Pastor’s Letter September 10, 2025

Dear Grace Family,

It has been a joy for Rachel and me to begin our journey with you here at Grace Presbyterian. In just a short time, we have been blessed by your warmth, kindness, and the stories you have shared about what makes this community of faith so special. Thank you for the gracious welcome last Sunday and for the lovely luncheon following worship. We are deeply grateful.

At home, we are still living among boxes and slowly making progress. We have reached the stage of searching for those little odds and ends, such as my favorite grilling apron, the 100-foot extension cord, or the warm comforter we never needed in Texas. I know they are here somewhere, waiting to be found, and I will celebrate when I uncover them.

This Sunday in worship, we will hear two parables from Jesus about things that were lost and then found, the lost sheep and the lost coin. These stories remind us not only of God’s relentless love but also of our call to notice those who may be feeling lost. I would like to invite you to think of someone you have not seen at church in a while, or perhaps a friend who could use encouragement, and reach out with an invitation to worship, a note, or even a cup of coffee.

And if you are feeling lost in this season, please know that my door is always open. We are all held in God’s love, and together we can help one another find our way.

Peace, Grace, and Love,
Pastor Kevin

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A Word from Pastor Kevin

Dear Grace Family,

This first week at Grace Presbyterian has been both full and meaningful. As my family and I settle into life in Wichita, I want to take a moment to share a bit of my own journey from the past month. It has been a season of transition for us, filled with goodbyes, new beginnings, and sorrow.

We moved from Austin, leaving behind familiar places and our oldest child, Rowan, who continues to live there. We helped our youngest, Kiran, move into college in Massachusetts, sending them off with love and excitement for what lies ahead. On Monday, we received the sad news that Rachel’s birth mother, with whom she had reconnected as an adult, had died after a short battle with stage four cancer.

All of this has me thinking deeply about family. Not only about my own biological family, but also about the families that form around us throughout our lives: the friends, neighbors, and communities who nurture and care for us, who support and encourage us, who remind us that we are God’s beloved children.

At its best, the church is such a family. It welcomes everyone into God’s story. It accepts you as you are and where you are, while also encouraging you to grow and change. It is shaped and transformed by the Spirit working through our connection and community.

I am grateful to be welcomed to the Grace family. I look forward to learning your stories, discovering the families that have formed you, and seeing how God is already at work among you. I am eager for the ministry and mission we will share together as we grow in Christ and extend the love of this faith family to our neighbors near and far.

With gratitude in Christ,
Pastor Kevin

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A Word From Our Interim Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Steven M. Marsh

I was reading in Craig Groeschel’s Daily Devotional, Daily Power, the other day and was taken by this section in Craig’s reflection for August 15:

They call them the “dog days” of summer those weeks when the temperatures soar and make it impossible to enjoy being outside for long. The air scorches our nostrils, the heat burns our skin, and the pavement sizzles beneath our feet. You know cooler weather will come eventually, but in the meantime, you’re sweating buckets.

To be honest, I’m often stuck in the “dog days” of the news cycle about our world, country, state, county, and city. Something needs to break this cycle. And I believe I know the antidote.

Now is the time to increase our critical thinking skills to address the issues of power, justice, democracy, and leadership through loving, and God, and love others.

The good news of the gospel leads us to stand against hate. The good news of the gospel leads us to stand with the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and refugees. The good news of the gospel calls us to love all regardless of ethnicity, economic status, and yes, even those with different political parties than our own.

Are you stuck in the “dog days” of the news cycle about our world, country, state, and city? Exercise critical thinking. Engage justice issues. Confront the abuse of power. Support those who are experiencing relationship troubles. Discard anxiety and trust God. Esther did.

You too can exercise influence for the common good. It was the way of Esther. It is the way of Jesus. Critical thinking is necessary. Now is the time, my friends.

On the journey of Christian discipleship and spiritual formation with you, I remain faithfully yours,

 

Steve

The Rev. Dr. Steven M. Marsh

Interim Pastor

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From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Grace Community,

As I look to my final two Sundays with you, I write to answer some questions.  One question that I am asked is about my involvement with you and Grace when I am no longer your pastor. I can’t attend events or worship at Grace when I’m no longer your pastor, nor can I lead worship, including funerals.

I won’t stop caring for you and about you, but it’s important to draw these lines.  When I hear that you are sick or having surgery, I will pray for you, but I can’t call or visit. On occasion, you may see me in the church building when I come to volunteer with Alice’s Brownie Troop in the Fellowship Hall, and of course, I look forward to saying a brief hello.

In that same way, Wichita is not all that big, and I imagine that I’ll see you in town. There was a day recently when I saw three of you at Trader Joe’s on one shopping trip. When we run into each other, I look forward to saying hello.

Another question I get a lot is about the new call I’m taking: what is it exactly?  That’s a good question, and I’m not 100% sure. It’s a brand-new position, so I’ll be part of creating it. Of the 50 PCUSA churches in the Presbytery of Southern Kansas, fewer than 20 have pastors with MDiv degrees from seminary.  A few have Commissioned Pastors (like Scott Randle) who have taken seminary courses. The majority do not have consistent paid/trained leadership.

The good news is that they’ve found ways to be a church without a pastor. I hope to meet with them, learn what their goals are, and help to equip them to be the church in new ways.  Part of my call will be to connect them with other churches, as isolation is a challenge for some of these churches.

I will continue to pray for you, and I ask that you pray for me.

In Christ,
Catherine NB

 

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From the Pastor’s Desk

Dear Grace Community,

I want you to know about a conversation your Session has engaged with since June. The topic is our church’s welcome of the LGBTQ community.  I initiated the conversation out of a desire for clarity.

In 2011 the PCUSA (our denomination) removed the language from our Book of Order that prohibited the ordination of members of the non-celibate LGBTQ community.  I do not recall there being many conversations about this at Grace.  I, or another pastor, may have written a newsletter article about it, but those of you who were here then will recall that it was a time of huge transition at Grace, and our focus was more inward.

In 2015 the PCUSA added language to the Book of Order stating that marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love and support each other for the rest of their lives. It is also noted that no pastor is required to perform same-sex weddings, nor is a church required to hold one.

Our Session voted to say that we receive and review each request for same-sex weddings in the same way we do weddings between men and women and do not prohibit weddings because of sexuality.

Since that vote in 2015, we haven’t talked about this formally as a congregation or Session.  When I talk with visitors who might make Grace their church home, I share this history with them. For some in our congregation, this is all history; we talked about it, and we’re done.  For others, there is a desire to talk more.

I sensed that it was time to talk more, in part because when we don’t talk about something that people are curious or passionate about, the absence of words can be problematic.  I also know that someone looking for a church might wonder about these issues at Grace, and there is nowhere to point them for information.

After months of conversation, the Session has decided to create a statement of welcome to be shared on our website and in our weekly worship insert. This statement is still in draft form but essentially affirms what the PCUSA has said: that all people are welcome, and we choose leaders based on faith, gifting, and character, and not sexuality.  The Session votes on this in October.

I know that some of you long for more conversation and action, while some of you prefer that we not discuss this as a congregation ever again.  Therein lies one of the challenges of being a church.  I am reminded of what our Book of Order challenges us to be as a church, “a community of witness, pointing beyond itself through word and work to the good news of God’s transforming grace in Christ Jesus its Lord.”

I am glad to talk with any of you more about why I brought this up this summer or anything related to it.  Members of the Session are also glad to engage with you.

In Christ,
Catherine

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