I Have a Gift For You...

By A2CC Church in bulletin — Jun 23, 2026

Ann Arbor Community Church

I (Pastor Hannah) shared this Sunday about a gift I'd like to give y'all this fall–

I'd like to cook for you once a month
I'd like to set a beautiful table where spiritual friendships can grow
I'd like to create space for us to explore and practice life-giving rhythms with God.
I'd especially love to pay someone else to watch your kids ;)

Why?

Because I believe your soul is worth space to breathe and transformation in Christ is slow, communal, crucial work.

Many of us know we want more connection with God. We know we're tired. We know we're stretched thin. We want to become more generous, patient, joyful, present, and courageous. We even know that we can't change our own hearts, but we can arrange our lives for transformation. And we were never meant to do that work on our own.

That's why we're launching Rooted this fall. Consider yourself invited! This committed community will meet for 8 Sunday nights (1/mo) from 5-7pm. Fill out this form to express interest and stay in the loop.

When I think about transformation in Christ, I think about snap peas. What do they need to grow? Good soil, water, sun. A trellis to grow up. Do they grow best planted solo or with others? With many others. Their tendrils attach to each other to support each others growth. Do they work super hard to produce fruit? Nope. The ancient spiritual practices we'll be exploring and trying out at Rooted are like the soil, water, and trellis for the snap peas - they create conditions for growth and fruit to come.

Rooted is for anyone who knows they want to grow closer to God alongside others (middle and high schoolers included!). It's not just for people who feel like beginners or people familiar with spiritual practices. Rooted is a community where we'll learn from each other and learn by doing.

Rooted will meet once a month at the church on Sundays from 5-7pm. We will share a potluck dinner and learn about & practice rhythms that help us give God our attention and train us to become people of love.

September 13: Formation Foundations
October 4: Scripture
November 1: Solitude / Practicing the Presence of God
January 10 : Sabbath
February 7: Self-examination / Confession
March 7: Fasting & Intercession
April 11: Ignatian Discernment
May 2: Creating a Rule of Life

Annie Dillard so brilliantly says, "How we spend our days, is of course how we spend our lives".

You're invited to join others this year in paying attention to how you spend your days, that you might spend your life being with and becoming like Jesus, for the sake of the world.

Again, here's the form to fill out to let us know you're interested and want to stay in the loop. Feel free to email (hannah@a2cc.org) or talk with me on a Sunday if you have questions about Rooted!

with you,

Pastor Hannah

Special thanks to: Kim Vantrees, Philip Vernon, Jen Paladino, Glen Hillaker, Susan Beaumont, Tyrone Kelsey, Maria Wyche and Gina Reed for their voice and leadership in planning and shaping this first iteration of Rooted.