UniteBoston

Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City

Building Beloved Community: A Journey of Unity, Truth, and Transformation

A year ago, a group of thirteen Christian leaders gathered under the shared hope of building something that could help the Church become more whole. Month by month, conversation by conversation, we started co-creating a discipleship experience for those longing to see reconciliation in the Church and the world. Our work together birthed the Beloved Community Lab—a hands-on curriculum for Christian leaders to come together across lines of difference to learn and practice unity, justice, and reconciliation in their leadership contexts.

We met monthly, each time bringing our full selves to the table. Our conversations were deep and vulnerable, marked by prayer, laughter, and the hard, necessary work of reckoning with the barriers that keep us from living out the oneness Jesus prays for. One standout moment was a case study exploring tensions between the Church and the LGBTQIA+ community. We examined two parallel narratives: one naming the harm and hubris often perpetuated by the Church, and the other acknowledging the pain and posture of resistance within some parts of the queer community. These conversations required courage and humility—and they reminded us of the work of holding truth with compassion that was central to Jesus’ ministry.

The journey wasn’t just intellectual—it was formational. “Participating in an ecumenical cohort gave me an opportunity to build friendships with Christians who are different than me,” shared Dr. Elizabeth Woodard. “This is of vital importance in being the diverse, beautiful Body of Christ in the community.” Others, like Pastor Sophia Kim from First Korean Church in Cambridge, reflected on how the experience fostered healing: “It helped me realize I wasn’t alone… We weren’t just gathering for discussions—we were creating a space where it felt safe to put our problems on the table, and to support one another as we sought God’s Kingdom together—in Jesus’ way.”

(Above, Pastor Jihyon (Sophia) Kim shares her testimony of participating in the cohorts at our spring “Fortify” Fundraising Party)

We concluded our cohort with a retreat in New Hampshire that deepened our learnings and close out the year together. Each group took time to present the “building blocks” they had developed for the Beloved Community Lab through embodied experiences that stirred mind, heart and imagination. One of our members shared her gifts by cooking an incredible meal, and we gathered around the table as a community—eating, singing, praying, and celebrating what God had done. We even sung songs around a makeshift “campfire” made out of stringed lights because it was too rainy to be outdoors. It was a glimpse of what unity in Christ could look like: a mosaic of voices, perspectives, and traditions seeking to love God and neighbor well.

Several participants shared how deeply this experience impacted their faith and leadership. “This cohort helped me see and know God more fully because of the insights and perspectives of this diverse body of believers,” said Katelyn Hannan. “They expanded my imagination for how I can love my neighbor—especially alongside the whole body of Christ as a collective witness.” Additionally, Pastor Sarah Gautier, pastor of Living Stones Boston, reflected, “The beauty of this journey was affirming that every part of the body is necessary in the work of unity… In our affirmation of one another’s belovedness, we saw the body of Christ come alive to new possibilities across differences.”

For many, the experience has already left a lasting impact. “The relationships I built in this cohort have already been transformative, impacting my ministry and my life in general,” wrote Rev. Tom Reid, pastor of Newton Presbyterian Church. “Thank you, UniteBoston, for your creativity and inspiring witness to the work of the Church here in Boston.” Kat Hampson, pastor of Riverwalk Church, adds, “This journey with my cohort has been life-changing. I have come to cherish these individuals, who were very different from me, as dearly beloved friends and siblings in Christ. Together, we have learned to listen to each other’s stories, seek deeper understanding in how we each engage with God and the world, and share our hearts for God and His Kin-dom.”

As we look ahead, we are excited to refine and expand this curriculum so that others might experience what we have—a journey that moves beyond surface-level unity toward deep reconciliation and repair. “Reflecting on my time in this cohort,” one participant shared, “one of the most significant lessons I learned was how to navigate disagreements without building walls of quiet judgment, but instead build stronger bridges of understanding.”

The Beloved Community Lab is a journey of spiritual formation—shaping participants into peacemakers and ambassadors of reconciliation, growing into the life and way of Jesus. We call this a “lab” because it combines core theological concepts with real-world application through case studies, interactive exercises, and spiritual practices.  

