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Aug 09 2022

How to Navigate Life

On UniteBoston’s blog this week, we are introducing a new book, “How to Navigate Life: The New Science of Finding Your Way in School, Career, & Beyond (published by St. Martin’s Press).  The book is a practical guide for students, families, educators, and professionals to “cut through stress and performance pressure, and find a path to purpose.” Already, in the first week the book has hit #1 Amazon Bestseller, Fortune Magazine Recommended Reads, and has been featured on NPR’s Here and Now. Dr. Belle Liang is co-author,  professor of counseling psychology at Boston College, and a clinical psychologist. She is also founder of the Purpose Lab, and member of Grace Chapel. Read an excerpt from the book below, where she shares her own journey of finding a sense of calling and belonging.


This is a book about how to equip young people to navigate school, career, and life with joy and excellence. The first step to doing this job well as parents, educators, or life mentors is to know ourselves. We have to be students of ourselves—by learning who we are, where we came from, what we believe, and where these beliefs came from. How we raise and guide our people is deeply influenced by our own stories. If we’re aware of the core values and scripts that were passed on to us from our families of origin, we can be compassionate toward ourselves—understanding our knee-jerk reactions to our students and their life choices. We can be intentional about what we choose to pass on to the next generation. This has been true for us, as you’ll see from our stories.

Belle’s story: I am the middle daughter of first- generation Chinese immigrants who, like their compatriots, sacrificed heroically so that my brothers and I could get an education in the United States. My father borrowed the little money his sister had to come to the United States to pursue his graduate degree on a student visa. This decision came with another, more significant cost: leaving behind his wife and six- week- old firstborn child, my brother. It was two years before they were reunited on American soil. My mother abandoned her career aspirations when she arrived in the United States, leaving her family and home to live in the United States to pursue his graduate degree on a student visa. This decision came with another, more significant cost: leaving behind his wife and six- week- old firstborn child, my brother. It was two years before they were reunited on American soil. My mother abandoned her career aspirations when she arrived in the United States, leaving her family and home to live in a country where she struggled to work, communicate, and feel a sense of belonging.

She pushed through language barriers to befriend neighbors, so I would have neighborhood playdates. She clipped coupons, so I could buy trendy clothes. All of this probably helped me fit in with the popular kids at my affluent suburban high school. My parents relished the thought that I was a teacher’s pet, two-time homecoming princess, student leader in clubs, class government officer, and a graduation speaker at the John F. Kennedy Center. These “achievements” were shamelessly evoked at afternoon tea with the aunties, because they satisfied every-one’s expectations for me. They were proud that I “fit in” so well.

All their dreams and efforts to make ends meet were fueled by hopes that my brothers and I could achieve more. They expected that we would. It was never a question of “whether I would go to college,” it was a matter of where I went and what I did there to become “successful.” I internalized the cultural value that the point of education was to achieve financial security and respect in society. Like other “first-gen” people, we bought into Horatio Alger’s myth that if you worked hard, you could achieve the American dream, not only for yourself, but to validate your parents’ sacrifices. All of this prepared me to be the most successful student I could be. A rule-following, risk-averse, people-pleasing success. I was the opposite of Cheryl Strayed in the wild, driven by a free spirit to conquer the dangers of the Pacific Crest Trail. My ambition was to take the safest path to financial security and prestige.

I had gleaned from my upbringing that there were certain careers that were especially acceptable. Doctor, lawyer, engineer. I later realized that these were actually the acceptable choices for boys, but that there were alternatives for girls.

Up to this point, whenever faced with a big decision about school, work, and life at large, I asked myself: “What should I do?” Often, the answer that felt right to me was the one that matched the expectations of those around me. After two years of bouncing around multiple majors in the hard sciences and internships in health fields, a well- meaning auntie offered me this career guidance: “Don’t work so hard, you’ll prematurely age and lose your beauty. Just take good care of your hair and skin (your best assets), marry a doctor, and you’ll be fine.”

Imagine how those words landed on an American college woman. Yep, just the nudge I needed to begin listening more closely to my own heart. And trusting the wisdom and direction that could be found there. The women in my life were smart and competent, while content to sit in the back seat. Few were trailblazers, civic leaders, public speakers. With the most honorable intentions, they sacrificed personal goals and de-rived their identities from others. I realized that the standard- bearers I had followed were no longer a perfect match with my own journey. My spiritual-faith adventure provided fresh insight and courage for rewrit-ing the script, following my call.

