Neighbors Immigration Clinic

We have some really exciting news to share…😁

We are starting an immigration legal clinic at Embrace! 👏👏👏 Neighbors Immigration Clinic will provide affordable, high-quality immigration legal services to immigrants in Lexington, Northern KY, Eastern KY, and beyond. Neighbors will be affiliated with National Justice for Our Neighbors, which has been effectively starting immigration legal clinics across the country for decades. Neighbors will become their 19th site, the first in Kentucky. We will donate space in our church for their offices and programs.

Over many years our church has developed deep relationships with immigrants who have come from many places throughout our world. Many have come to the United States fleeing horrific violence, poverty, and suffering. The immigration system in America is complicated and very difficult and expensive to navigate. Today immigrants are increasingly afraid and confused as they face prejudice, unfair stereotypes, and lack of compassion from our immigration system. The Bible is abundantly clear that we are required to show hospitality, kindness, and welcome to immigrants. Our Christian faith compels us to stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors through practical and effective action. We can’t sit on our hands and do nothing. Some folks from Embrace have joined up with others from across the state to make this dream a reality.

Neighbors is an independent nonprofit that plans to partner with organizations and individuals all across the state. Through conversations with community stakeholders we learned that there are significant gaps in affordable legal services for people seeking asylum and facing removal. Neighbors plans to assist clients in these situations while also hosting monthly mobile clinics in Northern Kentucky and Somerset. The plan is to expand to other parts of the state as the organization grows.

We couldn’t be more excited about this! 🎉

If you want to support Neighbors Immigration Clinic or learn more you find more information on their website:
https://www.kyneighborsclinic.org/give

EMBRACE HAS A NEW LOGO 👏

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of Embrace Church, a church-plant that started in Pastor Roz’s house, launched in the KY Theatre, and eventually made its way to our current location on North Limestone. Though we must acknowledge that the story our faith community goes back further than 10 years. The story of our church is the story of three different churches who have remained faithful to our community in North Lexington for many decades. When Embrace merged with The Rock/La Roca UMC in 2011, Embrace’s history was enriched and expanded by the legacies of two other congregations: Epworth UMC and The Rock/La Roca. Over the last 10 years we have honed and developed a distinct identity that honors the past while looking forward to who we can become. One thing will always remain the same: we will accept God's wide embrace and offer that same embrace to others.

Three years ago we revamped our values and our mission statement to reflect our growth and maturation as a congregation. Our six values are:

1 - Jesus at the Center

2 - Gritty Christ-Followers

3 - Comfortable with being Uncomfortable

4 - Keep it Real

5 - Neighborhood Focused

6 - Church=Diverse Family

Our mission statement is: “We are a diverse family of gritty Christ-followers who place Jesus and His kingdom at the center of all we are about. We risk real life together sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with our words and actions in our community in North Lexington.”

Thank you to Mark and Ciara Walz for helping us create a new logo that reflects our values and mission! ❤️

North Lexington Latino Festival

You are invited to join us at the 2nd Annual North Lexington Latino Festival on April 21, 2018 from 5:30-8:30pm at Embrace. We hope with this festival we can UNITE the Latino community and celebrate our wonderful culture! Not only do we want to CELEBRATE  our culture but we want to SHARE it with everyone. There will be live performances, games, music, food, and a free book giveaway.

-Adri Gomez, Co-Host (high school senior from Embrace & Common Good) 

Embrace Orientation Lunch

If you would like to learn more about Embrace and connect with new people you should come join us for lunch on Sunday, April 22nd at 12:30pm.  If you feel "new" to Embrace, or just want to learn more about how you can get involved, please join us!  It doesn't matter if you've been coming for a few days, a few months, or a few years!  Representatives from various ministries will be present to answer questions and share about their experience.  Please RSVP if you can make it! You can indicate you're attending on the Facebook event page or by emailing or calling Kristina at the church office: kristina@embraceyourcity.com or (859) 309-3862.  Though you can just show up as well!  

CHILDCARE WILL BE PROVIDED 😊

New Class and Sermon Series on Lamentations!

This Sunday we will begin our book discussion and sermon series on the book of Lamentations!  If you plan to attend please read pages 9-11 and 19-69. More details about the class below:

Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times

When: Begins April 15th (ends May 20th)

Time: 9:30 A.M. Sundays

Location: Chapel

Join Pastor John as he facilitates a discussion around the book Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times by Soong-Chan Rah. This will be a five-week discussion in conjunction with a sermon series on the book of Lamentations.

The American church avoids lament. But lament is a missing, essential component of Christian faith. Lament recognizes struggles and suffering, that the world is not as it ought to be. Lament challenges the status quo and cries out for justice against existing injustices.

Soong-Chan Rah’s prophetic exposition of the book of Lamentations provides a biblical and theological lens for examining the church’s relationship with the suffering world. It critiques our success-driven triumphalism and calls us to repent of our hubris. And it opens up new ways to encounter the other. Hear the prophet’s lament as the necessary corrective for Christianity’s future.

If you are interested in joining this new class, please send us a message, call the church office (859.309.3862), or email Kristina at kristina@embraceyourcity.com. You are also welcome to just show up this Sunday at 9:30am!