Bryan Sullivan remembers when Pastor Gerry Anderson came knocking on his family’s door and invited them to join Advent Lutheran Church. That small gesture brought their family to church and kept them coming to Advent throughout Bryan’s youth. Time and time again, there were small gestures made - by the pastors, by adults at the church, by his friends in confirmation and on the church softball team, by his youth director, “the youth whisperer”, Greg Anderson, by leaders of Youth Quest Camp. All of these small things mattered to Bryan, and kept him coming to church and growing in his faith.
After he got married to his wife, Christine, they were living in Bloomington without a church home, and daughter, Hunter, on the way. Bryan remembered the way the community of Advent made him feel in his youth. He remembered those little gestures that really mattered to him, and he wanted his family to be surrounded by that same community of faith and love that he grew up in, so when they moved back to the northern suburbs, Bryan felt the nudge to return to Advent.
For Bryan and his family, Advent is two things: a place to work on spiritual health and a community to do that work with. Bryan appreciates Advent’s messages of grace balanced with the challenge to take care of one another and our earth. He feels like Advent gives him those constant little reminders of what it means to be a Christian and what he can do to be a better human being.
He has seen first-hand that little gestures matter. His daughter Hunter and son Ty loved just “hanging out” with Shannon Greelyand the youth group. His daughter, Hayden, feels seen and heard by Pastor Peter and her confirmation friends. Pastor Elizabeth did so many amazing little things to make his mother-in-law’s funeral very meaningful.
As people of faith, we are tasked to live out our faith in the world, and Bryan does this. He is a chiropractor, and in his daily worklife, he delivers the message to his patients that it is little things they can do that will help them with their overall health. He helps them by making small adjustments and is there for them when they need support on a regular basis. Again, in so many settings - little gestures matter.
Thank you, Advent, for all the little gestures you make on a daily basis to those in our community and in the greater community. Small acts of kindness, faith, and love really do matter.