We believe that if we want to see a different kind of world and a more embodied Christian witness, we must become different kinds of people. It is an experiment in Christian unity that seeks to change not just what we know, but how we live.

This fall, UniteBoston is launching a pilot group to experience the curriculum in community—and we’d love for you to consider joining us. If you want to grow in learning how to lead your community in the peacemaking, reconciling Way of Jesus, we invite you to come be part of this next chapter. Click here to learn more! 

Be the Movement: Welcome the Stranger

Turn your compassion into action.

Welcome a Haitian family in New England

Immigrants built Boston. And now shelters are scheduled to close starting June 30th. When that happens, Haitian families already vulnerable will be pushed onto the street and into crisis.

WelcomeNST has identified, interviewed and vetted families at immediate risk with the Immigrant Family Services Institute in Mattapan. UniteBoston is partnering with them to stand up, lock arms with your neighbors and form Neighborhood Support Teams (NST) that will welcome these families into your communities. NSTs help vulnerable families secure housing, navigate schools, find work, and become part of your community.

Our goal is to mobilize 50 Neighborhood Support Teams in Greater Boston to come alongside 50 Immigrant Families. 

Rev. Kelly’s church (Neighborhood Church of Boston) launched a Neighborhood Support Team last year to support a refugee family from the DRC and it has been an incredible experience.

As tensions escalate, this movement enables you to put the superpower of your community to work, welcoming someone from the outside to the inside. Your community was made for such a time as this.

Join for a zoom call next Tuesday August 5 from 6-7pm ET.  Register here.

Resources

Serving Christian Singles – Without Using the Word ‘Single’

Today, we are honored to feature a guest blog post from Rebekah Kerstetter, founder of Christian Singles Boston and a long-time advocate for helping churches serve singles with greater intentionality and care. Rebekah, a former UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinner Coordinator in Medford and a member of Highrock Church, shares a powerful story of how a small act of volunteering led to a decade-long journey of listening to and learning from Christian singles. Read on for practical insights and bold suggestions for how the Church can become a more welcoming and connected spiritual family for everyone.

I never expected to found a Christian singles ministry in 2014, or to launch an ‘alternative to online dating’ platform 10 years later. It all started innocently when, as a young mom, I volunteered at my local church to do whatever small jobs I could while my kids were napping. The church chose to put me in charge of entering the data from the weekly visitor cards (before QR codes!). 

After a few months, I began to notice a surprising trend. Almost 40% of our first time visiting adults to the church marked ‘single’ on their visitor cards, but very few single adults stayed involved. I began doing research online, only to find out that this trend was not just true for our church, it matched closely with national statistics.

To me, this didn’t make sense. Christian single adults visiting a church were people brave enough to come alone, knowing it might be hard to break into conversations with no extroverted partner to fall back on. They were also dedicated enough to come to church without children or another spouse being the reason why, and they were also exceptionally motivated to find connection. What could cause such strong dedicated Christians to lose hope? I wanted to learn why. I began talking intentionally with Christian singles and asking to hear their stories. 

One Boston woman told of a time she drove two hours every Sunday to assist in the childcare at her church. Though she never served to get praise, she spoke of how, even after months of serving, she felt she had barely met anyone, and that when parents came to pick-up their children, they didn’t know her name and often didn’t even look her in the eye. “It just didn’t feel like a family.” Other singles I spoke with, even those who desired a Christian marriage, said it was hard to simply make a same gendered friend let alone find an opposite gendered friend. Finding friendships with other singles was hard, period. Sometimes it was because there were so few singles in a congregation or sometimes, even if there were many singles at a church, there were simply no avenues to connect. When I asked why friendships with married friends didn’t seem like enough, I heard about how time and time again, despite deeply loving their married friends and even serving in their weddings, these cherished friendships struggled as their friends got married and had children. For better or for worse, the truth is that often only singles have a similar enough schedule with one-another to grow deep connections. Even when a single is busier than a married person, their schedule still tends to have a unique type of flexibility that helps them connect well with other singles. We need unity and relationship with all parts of the body of Christ.

