June 24, 2021

BPFNA Summer Conference

The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America – Bautistas por la Paz is a network of progressive Baptists throughout North America whose mission is “witnessing to God’s peace through justice, working together until it comes.” Lakeshore has been a partner congregation with BPFNA for decades. I have taken youth to their Peace Camps in Oregon and Atlanta, the latter of which was a profound journey of Civil Rights history. BPFNA has lifted up Lakeshore’s sanctuary work in its newsletters and will feature this work in a workshop at its upcoming summer conference.

I encourage you to attend BPFNA’s 2021 Virtual Summer Conference Beyond Barriers: Soaring in the Spirit will take place on August 28 at 2 p.m. PDT. Its keynote speaker will be Rev. Doug Avilesbernal, Executive Minister of Evergreen Baptist Association. This gathering will span continents and cultures, uniting local communities and spanning language differences to center us in the ongoing, life-giving work of the Spirit in which we participate. The conference will remind us of the larger Church in which we participate and renew us in our work of being the Church in our multiple and diverse contexts. You can register for the Conference here or at www.bpfna.org. To make the conference accessible to all, Lakeshore has purchased a group “watch party” package. Please contact me for the code, which will cover registration fees.

In addition to its Summer Conference, BPFNA is hosting 40 days of workshops leading up to the conference. Lakeshore’s Sanctuary Working Group will lead the workshop Sanctuary For All on July 23 at 2 p.m. This zoom work-shop will feature Lakeshore’s Sanctuary work over the last four years and en-courage other congregations to get involved. Please join us to learn more about all we’ve accomplished in the past few years and be inspired by how this work has allowed us to soar with God’s spirit of redemption and renewal. You can register for this workshop here, or at the link above.

I hope you can join the BPFNA family as we move beyond barriers and soar in the Spirit this summer!

Peace,
Pastor Allison