UniteBoston

Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City

Showing Up Well: A Training for Volunteers on Genuine Engagement

Every volunteer engagement that involves another person is a relationship. And like any relationship, what we bring into it shapes what’s possible.

Often volunteers’ biggest challenges aren’t logistical, they’re invisible. The unspoken expectations we attach to our help, the moments when our instinct to fix things gets ahead of what someone is asking for, how our own cultural lens can shape — and sometimes distort — how we show up.

UniteBoston is partnering with Sarah Blumenshine, Director of Intercultural Ministries at the Emmanuel Gospel Center, to offer a zoom training where we can all take an honest, non-judgmental look at the mindsets that can quietly undermine the very relationships we’re hoping to build. We’re especially encouraging congregations and volunteers who have been part of our spring “Love Thy Neighbor” initiatives to join this opportunity!

Expect honest conversation, relatable scenarios, and practical tools to help you engage with love and care.

Sign up here to receive the zoom link and help us spread the word!

Beyond Simple Answers: Theology Lab’s New Video Podcast Series 

By Scott Rice, Kristin T. Lee and Greg Fung


How do we pursue a theological vision when simple answers aren’t enough? This is the core question behind a new podcast series from Theology Lab, called Beyond Simple Answers.

Today, Scott Rice (ThD) from Highrock Church offers two key insights to this central question. Below, he unpacks this exciting new series and how we can uphold God’s vision for unity and diversity by seeking nuance and curiosity in our faith.

Does Theology Matter?

For me, Beyond Simple Answers is more than a new podcast series. The vision behind this series tries to capture the gift I hope theology can be for everyday Christians, how theological conversations can be meaningful tools for discovery and spiritual growth. Personally, this is because theology has been such a necessary and practical thing for me. 

College was a challenging period in the thinking life of my faith. I encountered questions that caused me, for example, to reexamine how God speaks to us through the human authors of the Bible, people like you and me. I was also invested in off-campus ministry where I became close friends with people in situations of chronic poverty. The experiences they shared with me led to much grappling, theoretically and personally, with the problems of human suffering that surround us. 

Theology wasn’t so much a choice, but something I was compelled to do. It’s not that it wasn’t joyful – to the contrary, I found wonderful companions for reflection in both ancient Christian traditions and conversations with peers that have turned into longstanding friendships. But it did feel like something I had to do for the sake of honesty: I knew that for me to continue to pray, to participate in acts of worship, now required exploring questions about God’s goodness and what it means to trust an invisible God.  

God met me in these ventures. What’s more, conversations about faith spurred me into asking new questions, which I’ve found often leads to a more (not less) vibrant way of relating to God. These experiences also gave me new perspectives on my past. I came to appreciate the people in my faith life like Chris Eiesenman, a spiritual mentor of mine from high school, who embodied putting Christ in the center of all things. I didn’t realize it then but, to me, Chris exemplified a faith rooted in Christ that could be expressed in generosity toward others, in both actions and in how we exchange ideas with other people.

This has been my journey. Theology and community have been gifts that have sustained my faith. And I think it’s part of what inspires Beyond Simple Answers, a vision for faith and reflecting on belief today that Kristin, Greg (my co-hosts in this podcast) and I hope to convey in this joint venture. 

What’s Beyond Simple Answers about?

The motto of Beyond Simple Answers is this: seeking a theological vision when simple answers fall short. There’s two parts to this:

Beyond Simple Answers isn’t about going beyond the beautiful simplicity of faith. The beyond is more like what the Psalmist means in the line, the law of God “is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7 NRSUVE). It’s the yearning that many have expressed – and which you could probably see in my story above – for a faith characterized by nuance and subtle reflection. For many, that comes through in words like deconstruction. In the story I shared above, it meant a deep desire for curiosity to play a more basic role in what it means for me to be Christian.  

The second part has to do with holding onto a theological vision, or continuing to think through such a vision. For some, facing doubts or a process like deconstructing (which admittedly means different things to different people) means belief moves to the margins of one’s life, or ceases to exist at all. But, often, it doesn’t. For many, the issue isn’t unbelief – rather, it’s about a variety of things that prompt us to seek out a way of navigating faith, doubts, and questions in community. 

I have shared how new questions both led to difficulties but also a new sense of rigor in my faith life. Questions like Who is God? or How do we grapple with the reality of suffering in the world? or How do we interpret the Bible? haven’t lost their urgency, although we might find ourselves thinking about them in deeper ways. For many, a theological vision still matters; it may even be the key to a revitalized faith.