February 24, 2024 Speed-Meet with ChristianSinglesBoston.org

After studying churches for the past fifteen years with singles as my focus, I found the below 4 steps to be exceptionally effective at building community when done in concert together – for Christian singles as well as for everyone. And it makes sense. When a church learns how to embrace a person who walks in alone, sits alone and often leaves quickly after church to avoid standing alone, a church has learned how to embrace everyone. Here’s what I’ve seen work:

1. Create consistent, casual spaces for connection.
Go beyond the 10-minute foyer conversations for attendees. Host monthly volunteer lunches, after-service socials, or dinner nights for everyone. People are far more likely to connect when the environment invites it.

2. Put a range of voices on the platform.
When someone who attends church sees singles sometimes give announcements or share from the stage, it communicates: You belong here too. It also helps visitors to know another single who could be a touchpoint.

3. Empower those gifted in hospitality.
Assign volunteers to welcome others personally at social events like lunches and help them to join into conversations with others. Also have hospitality volunteers scheduled during Sundays too – not only at the front door – but in the lobby & sanctuary to notice those who are not yet engaged with others and gently say hello.

4. Make volunteer care a priority.
Check in regularly with volunteers during a Sunday morning. Have assigned friendly people getting to know their names, introducing them to others or offering to bow their heads with them in prayer. Because singles so often volunteer at church, this small step goes a long way.

It’s important to note here, that there is nothing innately wrong with using the word ‘single’ in a church ministry or setting. It depends on each local church. The good news is that implementing these four steps in combination, even without using the word single, seamlessly helps singles to connect with one another. Lastly, it is very likely that new Christian singles will join the church for fellowship soon. Why? Because when Christian single adults begin choosing to stay at the churches they visit, it’s a healthy natural growth. Coincidentally, I learned these four principles at a church I attended in the North East that was listed in the 100 fastest growing churches in America. Access to an authentic and welcoming community is priceless and singles are often the first to spot it.  

Being part of a church body means that this is family, and we need one another. It means that we need to think about hospitality and how we can care for all members, singles, married, divorced, all abilities and demographics, and we think about who is missing from the table. Not only this, but over time, as singles get to know others across Boston, it builds an organic network of Christians that strengthens the broader Church!

Learn More:

– For Church Leaders: See Rebekah’s tips for how to engage singles in your church or ministry, including how to build authentic community, how to advertise to help Christian Singles find you and how to help singles in your church navigate dating or support those who never wish to marry. 

– For Christian singles: You’re invited to join the Christian Singles Boston community using this link. They are hosting a Christian Singles Sunset Cruise Around the Boston Harbor on Aug 10 and many other events too! 

Blessing Promised, Blessing Received

“It’s been awhile since many of us have stumbled out of a multi-church gathering, an hour or more after the ‘program’ officially ‘ended,’ because the Glory of God had filled the place and no one – not the pastors, not the laity, not the youth, not the kids, not the Boomers – no one could tear themselves away.”

Have you ever experienced a worship gathering so powerful, so saturated with the presence of God, that you didn’t want to leave? On Maundy Thursday, hundreds of Christians from dozens of churches came together for Churches Praying Together—a night marked by Spirit-filled worship, a compelling message on the self-giving love that unity demands, communion, and healing prayer. Today, we’re honored to share a powerful reflection from Linus, a Boston native and member of Abundant Grace Church, about how God met him that evening.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
— 2 Corinthians 3:17

I want to start by stating that I was not planning to go to the Maundy Thursday gathering. When my pastor had asked me if I was planning to go, I told him “no,” as big gatherings aren’t typically my cup of tea. He stated rather prophetically that if I went I would be blessed. I doubt he had any idea as to the extent his promise would be fulfilled. Before the event, I felt a change of heart and decided to go. 

I arrived a little early and found my saved seat in the front row, reserved for me by a brother and friend who’d previously invited me to sit beside him. When the worship started, I excused myself and moved to the back of the auditorium as my ears are more sensitive to volume now that I am 62.

Instantly I felt a Surge of Power, of Exultation, of the Wonderful and Thrilling Presence of God. It literally took my breath away. I immediately lifted my face and arms to the Lord (See documenting photo below). And my feet commenced to dancing. Oh the Transcendent Joy of His Presence! (You can look it up: Psalm 16.11). Soon I felt compelled, yet at the same time blessedly free, to lay prostrate, arms fully extended, face streaming with tears of joy into the carpet, overwhelmed with gratitude for His presence and refreshment. “Thank You Jesus! Thank You Jesus!” was all I could say and all I wanted to say. I was so grateful for the liberating presence of the Holy Spirit. 

