Why are we doing this?

“Can you explain to me what you all are doing?”  I’ve gotten a number of versions of this question over the past couple of weeks regarding the posts about the excitement Rachel and I shared as we began to try out this larger ministry together and put up the first blog posts (find Rachel’s blog here) on these pages a couple weeks ago.  I have to admit though; I’m not sure exactly how to answer this.  We know we have some passions for things and that our call is to this work, but what we are doing will most likely take on a number of forms and will have pieces that come and go as we discover more about how we accomplish the whys of the work. So in an effort to introduce ourselves to those who are reading this and are interested, I offer this introduction to some of the whys. (And Rachel offers some "Hows" here)

“Why are we doing this?” The easy answer is because we saw all the intersections of our passions, skills, and ministerial abilities and when combined with how we worked together realized this may be something more than just a lucky coincidence to do ministry at this time in one place together.  The full answer though lies in those intersections and in the in-betweens as we search through these shared passions:

• Community – this is the central premise of both of our ministries, creating spaces where people can be vulnerable, honest, and accepted.  Thus providing opportunities for the relational actions that are at the core of community.
• Wholeness – this comes in many forms, from finding relational acceptance, to self-image, mental health, and in the end seeing ourselves as beloved by God. This also hits on our passions that come out when we see groups being devalued or abused by our society (particularly women’s roles and rights).
• Creativity – this is key to seeing ourselves in God’s image; we are created to create.  This may happen through creative activities, seeing our ability to create our own understandings of God, or even through dialoguing around more difficult topics in our communities seeking creative solutions.
• Health – this connects to wholeness, but we do not do a good job of addressing health of individuals or of systems within the church.  We allow destructive forces such as guilt, silence, and shame to control us. This is particularly true regarding mental and sexual health.  We want to move the dialogue away from the duality of “well or sick” to understand that we are healthy when we can be open and vulnerable regarding who we are at any moment and still know we are loved because of it.
• World View – This is not just how we see the world, but seeing the world more as one people who all have things to teach each other.  Our times out of the US have shown us that much of the world has much to teach us, and we aim to include these lessons we’re learning into what we share with others.
• Spirituality – We connected very early on over how we see the world through spiritual and theological lenses.  We take great pride in helping others find spiritual practices that work for them and in helping people discern where they are and where God is in that place.

While these are passions we share and found connections with and are things that the world needs to hear and talk more about, for me it is the connection we have in how we work together and share life that really made me want to step out and do this. 

“Why do this in partnership?” If you know me at all, you know one of the largest pieces of baggage I bring into everything I do is how I expect to be, as my wife says, “The smartest person in the room.” This means more often than not, I’d rather have control and want things to work right the first time.  The problem with this when working in partnership is that one doesn’t get to have control, nor does one get to feel superior to who you are in partnership with.  Partnership requires equality, and Rachel brings that to the table, not only is she stronger in some of my weaker areas, she also pushes me in places where I feel strong because she brings her own strength in these areas as well.  It’s great to be equals and share this work, but it also means we sometimes share anxiety.  This is one thing we’ve been slowly learning; that sometimes because we think differently (an overall strength), we can say things that can connect to the other’s anxieties even though we are actually on the same page.  This means that sometimes we have to take the time to talk out how things make us feel and trust the other person to hear it out and help us understand where they actually are.  This also means that we’re not always on the same page and we have to be willing to step back and figure out our next steps together.  To have someone who can do this, who you enjoy working with, who you share passions with, and who brings so much to the table is a blessing and makes the potential of this ministry so much greater than if we were to do this work alone.

“Why take the risk?” If nothing else, this is an important lesson in vulnerability and community. It takes a shared courage and a shared hope to be able to be honest with one another and to know that we will push forward together. It’s also a mitigated risk, we are both continuing to do our own work and pursue individual interests while serving the local church.  This is far from our only work, and as such may not gain the traction we initially hope.  It is because of this fact that we are committing to this long term, but also recognizing that the ministry may morph and change as life goes on.  It is also a risk worth taking.  Since we first met, we continue to come back to things that don’t exist that are needed and more often than not we come together to create them.  If we see the need and have the passion, how can we not take the risk?

“Why can’t we answer ‘What?’” There are lots of reasons why exactly what this will look like is still a little vague. A lot of it depends on what is needed, who asks us for help, where community for this work springs up.  Honestly, some of our best work and ideas come when someone comes to us with a question they want answered or an issue they want an opinion on.  So, while we have ideas, we also are going to listen to you all and try to help form communities where everyone can bring their own expertise as we go.  The work is just beginning, and we don’t know exactly what the future will bring, but we are looking forward to it, and hope you will continue to join us as we discover and share! With all of this in mind we would like to invite you to join our community on Facebook: The group Home and Belonging can be found on our page Rev. Rachel Christine Hébert and “A” Williams. This group is a place where people who are following our ministry and share similar thoughts, ideas, questions, and passions can come together to both interact with us and help us see what is most needed, but also support one another and bring your own pieces to the table.  We hope you’ll take the opportunity to connect with us and each other and participate in this ministry!