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The Beloved Community Outreach
Outreach ministry is putting faith into action by intentionally reaching out beyond The Trees to help and serve others in practical ways. The Beloved Community at The Trees Outreach plays a vital role in demonstrating our core values of loving our neighbors and showing compassion. This year, our 5th Sundays Outreach program made significant contributions to The LGBTQ+ Center of Durham, Pauli Murray Center, and St. Joseph’s Breakfast Ministry of Durham. The 5th Sunday Outreac

Deacon Dan Laird
Dec 17, 20251 min read


Serving as a Deacon at The Beloved Community at The Trees
Serving as a deacon at The Beloved Community is one of the most grounding and meaningful parts of my life. It’s a role that constantly reminds me that service is not just something we do—it’s something we become. Every week, I get to witness quiet miracles: people showing up for one another, offering kindness when it’s least expected, healing, and finding hope in places where hope once felt thin. As a deacon, I feel both humbled and energized. Humbled, because I’m entrusted w

Deacon Dan Laird
Nov 17, 20251 min read


A Meditation on Hope
In the middle of all the chaos we see in the world that we inhabit, I have been thinking a great deal lately about hope. In the middle of...
Anthony Bishop
Sep 23, 20253 min read


Genesis 1 Reflection
When the world you know is crumbling all around you, what story do you tell? When the place you’ve called home your whole life has been...
revphillip8
Sep 7, 20253 min read


Wrestling with God
In the famous Genesis story of Jacob wrestling with God we read, “Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When...

Rev. Phillip Bass
Aug 17, 20252 min read


From the Deacon’s Bench
My reflection on how and why I serve at The Beloved Community at The Trees. After moving back to Durham two years ago, I felt lost. “Now...

Deacon Dan Laird
Jul 28, 20252 min read
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