My co-hosts in this series are Kristin T. Lee and Greg Fung. We are part of Highrock Church, and in many ways, Beyond Simple Answers is our attempt to do in public something we’ve been doing in everyday conversations for years. When there are several, seemingly disconnected lines of thought in a given conversation, Greg is adept at identifying the signal among the noise. Kristin has a knack for naming the felt-need behind luminous theological concepts, and forging links between theological ideas and solidarity with people on the margins. 

Each of us cares about pursuing a theological vision within a faith community. We know that we won’t end up in the same place on every topic. Uniformity isn’t the goal. (For a lighthearted example of this, see Greg’s growing affinity for process theology in episode 3.) Rather, it’s to learn what Christ means for a vibrant, thinking faith – together. 

These last lines point to the importance of a lived notion of unity-in-difference in Beyond Simple Answers. This is, of course, also central to the mission of UniteBoston. In this spirit, I thought it would be appropriate to ask Greg and Kristin what unity-across-differences means to them as we begin this joint venture at Theology Lab. 

What Does Unity-In-Difference Mean to You?

Kristin: When I come up against thorny theological questions that stump me (and that have frankly stumped the entire world, unless someone has solved the predestination vs. free will conundrum), I find myself craving a multitude of viewpoints rather than a singular but unsatisfying ‘answer.’

For example, I was raised on the idea of penal substitutionary atonement as the one and only understanding of the cross—so normalized that it didn’t even have a name or label. It was the only explanation I was ever given for how and why Jesus had to die for our sins. As an adult, when I found myself troubled by aspects of this teaching, it was a relief to discover that there are actually a multitude of lenses through which we can understand the cross and its centrality to our faith, none of which likely encapsulates the entire glory of Christ but all of which can contribute to our understanding of God’s love. This pattern repeated itself over and over. At multiple points where my faith felt ready to break, it was listening to voices on the margins of the church that kept me hopeful and believing.

Thus, to me, unity is essential, because unity means embracing our diversity and not casting anyone out. It means keeping the table of theological discussions open to all who approach it out of love, especially bringing those to the table whose voices haven’t yet been platformed, who can nuance or trouble our too-easy explanations of God. Unity is an acknowledgement that we need every single one of us to be the living, breathing body and to better see the multifaceted brilliance of the God we worship.   

Greg: There was a time in my life when “unity across differences” meant gathering large groups of different people into one big event. I was in a para-church ministry and remember the vibrant energy of being a part of something larger. These large-scale events provided energizing visions of unity, but (understandly) were less adept in helping us reckon with differences that might enable us to go beyond ourselves. 

I would return home, inspired, but without ministry tools for navigating complex situations.  I needed a broader vision that could hold competing values in tension, but doing so would have required me to venture past my safe theological comfort zone, something I was not able or willing to do at the time.

Being open to change is hard for me. I’m especially resistant to frontal assaults on my worldview, and I respond poorly to coercive or manipulative efforts to make me change my mind. Yet, there have been unpredictable moments where I’ve grown. Most often, they are when I’m with people I trust, who have similar goals and values, but who don’t see the world exactly as I do. Something magical happens for me when there’s just a bit of grist in the midst of a safe place.

Which is why I’m excited about Beyond Simple Answers. It aims to make these random moments of growth more commonplace. One of our hopes is to foster, or perhaps better, try to embody the kind of growth that comes from bumping up against one another in relationship — not in spite of our differences but because of them. I’m not sure what the outcome will be, but I know it will involve growth, be a little messy, and be a whole lot of fun.  

Here at UniteBoston, we celebrate Scott, Kristin, and Greg’s efforts to cultivate conversations to take people deeper and grow in Christ “beyond simple answers.”

The Introduction episode is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Episodes 1-5, addressing the question Why does God create a world with so much suffering? will be released during the months of March and April 2026. Subscribe or follow Theology Lab’s podcast or YouTube channel to receive the latest episodes!

He Will Establish the Work of Our Hands: An Interview with FaithWorks Founder Camille Sery-Ble

A world-class city anchored by rich history, influential industries, and notable educational institutions, Boston’s culture can be tightly bound to profession and progress. In this setting, an important Christian movement has begun. FaithWorks, a non-profit dedicated to helping Christians integrate their faith with their professional lives, is drawing together a diverse and vibrant community of believers across Greater Boston.

As FaithWorks prepares for its second annual conference this April, Faithworks’ Research and Analytics Chair Luke Redington sat down with Founder and President Camille Sery-Ble to discuss the origins of this young ministry and the impact it is already having in the lives of Christians from many different backgrounds.

By Luke Redington 

A Vision Born in an Inspired Moment

The rapid success of FaithWorks can be traced back to a singular, inspired moment. One day, Camille felt a distinct calling: Boston needed a space where believers could learn to thrive as disciples while pursuing their careers.