When I announced to the family that I planned to pursue a career as a psychologist, it was as if I had announced that I was dropping out of college. Had I thought this through? Could I get a job doing such a thing? They saw a huge distinction between doctors who focused on people’s mental health versus those who treated their physical health. But they comforted themselves thinking girls shouldn’t work too hard, and that I would be fine as long as I married a real doctor, who could take care of me.

My transformation continued during graduate school, where I met a mentor and role model who believed in me and nurtured my creativity and confidence. She introduced me to community psychology, a field focused on addressing systemic injustices and partnering with disadvan-taged and marginalized people. I felt such a sense of mission . . . Here was a way that my values, strengths, and skills aligned with meaningful work that could make a difference in the world.

I need to say that as I write this, I am so genuinely grateful to my cultural roots, family, and mentors for watering the seeds of my purpose today. At the same time that there are cultural and moral virtues to my story that I deeply cherish (like respect for your elders and sacrifice for others), there are imperfections. And all of it inspires my current work. I see that while the world is progressing, stories like mine reflect an ongoing ethos that reaches beyond the immigrant experience. In hundreds of our research interviews and surveys, adolescents (and their parents) lamented: “I’m living someone else’s life. I don’t know who I really am and what I’m really living for, apart from others’ expectations of me.” Similarly, I’d been basing my identity on what others told me about myself when I was a child. Trying to mold myself into someone’s stereotype of me left me exhausted and confused. But as my understanding of who I am came into sharper focus during my later college and adult years, this understanding became my guide. It continues to shape what I value and believe, and how I feel, act, and connect. Brené Brown calls this embracing of who you really are true belonging:

True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.

She goes on to say: “True belonging is not something that you need to negotiate externally, it’s what you carry in your heart.”* This internal belonging, this sense of understanding who I was—what I stood for, what I had to offer in the world—began to free me from the need for external approval. It’s been a glorious adventure to discover my innermost being, and to realize that what I’ve turned up there can meet a great need in the world.


This book offers a practical guide which provides shared language and approach for identifying your purpose. Click above to buy the book on Amazon!

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

Aug 05 2022

A Day of Rest for UniteBoston’s BIPOC Friends

This past weekend, UniteBoston hosted about twenty-five BIPOC friends on an retreat to Spectacle Island to take a break from the demanding work of reconciliation, justice and racial dynamics and instead be renewed, recharge and reconnect with other likeminded people who are “doing the work” in their various communities. Read the blog below to hear UniteBoston’s Communications Administrator Rev. Devlin Scott answer questions about this “circle of restoration” retreat and its impact!

The group of retreaters ready to board the ferry!

Why did you organize this retreat day?

When Rev. Kelly and I read Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil’s book Roadmap to Reconciliation 2.0 earlier this year, the part that stood out to me was how she added the “restoration cycle” to her new book to acknowledge that people of color need restoration to be a part of their journey of reconciliation. UniteBoston wanted to support the BIPOC community by acknowledging that they are constantly doing the work of reconciliation and embodying the tension of living and working in a racialize society. And to respond to the BIPOC community by providing space to “renew, reconnect and recharge.” 

Circles of Restoration are intentional spaces created for the BIPOC community who are weary from the ongoing battle of working for reconciliation to get away for self-care, solitude, and connection in community.

A group of attendees enjoying the ferry ride to Spectacle Island.
New and old friends enjoying each other.

What did the day entail?

This group of justice seekers, cultural drivers and Gospel bearers, traveled out to Spectacle Island for the day to enjoy beachside fun, private massages, food and fellowship with their peers. We even got to enjoy a hiphop dance competition happening on the island at the same time as our visit.

The time on the island started with a devotional that I had put together on laying down our burdens. I reflected on how Jesus willingly displayed His humanity when he dropped the cross on his way to Calvary. This gives us validation that sometimes this cross is too heavy to bear and it also shows that it is okay to put it down at times along this journey. I also ended the day encouraging the group to pick up their cross again and return back to the work set before us knowing that His grace is sufficient for each of us and we all must bear our cross as we have been given the ministry of reconciliation.

Pastor Devlin leading a devotion time on laying down the burden of the cross.

Attendees enjoyed time with the group; feeling affirmed in who they are and the shared experience of the work of reconciliation. We also enjoyed solitude time on our own to reflect, pray and recharge.

