Danielle in Baton Rouge

  SCROLL DOWN FOR ENGLISH Bienvenidos al matrimonio de Alejandro Barrera & Daniela Thomas   ¡Estamos muy emocionados de celebrar contigo en persona y en línea! Gracias por hacer tiempo durante las vacaciones para estar con nosotros.   Si asiste en persona: no dude en llegar a las 5:10 pm al   Capilla Conmemorativa de Duncan 5600 Old Floydsburg Rd. Crestwood, KY 40014   Cuando llegue, busque su lugar en la capilla usando  los carteles con los nombres  colocados en los bancos. Asegúrese de usar una  máscara  mientras esté en la capilla. Estamos haciendo todo lo posible para seguir las pautas de Covid-19 en Kentucky y para mantener a algunos seres queridos vulnerables lo más seguros posible. En varios momentos, los novios y algunos miembros de la familia pueden quitarse las máscaras, pero si están en su asiento dentro de la capilla o se mueven hablando entre ellos antes o después de la ceremonia, por favor, ámense unos a otros manteniendo su máscara puesta. !   Si asiste en línea: con

 Hey everyone,  Just wanted to make a quick post about some amazing news: Alejandro & I are getting married over the holidays. We are very excited for our upcoming wedding, which will be attended by a very small group of family and our closest friends (current Covid-19 restrictions require 25 people or less!) on December 30th in Louisville, KY. I grew up in Kentucky - us traveling to my family, who will be a majority of the in-person guests makes more sense then inviting them to travel to Louisiana during the pandemic.  A brief bit about our story: Alejandro and I met through salsa dance classes in September or October 2018. Alejandro remembers a first conversation between us happening at a dance social...Danielle doesn't remember a first conversation, but remembers a dance social sometime in November of that year when she felt some sparks :)  CLICK HERE for a video of us dancing at a Valentines day social in February 2019...little did we know! Or maybe Alejandro knew (or hope

I have been grappling with how to say this for many months now. Do I say it in a social media post? In a blog? In a newsletter? In face to face meetings with friends and supporters? Does it need to be said at all? (I decided yes, it does). Instead of picking one option, I’ve had face to face and phone or text conversations with some friends, but I know it won’t be feasible to tell everyone this way, and I also know some people will want a deeper explanation that I can give most clearly in writing. (I am also happy to follow up with meetings, if you would like!)   So…here it is.  I have come to a place in my faith journey with Jesus where I am comfortable and confident taking an LGBTQ affirming position.  What does this mean? It means I affirm all people are created in God’s image and deeply loved by God regardless of our gender identity or sexual orientation. I think most of us would agree with God’s unconditional love, but many Christians believe that in order to enter into a relation

Wow! I last wrote a letter like this in December, anticipating a ministry transition from SportQuest to Renew Church. Of course, at the end of 2019, none of us guessed that as of March we would ALL be in a season of uncertainty and change (thanks to Covid-19). I am not sure what kinds of adjustments you have had to make, but the pandemic impacted my life and ministry in some surprising ways, as I am sure it did yours.  Pandemic Ministry Much of my pre-pandemic ministry was during after-school hours, but now I spend more time in Gardere during the regular workday (8-5pm). From March-May, my time was mostly dedicated to working with the Gardere Initiative to feed as many children as possible (ultimately, more than 500!). Since June, I have worked with the  Gardere Initiative  to help lead a youth summer program Monday-Thursday and deliver food (supplied by the public school system) on Fridays.  As Louisiana has slowly reopened, I added the Tuesday night Refuge program and one soccer prac

WELCOME and opening prayer.   Ethan Play a Song to begin with   Scripture reading (Romans 8) – Danielle reading   So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom Go