Friends,

Thank you, friends, for coming together in worship this weekend -- on Saturday to sing our friend Steve Spencer back to God, and on Sunday to celebrate the feast of Pentecost, when we baptized Eleanor Joan.

On Sunday we also blessed Huldah Niles as she takes her next steps toward the diaconate. Huldah's internship time with us is over, and she'll take a summer of rest before her assignment at St. David's in Minnetonka officially begins. We'll keep you posted about opportunities to join in her ordination service as we get the news!

With love,
Susan+

A Note from Huldah Niles, Deacon Candidate
Dear beloved people of Grace Episcopal Church,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for welcoming me into your beautiful community this past year. What a gift it has been to pray, learn, organize, laugh, worship, and dream alongside you all.

A very special thank you to Grace’s incredible Rector, Rev. Susan Daughtry, and to the amazing staff: Adam Reinwald, Sheila Foster, and Randy Bauer. It has been such a joy to work with loving, competent, and deeply kind people who answered my endless questions with patience and always made me feel that my voice mattered. I will genuinely miss our weekly staff meetings.

I also want to thank my wonderful Companion Team: Dick Justman, Jill Swanson, and Kurt Hall. Thank you for walking with me so faithfully during my time at Grace and for helping shape this important season of discernment and formation.

And to the Mission Team (formerly Faith in Action): thank you for welcoming me as a leader and collaborator in this work of outreach and justice. It was a true joy to help bring people to the table, build relationships, and discern next steps together. I remain deeply inspired by your compassion, creativity, and commitment to loving your neighbors well.

To the entire Grace community: thank you for taking the time to talk with me, share your stories, ask hard questions, and build authentic relationships. Those conversations mattered deeply to me and will continue to shape the kind of Deacon I hope to become.

I have now completed my nine-month internship with you all and have officially transitioned from Postulant to Candidate for the Diaconate. God willing and the people consenting, I will be ordained a Deacon in the Episcopal Church in Minnesota this fall. Once an ordination date is finalized, I will absolutely share it with all of you. I would love to see you there!

As Susan mentioned on Sunday, once ordained, Bishop Loya has assigned me to serve as the Deacon at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Minnetonka. While saying goodbye to Grace is certainly bittersweet, I also feel a deep sense of peace and excitement about this next call.

I also plan to continue organizing with Isaiah, and I sincerely hope to see many Grace folks at future Isaiah meetings, trainings, and public actions. The work of justice, compassion, and holy troublemaking continues!

Please know you will always have a friend in Minnetonka who is ready for coffee, conversation, organizing, laughter, and some good trouble.

Embrace the rainbow!

With love and gratitude,
Huldah Niles

Tags: Pentecost, Rev Susan, gratitude, Love