Jane and Tim on the ferry.
Seong, Andrea and Kelly in the water.
Alexis and Cleo enjoying the time.

We closed the evening with food from Brato — a taco and burrito place on the island and attendees were able to pick from a table full of restorative items; soaps, journals, gift cards, etc — all from black owned businesses. And although we had an amazing time on the island — the ferry ride back was the best way to top off the evening; complete with a DJ and party put on my the hiphop dance competition participants.

What did the attendees think of the retreat?

  • “It was so refreshing to get out of the city and be on an island!”
  • “The devotional was spot-on; it was a great reminder to lay my burdens down and give them to God.”
  • “I’m leaving here feeling lighter and encouraged in the work that I’m doing.”
  • “The music was so culturally relevant!”
  • “I had some great conversations and people I’m excited to get to know better. I am coming away with a sense of solidarity of all those who are on a similar journey of faith and action.”

Personally, this was the first time that UniteBoston had done something like this, and I was anxious to see how it would go, in addition to “running on empty” due to a missed plane flight back from Chicago! But I found it to be incredibly refreshing. To be with other people of color in the faith and fight for justice was affirming. This truly was a circle of restoration and we look forward to building on it in the coming years!

– Reverend Devlin Scott

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

Jul 19 2022

The Church and Migration

(Photo by Maria Teneva on Unsplash)

Today, we are featuring an excerpt from a new book entitled The Church and Migration: A Theological Vision for the People of God. Local theologian Daniel Montanez is a PhD student at the Boston University School of Theology and is the primary editor for this book, which explores the theme of human migration throughout the grand narrative of Scripture.

Read the excerpt below by Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, Academic Dean of Centro Latino & Associate Professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, who reminds us of the need to start any conversation about migration from the perspective of our faith in order to foster unity and reconciliation.


“What about illegal do you not understand?” I have received this question and similar questions after multiple presentations about immigration in different churches over the past forty years. The questioners have been angry, frustrated, sometimes confused. It seems obvious to them that there is no acceptable reason for crossing a border without legal documentation or overstaying a VISA. At the same time, however, there are often people in the same audience (if the church is large enough) or at a minimum in the same Church denomination, who have personally experienced a broken immigration system and who empathize deeply with those who have ended up on the wrong side of that system. Many churches and denominations owe the majority of their growth over the past decades to immigrant Christians and to immigrants who become Christians through the missionary efforts of migrant believers. This is a family fight, a conflict between children of the same God, brothers and sisters, members of the same Body of Christ. The battle is often fought on political grounds, with little to no input from the scriptures that they share.

This book reminds Christians that we are standing on common sacred ground. If we are to have any hope of reconciliation, we must start any conversation about migration from the perspective of our faith. That perspective includes theology, of course, disciplined reflection on the Word and will of God. The authors in this book are grounded in orthodox Christian theology. They are also creative. I have been working with and teaching about these issues for many years, yet I found myself moved, inspired and provoked. The contents of this book go beyond theology to spirituality. The authors of these chapters call us to the deepening of our faith, hope, and love. Most of this book is written by people who have experienced migration, either through their own personal journey and/or through the experiences of their loved ones. They call us to incarnate the heart of God as we approach not only the issue but the people who are impacted by it. For that reason, it also goes beyond asking us to reconsider how we think about migration to how we practically respond to the plight of migrants.

To fully receive the gift of this book, approach it with both an open mind and an open heart. If you are a migrant, you may be encouraged and perhaps even healed from some of the wounds of shame, slander, and rejection. If you are confused about migration, you may attain some clarity. If you are angry about migration, you may hear a challenging but important message that could deepen your faith. Regardless, you will be blessed.


Get your copy of “The Church and Migration” today!

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

Jul 14 2022

The Best Stories

Today, we are featuring Dan Elliott as our guest blogger. Dan serves as the Promotions Manager for K-LOVE Boston and describes that his goal and his mission are simple: to help his audiences take one step closer to Christ. Dan holds a Master’s Degree in Ministry and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Ministry with a focus on Advanced Expository preaching. Read below to hear Dan’s testimony of how he has seen God change lives and how KLOVE can partner with you to celebrate God’s great work in our region.


I love stories.

Stories that have a great beginning, middle, and end. I love stories that are as captivating as they are encouraging, ones that can take our attention forever and make the hours fly by. Where a great hero defeats evil and saves the people. And, when asked, I’m sure many of us can tell these kinds of great stories in our own lives. Stories of both pain and fulfilled promise, stories of devastating lows and incredible highs, and stories that are amazing examples of how good God is.

