At our booth at Annual Conference, Womaen’s Caucus invited guests to write or draw their DREAMS FOR THE CHURCH OF THE FUTURE on colored stars. We posted them on the back of our booth and collected them at the end of the Conference. Here are some of the dreams Caucus friends shared. You can add your own dreams by commenting below!

THE CHURCH OF THE FUTURE...

Welcomes, Includes, and Empowers EVERYONE:

• I hope that everyone will be welcome into the Church of the Brethren.
• Inclusion, inclusion, inclusion
• I dream of a church where gender, color, age, sexual preference and creed make no different in our hearts, minds, and souls! God loves you all the time!
• As a lesbian, I would feel included
• For my children and future generations to be welcome and embraced by the church, no matter who they are, what they do, or where God leads them
• Inclusive, Equal, Loving, Global
• All welcomed!
• Multi-ethnic
• Each person will be truly welcomed and valued for her/his gifts
• All people feel equally welcomed
• All are welcome – unity in the image of God
• I dream of the day when we in the church learn how to respect the way that people live out their faith with integrity, no longer feeling threatened when it looks different from their own, no longer standing in the way of new practices emerging.
• An inclusive church
• To see people of all races and cultures in all churches
• Children to be encouraged and included
• May we turn away only those whom Jesus would
• All welcomed!
• Every one that knows about the church will come and feel welcome
• Every person is valued!
• To branch out in the world, meanwhile accepting and loving all people and all the people within
• That the CoB will adopt truly accepting, empowering practices for all of its members

Has A Denominational Name that Includes Everyone:

• A name which includes all
• Find a gender-neutral name so we won’t be embarrassed inviting women to join the denomination!
• An inclusive name

Works For Peace and Justice in the Church and in the World:

• Peace
• To work on world hunger in foreign nations with our continued support
• PEACE
• Love justice, Walk humbly
• No war and racism!
• No hungry people
• No more war!
• A Kin-dom of non-violent earth children of all stripes and colors
• I want the church to get really involved in seeking the justice that will enable peace to come about.
• Peace and prosperity for all people
• The continued pursuit of peace!
• My dream is for all of the world’s people to have exactly what they need to live comfortably and no more and no less. Most of all I wish for PEACE.
• Peace – accept every one
• Lots of peace

Provides Equality in Membership and Leadership:

• More ordained women
• When women will be respected as much as men in our church, society, and world
• BMC will have an exhibit every year – BRF will not longer “run” the denomination
• Honor BMC by allowing booth space
• No one questions women or men for leadership in churches
• That every congregation will welcome female pastors

Is A Church that Lives and Grows Together:

• To grow where we are planted and produce
• Keep on growing!
• That another way of living – with all ages and genders – will represent an alternative culture of love, service, mercy, and compassion. Known by their fruits for “Jesus is Lord” of all.
• Growth in the spirit
• I pray we will learn how to live the love of God for all people.
• For the church to worry less about survival and more about living with faithful integrity
• My dream for the future is our church will grow spiritually and in numbers.
• A Brethren Church in every state
• Grow!
• For the churches to grow bigger.
• Multiplicacion Santedad Amor

Is God-Centered:

• Every one love God
• We would be open to LIVING revelations of the Spirit instead of clinging to old
• A church that continues to be faithful to Jesus in the New Testament
• A great listening of souls
• Love is God, and the church is the community that shapes love to all.
• That each member will be a disciple in the community

Is Open to Different Models of Church:

• Out of the boxes – centered on Jesus – living the way – singing, storying
• House churches in small, intentional communities
• More progressive churches
• Being a member of the Church of the Children of the Same Mother
• A single peaceful united church in Christ

Is An Honest, Relational, Healing “Brethren” Church:

• Honesty
• I want the church to be nice
• Stay connected and united as a church so we will be strong together
• Everyone could be friends
• To include the healing arts as part of the church

Is Unique:

• Reach a higher vibration to the point where we do not live in earth anymore
• A church that remembers all the trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific voyages Brethren took to get here – chosen and unchosen.

Is Still Here:

• We are still here working for the betterment of all Peacefully, Simply, Together.

Share YOUR dreams for the Church of the Future through the Comments section below!