News
BETTER TOGETHER Initiative, Resolution and Invitation
October 7, 2022
RESOLUTION Affirming and Approving Commitment to WVC-CSAME Initiative
Wellesley Village Church affirms and approves its commitment to embrace a unique and wonderful opportunity to join together with our brothers and sisters in Christ of the Charles Street A.M.E. Church, acting in furtherance of our longstanding partnership, in a fund-raising campaign the proceeds of which will be applied to the outstanding principal of debt secured by the Charles Street Church property.
The context and our mutual intentions are expressed in the “Calling Forth a New Thing to Behold!” Covenant with the Charles Street AME Church. Approved are the Village Church’s goals of a fundraising target of $500,000 and jointly developed initiatives to strengthen the WVC-CSAME bonds of faith, fellowship and understanding. In affirming and approving this commitment, we express our gratitude to Ed and Diane Bedrosian for their challenge grant of $500,000. We undertake this commitment in the spirit of choosing love, and making it real.
Village Church and Charles Street AME “New Thing” Covenant >
AN INVITATION TO BE BETTER TOGETHER
October is the month we have chosen to invite your participation in this transforming initiative. We know many of you have been eagerly waiting to make your commitment real. This month, we ask you to do three things:
1) Attend worship (livestream available for those who can’t be in person), and consider carefully the messages and invitation you hear from members of the Better Together Leadership Team, and the Holy Spirit
2) Participate in a ONE GREAT HOUR OF CONVERSATION small group. Church members will share conversation on zoom for one hour the week of October 23.
Questions to discuss:
- What moves you about the Better Together Initiative?
- What transformational thing could God be doing in this time and place?
- What are your hopes and dreams for our partnership?
3) Prayerfully complete a gift commitment form by the end of the month. You may make your gift anytime between now and year end 2023. Our goals are to follow the Bedrosian’s Inspiration, meet the challenge of raising $500,000 toward retiring the debt on the Charles Street Church property, deepen our fellowship and understanding of one another, and dedicate our commitments as brothers and sisters in Christ when we worship together on MLK Sunday in January 2023.
Save these dates when our congregations will be together:
November 13, 2022 Music Jam with Charles St. A.M.E.
January 15, 2023 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday Joint Worship
PLEASE JOIN US WHOLE-HEARTEDLY IN THIS NEW THING GOD IS DOING AMONG US!
Sincerely, the Better Together Leadership Team:
Matthew McKay, Co-Chair
Cynthia Sibold, Co-Chair
Nancy and Kirk Smith
Dan Garrison
Carolyn Wood
Kerri Hughes
Julian Grant
John Snyder, Moderator
Sarah Butter, Sr. Pastor
The MOST IMPORTANT THING
At the heart of our commitment to “Do a new thing” with our Charles St. African Methodist Episcopal (CSAME) friends is the desire to deepen our relationships and be rooted in Christian love.
Friends, the most important thing you can do this October is dedicate ONE HOUR of your month to showing up for conversations across our congregations, across our demographics, our zip codes, our racial and ethnic corners, our geographic and cultural silos.
The best part will be seeing each other, listening, and embodying our values of befriending and becoming as members of God’s beloved community.
TAKE a minute now and click on the signup button above and choose a day and time that works for you and BOLDLY put your name down. Put the time on your personal calendar and protect it. And then, SHOW UP.
God can do transformational things when we choose love and make it real in this beautiful and broken world. All you have to do is your part.
With expectant anticipation,
Sarah
Rev. Dr. Sarah Sarchet Butter
Video Invitation in preparation for last year’s Village Church congregational vote: