In this episode of the Arise podcast, Adrian sits down with Hildy and Erica from the Arise team to discuss recent updates about the organization, personal experiences, and the importance of community care within the church. The mission of Arise is to strengthen churches so they can effectively and sustainably care for their congregations, ultimately building up the body of Christ and displaying God's character through their actions. The conversation begins with a warm welcome and a check-in on how everyone is doing, where they have been encouraged by growth. Hildy shares her excitement at being able to connect with more professionals in the area and seeing how God has been encouraging growth with Arise. Seeing people from different churches connecting through the collaborative gatherings has been very encouraging. She also shares some personal updates as she has been reading a book about breathing, and she explained how she has been learning to breathe properly and the surprising benefits of sleeping with tape over her mouth! This unique approach has helped her breathe more effectively and wake up with more energy. She notes, “I’m a little weird. It’s green tape, if you want to put a picture to it.” Erica shared her recent family vacation to Holland, where she connected with her roots by visiting her parents' childhood homes and schools. She expresses gratitude for the experience, saying, “It was really amazing. So I'm just feeling really thankful right now.” They also discuss the excitement of having relatives from the Netherlands visiting them soon, highlighting the joy of connection and hospitality. As the conversation shifts more towards the developments within Arise, Erica talks about the development of the care hub resource bank, which aims to connect people with various support services. This resource bank and research which they have been doing is helping to raise important topics within our church communities. Friendship is one example of this, in learning about the importance of friendship and what church-goers are hoping for through friendship.
This resource will help alleviate the burden on church leaders and provide a centralized place for support.
The discussion also touches on the importance of collaboration within the church community. Hildy notes that many people are wrestling with the gap between professional care and church support, saying, “I really feel that it’s just beautiful to collaborate with other people with the same vision, the same desire to see Christ’s Church thriving.” This reflects the heart of Arise, which seeks to foster relationships and support systems within the church!
Another theme that emerges is the concept of “church hurt.” They discuss how this term is gaining traction and giving voice to the experiences of many individuals, providing language but also requiring a deeper conversation to understand what people mean by “church hurt” or what their individual experiences are which cause them to bring that up. The language is there to help, but also requires more information and understanding through relationships. The team emphasizes the need for deeper conversations around this topic, encouraging listeners to ask questions and understand the nuances of each person's experience. There is such an importance for normalization and destigmatization, and opening that up from the pulpit or from the example of leadership can give space for people to be able to do that.
As the episode progresses, the team shares their excitement about upcoming workshops and collaborative gatherings. They express hope that these events will foster deeper connections and support within the church community. The conversation also highlights the importance of prayer in the church community. Hildy shares that prayer teams are developing in various places, which she finds encouraging. “When we are in hard circumstances or going through a struggle in life personally or communally, the first thing we do is pray,” she says. This underscores the vital role that prayer plays in providing support and comfort to those in need.
Towards the end of the episode, the team reflects on the biblical themes that resonate with their work at Arise. Erica shares from Mark 11, where Jesus emphasizes that His house should be a place of prayer. She connects this to the mission of Arise, stating, “We would be those people in the churches where somebody new or somebody different or somebody walking through something… that we would be a place of welcoming and a place where questions are welcomed.”
Hildy echoes this, drawing from her readings in the Old Testament prophets, particularly Isaiah and Amos. She emphasizes the hope and love that God has for His church, saying, “How can we not have hope for the rest of what God has for the church for tomorrow, for the future?” The message of hope and encouragement is a central theme throughout the episode.
This episode of the Arise Canada podcast serves as a reminder of the importance of community, support, and genuine relationships within the church. The team’s passion for fostering care and connection is evident, and their insights provide valuable encouragement for listeners. As they continue to develop resources and support systems, the message is clear: the church is called to be a place of healing, hope, and love for all.
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