One of the abiding desires of my heart has been to be free and released in body and spirit when worshiping the Lord. The Lord knows this about me full well, and graciously granted me a time and a place to praise and worship Him with abandon that Maundy Thursday evening. I’ve read many times of David dancing before the Lord with all his might, unaware of and indifferent to any disapproval of his uninhibited expression of love and worship toward the God of Israel, as David’s focus was on Him alone (2 Sam. 6.12-21). Reading that account always leaves me with a sense of yearning to enjoy that same kind of release. I was blessed and liberated to experience a taste of that at the gathering. 

After the worship, feeling a rejuvenation and refreshment of spirit that I hadn’t felt in years, I found a seat beside a sister whom I’ve known for decades. We connected in a way we never had before. We were enjoying each other and giggling on occasion about one thing or another, and then enjoying prayer together. Another woman joined us, whom neither of us had met, but it made no difference. All our prayers were in sync and blessed. All one in Christ.

Then came the benediction and dismissal. Yet, because I was still basking and reveling in the presence of God, I felt zero desire to leave. I found a dear brother and friend whom I have known for over 20 years. I put my arm around him and he put his arm around me and we just stood there, kind of feeling, “Isn’t this amazingly great?” and yet neither one of us said a word. No words were necessary. Such freedom! And again I’ll say—”Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 

Folks were invited to come to the front to receive prayer, as it was clear the Lord wanted to minister to His people in various and specific ways. How Kind and Caring and Personal He is! 

There was a moment which I found delightfully laugh-out-loud funny, where another leader from the front made a general announcement that those who wanted to leave were not bound to stay: “I heard a benediction somewhere in there about 25 minutes ago.” Still, few people left. 

Everywhere and every time I met eyes with someone I didn’t know/had never met, which was the majority, I felt love and acceptance for them, and an unspoken acknowledgement that we were all joined together in Christ, all recipients of His grace and salvation. I thought of a couple lines from an old hymn:

“Gimme that old time religion…makes me love everybody.”

Indeed, it does.

Ah, what a blessed place to be with God’s people with His presence showering us all with His blessings. Denominations, religious affiliations, style of dress—all irrelevant. Only Jesus mattered, and the Unity He blesses those with who give God the place of preeminence. All praise be to God.

Other Testimonies

“It was such an honor to help lead the time of communion alongside other local pastors—and even more powerful to witness how God showed up when dozens came forward for healing prayer. Some testified that their back pain and other ailments were completely healed! Seeing the gifts of the Holy Spirit at work—so tangibly and beautifully—deeply encouraged my own faith in a way I haven’t experienced in a long time. While you may read this with skepticism, this isn’t just a ‘charismatic thing’—it’s a Jesus thing. The promises of the New Testament are still true today. ”
— Rev. Kelly Fassett, Executive Director of UniteBoston

“What a beautiful time together.  I always expect our united prayer times to be good, but this was beyond what I expected.  Praise the Lord.  As Sean preached, when we love Jesus, unity is the result. When I saw all of the other pastors praying for people after the service had “ended,” God instilled a confidence in my heart and a trust that together we are the Lord’s servants doing His will.  We truly are one church in Jesus our Lord.”
— Pastor Dave Hill, Abundant Grace Church

“Our family left the service last night and my 8th grade son, Isaac, said with great enthusiasm, ‘That is one of the best and most powerful services I have been to.’  We all agreed that this was a result of the love and unity in the room centered on worshipping and responding to Jesus.  I am thankful to have the privilege of contending with other pastors for Jesus to be glorified in our city!”
— Pastor Sean Richmond, Antioch Community Church

In Illo Uno Unum: On a New Pope and Christian Unity

“As Bishop of Rome, I consider one of my priorities to be that of seeking the re-establishment of full and visible communion among all those who profess the same faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.” – Pope Leo XIV, in Papal letter released on Monday May 19

The recent election of Pope Leo XIV is a monumental moment in Christian history. Today, we’re honored to feature a reflection by Dr. Elizabeth M. Woodard, pastoral associate at Sacred Hearts Parish. Elizabeth is a Catholic theologian, musician, spiritual director, and author of Cruciform Ecumenism.

