I would like to thank the Church House Staff and Bishop Chane for the opportunity to speak with you about this vibrant new ministry. I also want to thank The Rev. cannon Preston Hannibal, the committee of Sacred Grounds, St. Thomas' Parish, and St. John's Georgetown for making this ministry possible.

My name is Dustin Cole and I am the coordinator of Sacred Grounds. For the past year Sacred Grounds has created a space for people in their 20’s and 30’s to come together in worship and to socialize with people from around the diocese. It has helped to build-up relationships among young adults from different parishes which have given us a greater sense of community in the Episcopal Church.

My new friend Dan, who is a cradle Episcopalian, recently moved to Washington and attended Sacred Grounds. Since then he has become not only active in the church, but has made numerous friendships with other young Christians because of this opportunity to meet people. Likewise, my friend Kate travels 45 minutes to Washington from Germantown to come hangout at church for Sacred Grounds and has met new friends.

On a typical first Friday, we meet at St. Thomas’ at 7 pm for a Taizé service filled with candles, incense, and prayer, which helps to bring about calmness on a busy Friday night. Afterwards we meet downstairs for food, drinks and conversation. We also have local artists that display their artwork the first Friday of every month. And as simple as that may sound, it has been a place where Christians can come together to simply get to know each other. And it has been a place to welcome people who don’t attend church or have felt alienated by their religious upbringing.

I remember hearing one story from a friend about Charles who attended Sacred Grounds and was blown away that it was possible to be both gay and Christian, that one can fully embrace both aspects of their being. A friend Vijay kept saying how remarkable it was that Christians embraced the world, and weren’t afraid of it, and how that made him want to come to church.

Just by gathering and being the church on a Friday night in Dupont Circle, we are helping to grow the church by connecting each other in friendship and creating sacred grounds for when we meet outside of the church. We are growing the church by drawing in cradle Episcopalians like Dan who have recently come back to church, people like Vijay who have never been to church, conservatives like Zach from Mclean Bible Church, liberals like Samantha who have given up on church, and even people like Charles who find healing in reconciling their sexuality with their spirituality.

If you want to find out more or join in this cutting edge ministry, please stop by the Young Adults Ministry Network booth in the back. Pick up a brochure and say hello. Thank you.

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