She grabbed a pencil and paper, and began to write. The ideas came like a flood. She began listing names of people she would like to see attend (two-thirds of whom would eventually participate) and specific industries that needed representation. When she looked back at what she wrote, she could see that God had woven these plans from the strands of her own entrepreneurial, workplace, and personal experiences. She sensed that through this dream, God would redeem her frustrations and realize her hopes. And God did! A few months later, a venue in Cambridge hosted the first FaithWorks Conference in April 2025.  

Unity by Design

Though FaithWorks is young, its impact is already measured in the hundreds. Perhaps more impressively, it has become a model for Christian unity. Both the executive board and the conference attendees represent a wide tapestry of denominations and backgrounds—a goal Camille built into the organization’s founding principles. 

Her explanation of how the Lord brought this goal to fruition is straightforward: “To embody Christ is to unite people. To walk in Christ and love your neighbor as yourself—whether as an employee or as a business owner—will unite you with many people.” 

Camille knows this truth through experience. Now, whenever she attends a professional networking event in the Boston area, she sees people she knows and greets them with a smile.  

Shared Pressures, Singular Purpose

When asked why faith in the workplace has become such a unifying idea in Boston, Camille’s answer is both highly practical and deeply theological. “Christians are subject to the same economic pressures as everyone else in the city,” she explains. Commuting to work, pivoting from one career to another, or just trying to make ends meet are concerns that confront Bostonians, no matter their creed. 

Yet, for the believer, there is a unique concern: a desire to honor Christ not just on Sundays, but in the 9-to-5. FaithWorks helps believers address this concern by bringing together the practicalities of work and the theology of vocation.

         “We can model Christ at all times—in family, social, and work settings,” Camille says. “That doesn’t mean we are simply evangelizing at work. It means your coworkers should encounter the love of Christ through you. They should experience the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ in your professional conduct. That experience should make them curious.”

Join the Movement: The 2026 Conference

The second annual FaithWorks Conference is set for Saturday, April 25, 2026. Building on last year’s momentum, the event will feature specialized workshops tailored to various career sectors—from tech and healthcare to the arts and trades.

The theme for 2026 is An Urgency of Holiness: From Repentance to Deliverance, focusing on the link between a believer’s inner spiritual life and their public witness in the workplace. With a diverse lineup of Boston-based industry leaders and ministers, the conference is designed to help you place Christ at the very center of your career. 

Event Details

By integrating the practical and theological dimensions of faith in the workplace, FaithWorks provides a model for faithfully carrying Jesus into the public sphere—the very “faithful witness” UniteBoston attests to. Consider joining this conference and movement in Boston and help us spread the word!

UniteBoston’s Annual Fundraising Celebration & Community Gathering

You are invited to UniteBoston’s Fundraising Celebration and Community Gathering on Friday, May 29 from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm at the Bruce C. Bolling Building in Roxbury. This will be an evening of celebration with food, joy, and an opportunity to partner with us in our bridge-building work across Greater Boston.

Our theme this year is “Illuminate.” In a time when division and uncertainty can feel heavy, we believe Christ calls us to shine (Mt 5:16)—bringing light to hard places, clarity to confusion, and hope to weary hearts. At UniteBoston, we are committed to equipping Christians to be peacemakers and bridge-builders—agents of unity, reconciliation, justice, and repair. Illuminate reflects our prayer that the Church would not hide its light but embody it boldly and beautifully for the good of our city. Here is our Fundraising Letter

This year’s keynote speaker is Rozella Haydée White, a public theologian and “Love Big” coach. Dedicated to nurturing a love that is life-giving, justice-seeking, and restorative, she has authored a book entitled Love Big: The Power of Revolutionary Relationships to Heal the World.

Rozella’s work deeply aligns with UniteBoston’s mission to heal divisions and strengthen the Church’s collective witness. Over the past year, she has also played a vital role behind the scenes, working directly with Rev. Kelly and Rev. Devlin as a coach for a capacity-building grant initiative. We are thrilled to have her voice guide us faithfully illuminating the gospel and bearing witness to Christ’s reconciling work in our beloved city.

The evening will also include a conversation with Rev. Kelly and Rev. Devlin, stories of impact from our UniteBoston community, and creative expressions that reflect the heart of this year’s theme, including:

  • Convene: The Power of Collaborative Conversations for City-Wide Gospel Movement by Rev. Melinda Priest
  • Testimony about Beloved Community Lab by Rev. Gina Tillotson-Cordy
  • Poems on “Illuminate” by Bill Ivanov and Dzidzor Azalgo
  • Closing Song led by Rev. Devlin Scott

Join us to connect with friends old and new—and to discover how you can participate in God’s reconciling, restoring, peacebuilding work through UniteBoston.

