FROM SENIOR MINISTER, REV. DR. DANIEL KANTER
Dear Friends,
Our church is a living legacy, given to us by a handful of families who gathered in 1899 because they wanted to express a progressive religion in Dallas. Since then thousands have made this place into what it is now, a church that stands up for justice and inclusivity in a city that desperately needs it. Thousands have made this church into a cathedral that serves people who come from many miles away to those who watch sermons from the other side of the globe. This legacy lives in and through everything we do today, and it is time to do something important together.
Your church leadership, Board of Trustees, and Strategic Planning Team took your “Visioning Days” feedback and created a plan which reflects the biggest themes and hopes you expressed. Admittedly, it is an ambitious plan:
- It says we value sustainable growth and want to be a more welcoming, care-driven church in the heart of Dallas.
- It says we will be known for the ministry to our church community, our city, and the world.
- And, it says we have a responsibility to our city to be engaged and advance our justice work even further than we have so far.
The time has come to pay off debt and build up a reserve that sustains daily operations. We have ever operated with more than a few weeks in reserve, and this can change.
The time has come to update our campus and finally increase the use of the space that occupies the oldest part of the church. Channing Hall and the adjacent buildings can be reimagined and rebuilt as places which facilitate community, conversation, and a robust welcome.
We have the chance to utilize our weekday campus to shape a future generation that is steeped in our values of peace and justice, Monday to Friday.
We can interrupt the cycle of poverty by returning to our strength of addressing comprehensive sexuality in communities which desperately need information and mentors.
And we have an opportunity to make our church available to people wherever they are. A strong digital presence will ensure that everyone has access to this congregation and that our message reaches the world.
The most important thing you might do for the church is to consider the most generous gift you can, because together we can harness our collective power for the good of our world and live into the legacy that has been given to us.
We are excited to talk to each of you about our church’s future. If you haven’t heard from us yet and would like to schedule a time to talk with us, or to learn more about how you can volunteer with the campaign, email .
This year in our worship life, we are asking what tools we need to put Love First as a value in our city, in our day-to-day lives, and in our religion. If we only get this one life, this one world, what helps us put Love First?
