEAKER_01It's such a cool thing that I'm guessing if you asked them, they probably would have not thought this was what they would be doing. And yet I can't see this church without them doing that. Right. Like what what a loss it would be for us if they weren't doing that on Sunday morning.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah. I mean, they they notice the the folks come in, they're the f one of the first to greet them. Um that treat table is a conversation starter, it's a community builder, it is an engagement enhancer. I mean, it is it is all of the above.
SPEAKER_01I think for those listening, both here at this church or or any church you may attend, like Bruce and Amy, what are what are you able to offer as as a way of of giving of your time and talents?
SPEAKER_02What's your vocation? What is your what's your call? I mean, which is uh a a spiritual, a Christian concept. Work is what we do for money, vocation is what we do for God and others. And so sometimes those line up, but I think even people who, those of us who serve in ministry, I think we would say that we we have something outside of this and and here at the church that we do just because God has called us to do it, not necessarily because it's part of our job. And so I think that's important and key to to anyone living a meaningful life is to find that vocation, to find what you're gonna do for God and what you're doing for others. So, Michelle, what's your vocation?
SPEAKER_00Well, I think uh especially this past year, we've as a church, we've focused a lot on food insecurity. Along those lines is our gardens.
SPEAKER_01And they look really good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we had a really big help this year from Bentley Muhalin Shout. He is uh an Eagle Scout, and we he chose us as his Eagle Scout project and built us a beautiful uh raised garden bed. My little friends in faith group, we decided we were gonna plant it. We planted it late in the season, and my goodness, it has grown and it's beautiful. We've been we've given pounds and pounds of fresh produce to the Come To Me Food Pantry, and it's it's been a really great thing. The ladies, we come out and we look at it when we meet on Tuesdays, and it's just something that they have pride in. Um, our church has pride in, and we're we're helping because we know that fresh produce is the first thing the folks go to when they go to the food pantry. So it's a really great thing to be able to help provide that for them.
SPEAKER_01And I know that's a passion project of yours. The food goes to the Come To Me Food Pantry. Uh, I'm gonna give a shout out to Diane Boyd down at Mud Creek, who oversees the one that we have at that campus, and that food goes to the sharing place, but a lot of fresh produce has gone out of both of those gardens this summer to provide food for those in our community, which is which is just amazing.
SPEAKER_02Uh Danny, what about you? What is your vocation? I think for me, I think in the role I have now, I think the the the vocation piece for me is the ability to to help create a welcoming space where people can be authentic to themselves. I'm pretty passionate about that just in the way we gather and how we gather. And so that's something probably in my role, I mean, I would normally pay a little bit of attention to, but I think because it's it's sort of something that I think is really important, I pay more attention to it. And so just creating space, and we have a lot of people that help us with that, obviously, but creating an environment where people can thrive and learn and grow. Um, I've always gotten a lot of joy out of seeing other people become the best version of themselves. So I love playing whatever role I can in that for others.
SPEAKER_01I think for me it's service learning trips. I can tell when I haven't gone on one in a while. I miss it. Like those are the places and the experiences that kind of ground me, reminds me of why I do what I do, definitely fills my cup. And although it may be part of my job, I really love those experiences. Like they are so life-giving.
SPEAKER_02Thanks for joining us today. Thank you, Michelle, for being a part of this conversation. Like we said, I think of the core values. This is the one that um I don't know if it feels like the heaviest lift, but um certainly requires a lot of us. But I think um in doing that, I think it also helps us grow, helps us change, helps us become more the person um God has made us to be. So thank you for joining us for this conversation today. We'll see you all later.
SPEAKER_01This has been another episode of Sacred Sit Downs. We hope you will join us next time as we explore the power of story. We can be found on all major platforms, so be sure to subscribe. As always, thanks for listening. Until next time, this is Sacred Sit Downs.