We’re excited to offer FREE childcare during the event, provided by safe and vetted volunteers. Children do not need a ticket to the event, but advance registration is required.

This gathering will take place at the Bruce Bolling Municipal Building in Nubian Square, 2300 Washington St, Roxbury, MA 02119. Local parking lots include the large City of Boston Municipal Parking Lot #33 around the corner of the building.

We can’t wait to gather, celebrate, and shine together.  REGISTER BELOW

Ticket Options:

  • General Admission: $50
  • Student Admission: $25
  • Volunteers: Free (Register Here)

Our Goal: Raising $40,000

Your generous contributions will directly support our efforts to fortify Christian unity in Boston through strategic planning, staff and consultant support, and partnerships with local ministries.

Thank you for partnering with us to God’s work towards reconciliation, justice, and peacemaking in our city. If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to reach out. We are deeply grateful for your friendship, encouragement, and support, and look forward to seeing you at the event!

Loving Our Neighbors: Two New Opportunities for Boston-Area Churches

“When we see a civic promotion of fear, hate and violence as the trajectory of our politics, we need a civic faith of love, healing and hope to defeat it. Loving our neighbor, and learning to practice the politics of love, will be central to the future of democracy in America.” — Jim Wallis

This spring, UniteBoston is highlighting two new ways that Boston-area churches can put “love your neighbor” into action: CarePortal and Neighborhood Support Teams. By leveraging digital tools and relational solidarity, these initiatives unleash the power of community. Read more about these initiatives and discover how you can join in!

NEW: Showing Up Well: A Training for Volunteers on Genuine Engagement

UniteBoston hosted a training session entitled “Essential Practices for Showing Up Well,” led by the incredible Sarah Blumenshine from the Emmanuel Gospel Center. We explored how our interior mindsets—including unspoken expectations, cultural lenses, and the instinct to fix things—shape how we serve and accompany our neighbors in Greater Boston.

Every volunteer engagement is first and foremost a relationship. Sarah shared practical tools built around three essential practices for showing up well:

  • Practice 1: Slowing Down (The Accordion Method)
  • Practice 2: Being Attuned (Inner and Outer Alignment)
  • Practice 3: Acting Sustainably (Right-Sizing your contribution)

May these practices strengthen your hands and heart as we follow Jesus to love, serve, and accompany our neighbors at this critical time in our city and country. 

1. CarePortal: A Digital Bridge for Local Families

Massachusetts is filled with an abundance of incredible ministries, foster closets, and outreach teams. CarePortal provides the infrastructure to ensure that existing resources can reach the people who need them most, exactly when they need them, through the local church. It is a rapid-response infrastructure for families in crisis vetted by child-serving professionals that alerts local churches to tangible needs—like a bed for a child, or a working refrigerator. This builds a meaningful connection with someone who cares for them within their own communities.

Imagine a single mother in our region, forced to flee an unsafe situation with almost nothing. When a caseworker posted her need for beds and a way to cook a meal, within hours, a local church arrived not just with a bed and a microwave, but with a spirit of service. They stayed to help her set up the room and offered prayer. Through this digital bridge, the mother received more than just furniture; she received community support and tangible emotional care.

Another father described, “The investigator told me I had 48 hours to get a working refrigerator or my kids couldn’t stay with me. I had no money and no truck. Within four hours of the request going up, a family was in my kitchen installing a fridge. They saved my family that day.” 

See an overview of Care Portal from President and Founder Adrien Lewis:

How the CarePortal Model Works

CarePortal functions as a communication hub that alerts local churches to the needs of families in crisis, vetted by child-serving professionals like social workers, teachers, pastors, or caseworkers. It offers a tangible network of support through four simple steps:

  1. Uncovering Needs: A child-serving professional identifies a specific need of a vulnerable child or family. 
  2. Submitting Needs: The professional vets the request and enters it into the CarePortal platform.
  3. Sharing Needs: CarePortal sends a real-time geo-located alert to nearby churches and community members.
  4. Meeting Needs: The local church responds, providing the items or services, and explores how to build meaningful connections with families for the long term. 

Drunell from Harvest Time Church describes, “Through CarePortal, we are able to touch lives that we wouldn’t ordinarily be able to meet. We’re able to connect with families, and not only provide the need, but pray with them, speak with them, encourage them, and love on them.”  

This platform has already made a difference nationally – you can see their impact live here – to date, 176,000+ needs met and 467,000+ children served!

