the Branch Church

the Branch Church We are a community of belonging and renewal. We’ll admit it. We’re not a church that has it all together. We make mistakes and have lots more to learn.

And yet, there are things that are true of the Branch that are examples of God's grace. Things that are clear signs of God’s grace and goodness. Here are some of those signs:

We are…

a church that views itself as a family more than a religious organization. We do this because this is how God sees us — adopted children and hairs — members of one body — everyone a necessary and needed part. a chur

ch that encourages people to take risks and offers a safe place to fail. We do this because we believe that it is only when we courageously chase after the dreams God has given us that the world (and our lives) are changed. a church that places a high value on authenticity. We do this because we know that life to the fullest is found when we let our guard down and stop wearing masks. a church that deeply values the next generation. We do this because we believe that children have something to offer the body right now — not just when they grow up. We therefore create specific ways for them to participate and contribute in our life together. a church that creates space for varying viewpoints. We do this because we believe that it is precisely when we listen to each other and wrestle with our differences that we are transformed. a church that actively pursues justice. We do this because we believe that God’s desire is to make all things new — to bind up the brokenhearted and care for the marginalized and oppressed. a church committed to restoring hope. We do this because many of us, and many we know, have been hurt or disillusioned by the Church. Therefore, we long to be a place where people can heal and find their imaginations rekindled. a church that sees itself as sent. We do this because we believe that God doesn’t call us to be consumers, but instead to join in God’s restorative, reconciling work. a church that strives for unity in the essentials of the Christian faith, liberty in the nonessentials, and in all things charity [love]. We do this because we take Jesus seriously, who said that the world would know us by our love for one another.

CREATE Registration is open! Sign up today and then invite friends, neighbors, family members... We can't wait to fill o...
05/04/2026

CREATE Registration is open! Sign up today and then invite friends, neighbors, family members... We can't wait to fill our building with creativity!

CREATE 2026 registration is OPEN!!!!! We've got some fun new classes this year, along with some old favorites. Register today and inite friends, family and neighbors!
https://branch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3623543

The third section of Dana's book, Hope A User's Manual, is titled "Hope Lives in the Body". But, as she writes, so does ...
05/02/2026

The third section of Dana's book, Hope A User's Manual, is titled "Hope Lives in the Body". But, as she writes, so does trauma.

"We can find our way to hope, but there's no mental shortcut. Healing can happen, but it relies on our being willing to acknowledge the pain and live in the genuine ambiguity for a while. We rest. We weep. We dance and run and box and bike. And we find glimmers of promise."

There's no mental shortcut to healing. We must feel all that our body holds. Hope - yes. But also the pain. The confusion. The disappointment. The fear.

Doing our best to make room for it all is the way through.

It's a truth we'd probably prefer wasn't true: "hopeful people know, safety isn't a part of the deal. Discomfort isn't a...
05/01/2026

It's a truth we'd probably prefer wasn't true: "hopeful people know, safety isn't a part of the deal. Discomfort isn't a sign to stop. It's a sign to lean in further."
-MaryAnn McKibben Dana, Hope A User's Manual

This reminds me of the tough-to-face encouragement we receive in Romans 5: we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Hope is not separate from difficult or pain. It's not something that shows up when everything seems to be going as planned. It's a profoundly gritty gift.

Hope helps us to lean in. And as we lean in, things don't get easier. But we do get stronger. Our capacity to persevere grows and our character deepens.

Like many middle-aged folks, it seems, I've fallen for birding. Their colors, calls, and resilience are awe-inspiring. W...
04/30/2026

Like many middle-aged folks, it seems, I've fallen for birding. Their colors, calls, and resilience are awe-inspiring. Which is why my heart breaks when I hear a bird fly into one of our windows. We've taken steps to minimize these crashes, but it still happens.

Sometimes the bird flies away, seemingly unaffected. Other times, they remain on the ground - standing, but completely stunned. Doing their best to gain their bearings as they remain motionless.

There are moments in our lives when we are merrily flying along and without warning we run headfirst into a glass wall. Moments when we are thoroughly taken aback, left with little sense of what is up or down.

In those moments, when hope feels like it has evaporated into thin air, we would be wise to be still and silent. To not rush back into action, but graciously give ourselves time to simply be. For hope and the strength it brings are often born out of stillness.

Stillness can feel like an out of reach luxury in a frantic world. And yet...we can cultivate it.

What would it look like for you to spend 5 minutes each day in stillness? When would you do it? Where? What are the barriers to regularly incorporating stillness?

When we are angry, we can inflict great harm. And when left to fester, anger can devour us from the inside.But anger can...
04/29/2026

When we are angry, we can inflict great harm.
And when left to fester, anger can devour us from the inside.

But anger can also be a gift (a hard realization for a good and proper Christian like myself to grasp).

Anger - even rage - can "give us the courage and strength to act. It is a rightful, bodily reaction" (Hope, A User's Manual by MaryAnn McKibben Dana

What has been your relationship to anger?
Do you buy the idea that it can be a gift?
How might anger help us take action - embody hope - in this upside down world?

Because hope lives in the body (not just in our mind), we need to take care of the precious gift that is our finite clay...
04/27/2026

Because hope lives in the body (not just in our mind), we need to take care of the precious gift that is our finite clay jar (to quote the apostle Paul).

To do that, it might help to differentiate between self-care and self-comfort.

To Quote MaryAnn McKibben Dana, “In other words, there is feeling better (self-comfort), and there’s getting better (self-care). You can’t do the latter without plenty of the former, but the former often isn’t enough in itself.”

What are some of your go-to self-comfort practices? What about self-care?

Address

973 28th Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI
49508

Opening Hours

10am - 11:30am

Telephone

+16162431388

Website

https://linktr.ee/thebranchchurchgr

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