Sacred Reflections
This week’s sermon, “Sacred Reflections,” will be an in-depth look into the experiential truth, trauma, and resilience of communities of color who have endured colonialism, gentrification, and white supremacy in the twin cities and abroad.
Join us for our final summer Sunday this Labor Day weekend. Worship begins at 10 a.m.
Order of Service: September 3 Order of Service
Listen to the Sermon:
Offering Recipient: MUUSJA (give here)
Guest Ministers: Pastor Danny Givens, Jr. and Rev. Laurie Pound-Feille
Pastor Danny Givens, Jr. is the Senior Pastor of Above Every Name Ministries, a young cutting edge congregation in the Twin Cities that prides itself in being a “Church for the People.” As an advocate for Racial/Social Justice surrounding the systemic issues Blacks & People of Color face daily, Pastor Danny devotes his time and energy to the #BlackLivesMatterMpls Movement in the role of Clergy Liaison. Among the litany of organizing strategies, actions, and non-violent demonstrations as a frontline activist, Pastor Danny has brought together both traditional and non-traditional faith leaders of diverse backgrounds to the table of faith, race, and intersectionality in faith and justice work.
In addition to his BLM work, Pastor Danny is one of the Founding Members of Black Clergy United for Change (BCUC) – a collective of black clergy committed to the work of Racial Justice and Social Transformation in urban communities and abroad. After receiving his B.A. in Christian Ministry from Bethel University in 2011, Pastor Danny completed a three-year residency as interfaith minister at Unity Church Unitarian in St. Paul in 2016. At Unity, Pastor Danny began to explore and deepen his convictions as an inclusive aspirant interfaith leader through the co-facilitation of Beloved Conversations, an experiential curriculum that provides a space to re-form/fuse the brokenness of racism into new patterns of thought and behavior. Alongside the frontline activism work, Pastor Danny has provided racial justice consulting for Temple Israel of Minneapolis, Mt. Zion Temple of St. Paul, Minnesota Rabbinical Association, St. John Neumann Catholic Church of Eagan and created a praxis for faith leaders looking to deepen justice work from the pulpit and beyond. Currently Pastor Danny is pursuing an M.A. in Leadership Studies with a Concentration in Social Engagement from Meadville Lombard Theological School.
Reverend Laurie Pound Feille moved from the warmth of Texas to the frozen tundra of Minnesota in December of 2012. After serving churches and doing church “the same old way” Pastor Feille jumped at the opportunity to serve as the Senior Minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Minneapolis. First Christian Church is one of the three partner congregations of SpringHouse Ministry Center.
Pastor Feille graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University in December 1996 and was ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in January 1997. She served as Senior Minister in churches in the Fort Worth, Texas area before throwing away her cowboy boots for snow boots and serving First Christian, Minneapolis. A native of Mississippi, Pastor Feille has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi and had a career in Sales and Marketing before answering the call to ordained ministry. She is currently scheduled to graduate in May 2018 with her Doctor of Ministry degree.
Pastor Feille has served on numerous committees and boards and has been a director/counselor/ keynoter at retreats, camps and conferences as well as an adjunct teacher in Homiletics at Brite Divinity School. She has a passion for leading trips that help to expand people’s worldview and has been and/or led trips to Bosnia, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Kenya, Paraguay and many places in the United States.
Pastor Feille’s partner is the Rev. Dr. Bryan Feille, retired professor, Brite Divinity School. Their family includes two adult children and their partners and four grandchildren. She also claims her two beautiful rescue Greyhounds as her children!
