, Dear Friends,
This time of year usually marks a season of transition, yet transition seems to be all we’ve known for the past year and a half. Every time we settle into a new way of being, things shift and we are called to adapt and get comfortable with - or at least try to survive - the unknown. What does back-to-school look like? Back to the office? What if we’re mourning the loss of loved ones, homes, jobs? At City Hope we’ve all wrestled, as individuals and as an organization, with many of these questions and the confusion they bring. Yet even as we adjust to the quickly changing mandates and regulations, as we worry about the health of our guests, as we name and mourn our losses of the past year and half, at City Hope we are choosing to lean into this season of transition for all the hope that it holds. The hope that comes from having a meal with a City Hope guest; the hope that comes from connecting with our team, even if it’s over video call; the hope that comes from knowing we’ve faced a lot together and have made it through. As we look forward into this season, City Hope is exploring new partnerships and is excited to launch the City Hope Café in the early Fall. We’re also focusing on staff health, understanding more than ever the importance of social-emotional health. We’re improving our operations and administration (like a good AC unit, it’s the work no one sees or feels unless it stops working!) All of this is going to set City Hope up for sustainable growth and enable us to walk alongside our community in deeper ways for years to come - through joyful times and in tough times. This past year has shown us we can do this. This season will also be a time of transition for me personally. My husband and I are expecting our fourth child in September, so I’ll be on maternity leave through the fall. We’re a small organization and therefore really feel it when someone needs to step away but we have an amazing team and board, and I’m excited to see all they’ll do in this season. How about you? What does this season of transition look like for you? What do you need to name and mourn? What can you hold onto in hope? What does it look like for you to share that hope with others? As always, we’re grateful that you’re part of the City Hope community and that we get to enter this new season together. Peace and grace, Pastor Sally Steele, Co-director at City Hope
1 Comment
|