Great storytellers know how to engage people with what they’re doing and how to take the audience with them into the story. My story is an example of just that. I’ve grown up in church, have seen God do great things in the lives of people and have gotten to watch many stories changed for the better by Jesus. As a former Pastor, I have gotten to connect with people from all walks of life and see how the presence of God in their lives has made all the difference. As a traveling speaker, I’ve seen many people and their stories from a variety of places and have gotten to have a front row seat to the story that God is writing through His church here in New England. This story is one of unity and community, where God glorifies Himself through the collaboration that we can all have in working out His plan. 

Worship band at the 2019 UniteBoston Concert

I have also known significant pain, that has resulted in two books being written by my family. We have seen abuse, injury, and autism, as well as good times, hard times, and everything in between. I have seen God meet us in the middle of that pain and show how skilled of a storyteller He is. In fact, there is not a greater storyteller than Jesus, and the stroke of His pen changes the world. 

As we look at scripture, we can see God working both in our lives individually and in the lives of all of us together. Isaiah 43: 19-21 says this:

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild beasts will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

We can see God writing the story of His people and His work that culminated in both His resurrection and the creation of His church. Isaiah was writing this about future generations to come and to set the stage for one of God’s greatest stories, The Church. And the best part is, He isn’t done writing stories through His church, His eternal partner in His work for a renewed world. His love for the world is shown by His love for the church, because through the church the world will see Him. 

At K-LOVE, we see the value of the local church, and we exist to push it forward. We want to partner with churches in telling the stories of how God is moving in their midst to do great things for His glory. God is doing so many amazing things throughout New England, and we know that the church at large here could truly benefit from hearing some of these things and seeing themselves encouraged. God is moving here, and we love sharing the stories of it. One of our favorite stories is of the time God used our radio station to prevent someone from taking their own life. While on their way to a bridge, they were moving through the radio dial, and they providentially came across our station. Through the message of the songs that they heard they realized that there was hope available, even when life seemed hopeless through a relationship with Jesus. Once they came to this conclusion, they got involved in a local church and the rest is history: this person began a relationship with Christ and never looked back.

Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash

Personally, I love hearing these stories of how God is changing lives through His church and doing great things. If you would like us to be a part of your church’s story, we’d love to talk about how we can help. We have a variety of platforms that we could feature your church or organization on including our text club, Instagram page, and our website events page. We don’t ask for anything financially, rather we see it as an opportunity to partner alongside your church to tell others about the story that God is telling through you. We love stories and can’t wait to tell others about God’s work in the middle of yours. 

For more information about how we can help please shoot us an email at boston@klove.com or reach out to us on Instagram @kloveboston. 

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

Jul 01 2022

Highlights from the Juneteenth Jubilee Observance

It was, indeed, a Christian celebration of liberation filled with preaching, music, singing/rapping, poetry, testimony and prayer! Let’s take a photographic scroll down memory lane as we use this Friday to flash back to the first inaugural Juneteenth Jubilee Observance! Thanks again to Rev. Kevin Peterson for the vision and The Table, Restoration City Church, New Democracy Coalition and UniteBoston for the partnership in making this happen!

Boston City Hall was lit in liberation colors at the end of the festivities.
Pastor Valerie Copeland preaching.
Pastor Josh Wilson preaching.
Pastor Deric Quest opened with the invocation.
Attendees danced the night away.
Pastor Devlin Scott preaching.
Words from Nika Elugardo shared by her daughter.
Words from Nika Elugardo shared by her daughter.
Attendees enjoying the celebration.
Attendees young and old had a great time.
Young attendee enjoying the drums.
A beautiful evening for a powerful event.
The City of Boston was blessed that night.
Attendees enjoying the event.
Attendees enjoying the event.
The event started with prayer for those who were participating.
Some of the participants and attendees at the end of the night!
Attendees celebrating with the African American flag.
Restoration Church Worship team lead songs of worship.
Performance by Troupe Fall West African Drum and Dance
Kevin Peterson hosting the event waving his flag of liberation.
June Cottrell singing.
Pastor Davie Hernandez preaching.

Photos courtesy of Josh Wilson, Devlin Scott, Davie Hernandez, Kelly Fassett and Fons Cervera.

Written by uniteboston · Categorized: Blog

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