Below, she explores the power of the Holy Spirit to bind us together as one diverse Body in Christ, drawing from her experience in UB’s Christian unity cohort.

The selection of Pope Leo XIV this past week is an exciting event in the life of Christians worldwide. For many, it is a sign of Christian unity; for others, it is a stumbling block to unity. As a Roman Catholic theologian, I celebrate not just Pope Leo, but the office of bishop and the chair of Saint Peter in general, as a sign of unity among those who follow Christ. I believe that the office is the locus of the Church’s apostolicity, by which we claim not just any faith, but the faith Christ handed to the apostles. The succession of bishops and of popes demonstrates our continuity to the original, unchanged deposit of faith.

I know many of my brothers and sisters in Christ who belong to Protestant communions find the papacy divisive. The pope and the authority the Catholic Church attributes to him (as well as to all bishops), highlights the disparity between Christians who recognize that authority and those who do not. My Catholic ecclesiology is highly centralized. Christian communions who emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit more equally among all believers find the papacy to be a source of disunity among all Christ’s followers.

However, this isn’t the end of the story. I am filled with renewed hope for unity today than I have had in a long time. I was recently blessed to be part of a year-long unity cohort run by the Revs. Kelly Fassett and Devlin Scott of UniteBoston. It concluded with a retreat last weekend during which we finalized a “Beloved Community Lab” curriculum we had been working on throughout the year.

During the retreat, I was reminded of many of the reasons I am an ecumenist. I was reminded that the Church does not hold a monopoly on God; God is free to act in whatever ways he so chooses and through whichever people. I was reminded that God does, in fact, bless all the baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit to believe and to follow the Lord. This is a fact on which I believe both Catholics and Protestants agree. I was also reminded of the beautiful diversity among the body of Christ. During our weekend, we prayed on 1 Corinthians 12, that is Saint Paul’s metaphor of the Church (the Body of Christ) as a literal body.  How boring (and ineffective!) it would be if hands tried to be eyes, or ears, feet. 

I love my Church and I celebrate the newly begun pontificate of Pope Leo XIV. The first U.S. born Pope in the 2,000-year history of our Church, the 267th successor of Saint Peter is a Chicago Native who also later became a Peruvian citizen. He led the Augustians, a monastic order dedicated to the values of Saint Augustine, which includes “life in common.”

To this end, I recognize that even my own Catholic Church recognizes the unity among all the baptized. When someone already baptized becomes Catholic, the Catholic Church does not re-baptize them. They recognize the validity of all baptisms. Moreover, recent Popes such as Paul VI and John Paul II have emphasized the importance of ecumenism, writing, “Such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature. But the Lord of Ages wisely and patiently follows out the plan of grace on our behalf, sinners that we are. In recent times more than ever before, He has been rousing divided Christians to remorse over their divisions and to a longing for unity…” (Unitatis Redintegratio, 1).

Furthermore, our newest Pope, Leo XIV, chose for his coat of arms a Latin phrase, In illo uno unum, or “In the One, we are one.” It beautifully calls to mind the holy enterprise of ecumenical unity, and John 17:21, in which Jesus prays, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”

I pray that Pope Leo’s pontificate is one during which all Christians can remember and celebrate our unity in baptism, through which Christ claims us as his own and bestows in us the power of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit is not one of division, but one of unity, in which we all together call God “Abba!” This translates as “father,” or, more intimately, “daddy.” As we look to the Holy Father as the vicar of Christ who taught us to call God our Father, I pray that this era may be one of greater and greater unity among Christians. Though we disagree on certain matters of ecclesiology and theology, do we not together cry to God, in the name of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, “Abba?” 

I pray that God might help me see all Christians more clearly in their diverse beauty as my brothers and sisters in Christ, celebrating our uniqueness, our unity-in-diversity, much as we celebrate the variety of gifts within our friend groups or our families. May we all grow in holiness, and together seek daily conversion of heart and mind in the Holy Spirit, that we might be “one in the one.”

More on Pope Leo: 


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