Dear People’s people,
On April 22, People’s Church received the Diether Haenicke Promise of Excellence Award from Communities in Schools in honor of our longtime partnership with Lincoln International Studies Elementary School and our work to support immigrant and refugee families in our community more broadly. At the ceremony, I was asked to give a short acceptance speech. I was proud of my ability to distill our values into just a few minutes, so I wanted to include in the newsletter for all to see:
Thank you. It is a high honor to accept this award on behalf of the hundreds of people who are People’s Church, to be held in high esteem by people we hold in such high esteem. Thank you.
People’s Church has been committed to the children of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo Public Schools for over 130 years, stretching from founding the city’s first public kindergarten ourselves in the 1890s. Back when that was a newfangled idea, we tested it out and then the schools took it over. And now, our partnership with Lincoln School has now lasted more than 20 years.
At the core of the Unitarian Universalist tradition that we practice at People’s Church is a commitment to love.
We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.
We know that we are called to be love’s hands and love’s feet, and love’s voice in the world. And we also know that we do this work in community, in partnership, in relationship.
People who practice all wisdom traditions have similar ethical commitments to caring for each other, to building a world where all people flourish. Everyone here shares this commitment. You all live this out in the small beautiful actions you are making day after day. The choices of generosity and care and justice, loving the parts of the world we can reach, is how communities are transformed.
I thank Communities in Schools for the honor of this award. I thank them even more for the good and important work they do.
Now, I want us all to pause, take a few smooth breaths and look around this room. This room is full of people who love the children of Kalamazoo and who take action to make that love real in the world.
The next time you feel discouraged or alone in your own piece of the work of love, I want you to remember this full room, full of people across our community who are alongside you in caring for our children with their time, wisdom, attention, and money. We are all cheering each other on as we create a world where all can flourish.
It is an honor to be among you. Thank you.
Take good care, everyone,
Rev. Rachel