What draws you to Christ Church Cranbrook? Is it the liturgical tradition? The unparalleled music? The sermons that help us follow Jesus? Maybe it’s the inclusive welcome or the passionate outreach. Maybe it’s the baked goods!
For me, it’s the opportunity to be in relationship with people over time. People from all walks of life, with diverse stories, perspectives, sorrows, and joys. People I might never know, but for CCC.
It’s the small, unplanned exchanges that surprise and delight me. Perhaps with someone I’ve seen in the pews or met through formation or service. Perhaps with someone attending CCC for the very first time. In these informal conversations, I get a glimpse into someone else’s life, and I feel expanded. Now I see them, and they see me. Now we are known to each other, and there’s something holy in it.
Yet many find it challenging to make new connections. I witness this at business networking events and at our own coffee hour. We humans can be awkward! We’re not always sure how to interact with people we don’t yet know well.
After thinking on this, I decided to bring my professional expertise to the problem. I’m a communication specialist with years of experience leading workshops and facilitating conversations that matter. So, I created two short, interactive presentations for upcoming Sunday Forum sessions — and I invite you to join me!
The goal of both sessions is to remind us of the ever-present opportunity to refine how we create spirit-filled community here at CCC, and to explore some very easy ways to do that. Come to one, come to both, or come to just part of either! I hope to see you there.
Beautiful, Hunter! I share your sentiments!
Hunter, I would like to attend both of your talks. I have come over the last few years to value what you underline in your invitation–the importance of seeing and listening. It strikes me that, while in Spanish, one PUTS attention (“Pone atencion”), and in French one MAKES attention (“Faites attention”), only in English does one PAY attention! This suggests that it is something we OWE others.