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Spring Fling at Amazing Grace

Natalie Strait · April 14, 2016 · Leave a Comment

By Natalie Strait

This weekend Amazing Grace, the church I attend here in Baltimore, hosted its annual Spring Fling. I had no idea what to expect from it, details were vague, but intriguing, and the plan for a block party that would close down the road for the day was reassessed due to the gloomy and snowy forecast. However the pastor had been talking up since January to the point that attendance seemed mandatory! Despite the dismal weather the event really did turn out to be wonderful, about half and half church members and residence of the McElderry neighborhood around the church were in attendance. Booths were set up inside a large church gym space with art activities like candle painting, making yarn balls, and adding to a community art piece; local organizations many focused on sustainable and healthy living; and lots of sensational healthy cookout food. The emphasis was on celebrating the arrival of spring and strengthening the connections between the church and community; which they did in spectacular fashion! I don’t often see large church events that have something other than fundraising or evangelizing in some way as the primary goal. I don’t think there’s inherently any problem with these types of events but they tend to spread a more narrow view of the church to the community than what the church itself really represents. Events I have seen though, like this one, that allow for simple goals like community building to be at the forefront are vital to the health of a church and their relationship to the neighborhoods and communities that they are a part of. I am so thankful to be a part of this community at Amazing Grace this year, and I am so proud of the commitment they have made to be part of and partners with the McElderry neighborhood.

Young attendees eyeing up the impressive dessert cart

2015-2016

About Natalie Strait

Natalie is from —the city of four lakes, the home of the cheese-heads, the north coast, the Badger empire, and the place where the city bird is the plastic pink flamingo— Madison, Wisconsin. She graduated in May 2105 from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a degree in Anthropology that she really is not sure what to do with. She loved studying the intricacy of culture in school but discerning how to apply that knowledge to a career she feels called towards was a large part of what drew her to the Episcopal Service Corps. Her other passion is food justice and discovering as much as she can about the endless meanings that phrase seems to capture such as improving nutrition, increasing food access, and promoting local and sustainable agriculture. Apart from discerning a true vocation, and now that she is done with school and have a little more time she is also working to relearn what her hobbies are. At the moment she is focusing efforts on gardening, Frisbee, and drawing.

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/ˈɡɪliæd/
From Hebrew גִּלְעָד‎ (gil’ád)
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