Ktizo Friends and Fans: It has been a heartbreaking week as more lives were taken, stolen, in Orlando, Florida on Sunday. I was attending the Phoenix Pride Brunch on Saturday, celebrating the Pride Parade from April, celebrating the work and mission of the Phoenix LGBT Center, raising money for outreach and support to the LGBTQ community. The room was 500+ people of joy. People celebrating the fullness of who they were created to be. It was a safe place. It was a hope filled place. (I was personally WAY under-dressed for the occasion!). Then, in less than 24 hours, no less as we were coming into Ktizo on Sunday, we began to hear of the tragedy, the hate crime committed, of the many innocent and beautiful lives lost. I am sad, but I am not frozen. I am grieving the loss, but I am more committed to a place like Ktizo that stands up and stands proud to be a place of welcome and hope for all the people. Our people stood at the Diamondbacks game between every inning holding up Ktizo letters than spelled out KTIZO. One member rushed to church to put out our rainbow flag in solidarity and hope. I know you join me in our Ktizo commitment: we welcome all, not some and we ktizo: we work for transformation and hope and justice. Keep the faith with me and others. Speak up. Stand up. Love more. Hate less.

Pastors Nancy and Ted