I was delighted to spend the last few days of June in Clemson, SC with Lucy Stein, a young adult member of our Vinery Team, as we met with both our partner church at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and Alexis Carter Thomas, the Vinery Program director. (We were sad not to be joined by Judy Parsons, as she recovers from knee replacement surgery!) 

Clemson is a land-grant university, as is UF, and is apparently also well-known for its football team and the color orange (though a slightly inferior shade…). All joking aside, we had a wonderful few days, learning about the ways in which the campus and the congregation are seeking to serve the young adults in their midst, and to do the work of racial justice that is so critical to so many of our nation’s institutions, particularly in the South. We toured the campus and the campus historical museum, and were also given a virtual tour of the various cemeteries on campus. We also spent a good amount of time in the very hospitable space set up for students at Holy Trinity, where Lucy and I were the undisputed champions of Apples to Apples and, moreover, we reflected on the needs of our various campus constituencies here in Gainesville and how our congregation might support them. 

Please join us for further conversation about the Vinery program at the August 6th Sunday Seminar, where we share photos and reflections from this trip and our larger involvement in the Vinery’s inaugural cohort.