I’m happy to share that Jane Heide will preach at Rainbow on Sunday, February 2. I’ve asked her to share about what makes Rosedale a beloved community. (Click Here for a map of Rosedale.)

Jane is in the process of retiring as pastor at Rosedale Congregational Church, a United Church of Christ congregation located at 4326 Lloyd, Kansas City, KS. Of course, just because Jane plans to retire doesn’t mean she will stop working for the peace and well-being of the Rosedale community. She plans to continue to advocate for the children and families at Frank Rushton Elementary School, the work of Rosedale Development Association, and the Rosedale Farmers Market, just to name a few.

To give you a glimpse into Jane’s lively spirit and courageous hope, here are a few Jane quotes taken from the November 2013 edition of Ramblin’ Rose, Rosedale Congregational Church’s newsletter:

I pray that the church will not say, “we can’t do that,” but rather say, “we can’t do that alone” as it seeks out partners to enhance,enrich and make possible each new endeavor.

My prayer is that all people who come through our doors will feel the love of Christ and sense of light of God surrounding them. And I pray that the congregation continues to extend that same hospitality toward each other with grace, mercy, humility, kindness, generosity and compassion.

I pray that we will stay unafraid…It is so easy to become fearful of the future, especially when resources seem small and outcomes are not guaranteed. I pray that the church continues to be unafraid to launch new initiatives and to try new approaches and new ideas in all aspects of its faith life, as it continues its journey of worship and service and love in the Rosedale neighborhood and beyond.

…It is easy to to think of what is missing rather than the abundance of what is present.

I have a feeling we can and will learn a lot from Jane! Hope you can come on Sunday.

And look for more posts in the near future about Rainbow’s work in the Rosedale community. I’m currently working on a post called “Train, train go away” about the infamous Rosedale Train Watches and Waiters. Stay tuned!