Forefront Church Blog
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Explore the blog for articles on faith, Christianity while still being progressive. We're an interdenominational faith community dedicated to cultivating a just and generous expression of the Christian faith in NYC and around the world. LGBTQIA+ affirming and anti-racist, we are more interested in good questions than good answers.
Forefront Church Blog
10M ago
Dear Forefront Church Family,
Over the years, our community has grown and evolved, and as we move forward into 2024, we do so with both gratitude for the past and anticipation for the future. In the spirit of our Disruption sermon series, we want to share a disruption that may bring a mixture of emotions as we announce some comings and goings within our Forefront Church family.
Firstly, after 4 years of dedicated service, Pastor Makenzie Gomez has decided it’s time to transition away from her role as the Operations Pastor on the Executive Council of Co-Pastors. Pastor Mak has been an i ..read more
Forefront Church Blog
1y ago
Rev. Venida’s sermon which kicked off the We Will Not Be Silent sermon series with a
spotlight on women - women who are courageous and unyielding - women who persevere
and refuse to be silent. Women who have for centuries used their voices and God-given
gifting to help transform and liberate lives. Rev. Venida encourages us to learn from their
stories and use our voices as well.
Dear Women,
In your quest to be heard, please remember that your voice does not have to be used for
one more, “I’m sorry.” You can’t be doing everything wrong.
Your voice does not have to be used for the all-too famili ..read more
Forefront Church Blog
1y ago
Last Sunday we gathered in person and online for a town hall where we shared updates on our finances, venue search, our values, and the all-church survey! The following is an overview of what we shared or you can watch here for part 1 and watch here for part 2 (since we got disconnected for a moment)
The Staff and Leadership team went through a process this year to update our Vision and Values
Much thanks to Jillian Nulton who served 3 years on the Leadership Team and is now rolling off. Phil Dickens who has served 3 years will be rolling off at the end of the year.
We just on ..read more
Forefront Church Blog
1y ago
Rev. Venida C. Rodman Jenkins
(adapted from a previous blog)
I’ve heard in person and through the grapevine – the same interesting comment about a triathlon I completed: “Venida can do this because she doesn’t have kids.”
Hubby Todd and I have also heard similar grumblings about our travels, and believe it or not, our ability to take naps. Really?!
So…. mothers do nothing but work – inside and outside the home – and take care of children? I would never want to minimize the huge responsibility of being a parent. As I observe their deep level of commitment to family, it seems as if ther ..read more
Forefront Church Blog
1y ago
Austin and I recently spent a week vacationing in Mexico City for a friend's wedding. While there we visited The Teotihuacan Pyramids. They were built 2000 years ago. That means while Jesus was walking the earth, on the other side of the globe, the Teotihuacan people were constructing some of the largest pyramids in the world. While touring the outside of the Temple and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, our guide shared that archeologists had recently discovered a sinkhole that led them to a passageway inside the temple. Inside, they found the remains of 200 human sacrifices that wer ..read more
Forefront Church Blog
1y ago
Thank you to everyone who attended the town hall virtually or in person and for taking the time to ask very thoughtful questions and provide suggestions. We wanted to respond to some of the questions from the feedback form. This form is still live and we welcome any questions, comments, or suggestions you may have. You can also email the executive council of co-pastors at ec@forefrontnyc.com
Is Brooklyn the only option for Forefront? What about other boroughs or even the great state of NJ?
We are really trying to stay in Brooklyn and keep our church accessible by train. Forefront did have a Ma ..read more
Forefront Church Blog
1y ago
By: Addie Stuber
I’ve dated many types of churches. The first was an emotionally distant, orthodox one from my hometown. During our honeymoon phase, we shared hymnals and luncheon casseroles, cooed at freshly baptized babies, picked candle wax off each other’s fingers on Christmas and wore matching pastels on Easter. His favor was a weighted blanket that pinned me to the pew. His disapproval echoed my superego; a long-suffering critic who merely tolerated me.
In college, I met a church obsessed with purity and saving people from Hell. He bought poster paper and markers from the campus bookstor ..read more
Forefront Church Blog
1y ago
We are Forefront Church.
That's all of us under this one roof, in person and virtually. You who attend in person and those watching online. The pastors to the congregation. All of us. Almost 11 years after our opening in 2012, we are still here. And we remain committed together in this project. What is this project exactly?
Forefront started out as a humble church plant trying to bring a fresh and more urban experience of the Christian faith to Brooklyn. But then something wonderful and terrifying happened in this spiritual home that we were building. We were called for ..read more
Forefront Church Blog
2y ago
Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month? Not “awareness” month. PRIDE month.
Mak and Tilly outside the Roulette
I love this shift in language. I have developed a number of chronic illnesses in the past couple years. Admitting to myself that I now have disabilities has been a challenge, let alone informing those around me. But something I’ve been learning is that there is power in claiming one’s disabilities. Advocating for myself takes courage, and I am proud of how I’ve begun speaking up for the accommodations I need to thrive!
So in honor of Disability Pride Month, I am excit ..read more
Forefront Church Blog
2y ago
By Venida C. Rodman Jenkins
As the director of a gender equity center which promotes inclusion and the eradication of all forms of oppression, I have also had the unique opportunity to utilize my pastoral role in support of students as they explore the intersections of their identities and seek a better understanding of who they are and how faith plays out in their lives.
Over the past decade, these conversations have swelled as our Center and other entities have intentionally focused training and programming on ensuring members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asex ..read more