Beatriz Acevedo is the new Area Director for CarePortal, which recently launched in Cambridge, Burlington, Waltham, Arlington, Chelsea, Malden, Medford, Revere, Somerville, and Woburn. They have plans to expand to the Metro Boston area soon. With a background in public health and pastoral leadership, she has high hopes for CarePortal: “If just 50 churches commit to meeting 2 needs per month, we will serve 1,200 families every year.” This is God’s love in action!

2. The “Love Your Neighbor” Project: Support and Solidarity with Immigrant Neighbors

For five years, WelcomeNST has empowered Neighborhood Support Teams to transform neighborhoods into communities of welcome for newly arrived refugee families. In response to shifting resettlement policies and the current political climate, they are now developing a model to support immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking families that are already living in our communities.

In partnership with UniteBoston, WelcomeNST is forming Neighborhood Support Teams by matching local congregations with “sister churches” composed primarily of newcomers through the Love Thy Neighbor Project! Boston is the first area in the country where they are piloting this model! 

Imagine an immigrant family in Boston who has been part of our community, but is now living in constant fear of separation due to shifting immigration policies. A Neighborhood Support Team is there to walk with them in solidarity and accompaniment. 

  • Relational Support: Mutual friendships help families navigate systems and overcome isolation.
  • Practical Assistance: Teams listen to the family’s self-identified needs and goals, then come alongside the family with information and resources, such as job readiness, legal support, and language skills.
  • Proven Model: Every team receives a Preparedness Playbook, “Know Your Rights” training, and ongoing support from a WelcomeNST Specialist.
  • Grant funding: We’re pleased to share that the first NSTs will start off with a small amount of seed funding to support families.

The beauty of these partnerships lies in their mutuality; everyone has resources to give and places to receive. Recently, North Shore Community Baptist Church partnered with WelcomeNST to resettle a refugee family from Afghanistan. As they walked together, both the church and the family grew through a deep, transformative friendship.

Scott describes the experience: “We didn’t realize what was missing in our own lives until we met this family. Their hospitality and warmth drew us out of our frantic world and reminded us that life is about relationships. By simply being themselves, they showed us a better way to live.”  Scripture calls us to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us (Romans 15:7) and to love the “stranger” as ourselves (Leviticus 19:34). By reestablishing infrastructures of care, and extending our hands in mutual friendship, we follow God’s call to show belonging and welcoming to our immigrant neighbors so that our entire community can be strengthened. 

Join the Movement: Your Next Steps

We are calling pastors, ministry leaders, and compassionate neighbors in Greater Boston to join these two initiatives to live into Jesus’ commandment to “love your neighbor.”

Here is a recording from a Zoom interest call where Kasey Dillon and Beatriz Acevedo shared more about CarePortal and the Love Your Neighbor Project:

Care Portal

We are hoping to recruit 10 new response teams with congregations in the pilot phase.

You can enroll your church or team right away: Get Involved with Care Portal. For questions regarding CarePortal, contact Beatriz Acevedo at ​​Beatriz.Acevedo@careportal.org 

The “Love Your Neighbor” Project (NST)

Our immediate goal is to establish 5 matches between churches seeking support and sister churches by the end of March, with another 5 matches by the end of April.

If you are a church with interest in providing support please complete the Interest Form.  If you are a church seeking support, please complete the LYN Church Intake Form. Churches are all differently resourced and our hope is to nurture reciprocal relationships where all give and receive in different ways. For questions regarding the Love Your Neighbor Project, contact Kasey Dillon at kdillon@welcomenst.org.

churches are all differently resourced – strong in different ways – finances, others strong in relationships and care, churches indicate the types of support they are looking for – reciprocity & how everyone benefits when we extend our hearts and hands to give our resources time and talents to support one another – unleash the power of community

Together, we can unleash the power of community to ensure every neighbor has access to needed resources and friends who care. While much in our world today is pulling us apart, as Jim Wallis suggests, practicing the “politics of love” is an important action step we can all take to re-weave the ties that bind us together and our common life together. 

“Our work lives far above the realm of politics. It lives at the core of every faith – to love our neighbors. It’s the great commandment – and it applies everywhere in the world to everyone in the world. At the heart of it, this isn’t about a program, it is about standing together in kinship with those who are targeted, abused, persecuted and hated.  And it’s our chance to write the story that we will one day tell our grandkids when they are learning about this era in their history books in hopes that one day, they too will do the same.​” 

— Elizabeth Davis-Edwards, Executive Director of Welcome NST 

Collaboration in action! Snapshot into a call we had this week with Beatriz from CarePortal, Rev. Kelly from UniteBoston, and Kasey from Welcome NST


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