In the beginning of February, I attended a Community Building Conference in Detroit MI. The Community Building Team (CBT) is a group of leaders in the North American Region of the SOS (Sword of the Spirit). The goal is to assist and form new communities throughout our region.
The first day of the conference was for those of us on the CBT to have a day set apart to pray, seek the Lord, get to know one another and hear talks to help us in our work. On Friday the leaders from the ten communities that are in formation arrived. We were also joined by the brothers and sisters who will move this summer to Kentucky to "Plant" a community. This is the team that Brendan Murray spoke to us about at our January Prayer Meeting. The Brotherhood of Hope plans to start building community in Orlando, so Br. Ken Apuzzo and Br. John McCabe were in attendance. There were about 70 of us including 3 babies!
The work of community building is personally very rewarding and inspiring. I have been serving on this team for about eight years. I currently service as a Missionary Senior Women Leader (missionary) because the community is in formation, with Br. Rahl Bunsa in Columbus, Ohio. This community started as a result of SPO on the Ohio State campus. I travel out once a year to visit, and I pastor two of the Sr. Women leaders.
It was inspiring to spend time with brothers and sisters, many who have left their home community to start a new community. Please pray for them as they follow the Lord in making this generous gift of themselves and their families!
- Christina Buganski, Senior Woman Leader of the People of Hope
The attendees of the Community Building Team Conference