Community, Waiting, and Living Into Our Values
As we close out this season and reflect on its themes, one word continues to rise to the surface for me: Community.
Over the past few weeks, we wrapped up our series on Creating the Beloved Community, celebrated Advent, and are preparing for our first-ever Christmas Eve EVE service. This season has been filled with meaningful moments, but also deep wrestling within my own heart.
Wrestling Through the Wait
In therapy recently, I laid out my worries:
I want to hire a team for SHOC that reflects our values and can help us carry this vision forward.
Yet, I feel caught in a tension—a catch-22—where we never pressure people to give, but know that donations are vital for us to remain a “Safe Harbor” for those who need us.
One of our core values is ensuring we pay employees a living wage, especially in Southern California. It’s non-negotiable for us, but it makes building a team at our current funding level feel like a slow and overwhelming process.
The progressive church world is such a tender ministry space. We strive to model generosity, abundance, and mutual care, but like many churches, grants and creative avenues, while promising, can’t provide the stability we need long-term.
How Are We Waiting?
This season, Dottie’s Advent sermon hit me hard. She asked: “How are we as we are waiting?” It’s such a profound question, and it brought me face-to-face with my own state of being during this waiting period.
Am I embodying the values I preach? Am I waiting with generosity, faith, and trust, or am I letting scarcity, bitterness, and anxiety take over?
Earlier this month, Charles and I made a decision about our own end-of-year giving. While deliberating whether to donate to SHOC or meet immediate needs in our community, I felt a deep pull toward surrender.
I realized: If we aren’t taking care of our community now, what’s the point of SHOC’s future aspirations?
So, we gave it to our community instead of SHOC. And in doing so, I experienced something remarkable: a sense of peace and fulfillment–a remembering of what truly matters.
The Transformative Power of Waiting
This is the heart of Christmas—the transformative power of waiting and surrender. It’s a reminder that the work we’re doing here at SHOC isn’t just about a dream team or hitting fundraising goals. It’s about serving and loving the people right in front of us.
As we move into 2024, I’m recommitting myself to this perspective. Even as we wait for financial sustainability, I want to wait well—with faith, joy, and a posture of surrender.
How You Can Pray With Us
As we step forward, I’d love for you to partner with us in prayer. Here are three ways you can pray:
For Our Community: Pray that SHOC continues to meet the tangible and spiritual needs of our community, embodying the values of generosity and care.
For Our Financial Goals: Ask for provision and wisdom as we work towards sustainable funding that reflects our commitment to livable wages and long-term ministry.
For Our Team: Pray that as we wait to hire our dream team, we would find creative ways to build capacity and live into our mission with joy and abundance.
Thank you for walking alongside us in this season. Your prayers, encouragement, and support remind us that we are never alone in this journey.
With gratitude and hope,
Donna
Thanks to your incredible support, we’re just $40/month away from reaching our End-of-the-Year Giving Campaign goal of $2000/month! Your generosity has already brought us so far, and this milestone will help us continue supporting our programs, working toward livable wages for our team, and expanding our capacity to serve our community.
If you’ve been considering giving, now is the perfect time. Whether it’s $5, $10, or $20 a month, every dollar brings us closer to crossing the finish line. Visit our donation page to set up a gift today, or share this campaign with someone who might feel called to support our mission. Together, we can step into 2025 ready to meet the needs of those we serve with hope and abundance.
