NEWS
GLIMPSES
Sunday Gatherings
We meet together weekly on Sundays from 10 AM – 11:30 AM in the Coleman Community Center. Our time together includes scripture readings, prayers, a sermon, communion, and an invitation to (bring your own) picnic and play outside at the tables and playground on the campus. Children are full members of our community and are welcome to stay with their parents/caregivers or join the community of children (ages 2+) for our Godly Play program from 10 AM -11 AM. All children rejoin the grown-up community at 11 AM for song, prayer, scripture reading and communion. The picnic meal is a continuation of our worship (and a continuation of the Eucharist) and all participants in the service, as well as guests, are invited to eat with us and even join in the clean-up before the meal. Weather permitting!
The Pastors
Reverends Emily and Caleb Haynes Co-Lead Pastor Kaleo. The couple seeks to lead by example and equip the church to do her inner work as well as the work of ministry. Together we want to come into unity as Christ’s body in and for today’s world. To find out more about Caleb and Emily read about Kaleo’s supportive relationships.
Giving
Giving money to support the ministry and church community is a part of our community practice of worship. Giving can happen on Sundays or online and money is used in alignment with our core values and the priorities we have set. A team of 5 Kaleo participants and 1 pastoral representative serve to set budgets, track income and expenses, and report back to the community.
All Believers
The arch of the narrative of the Bible gives us clarity about how the church can function. One important part of this is the call for the people of God in the world to be the “priesthood of all believers” (1 Peter 2). Practically, that means that we don’t function with pastors who do all the pastoral care, all the teaching, all the serving for our church community. Instead, our pastors serve as spiritual and practical guides as we seek to become the body of Christ together, each serving as a part of that body in the world and for each other.
To support children ages 3-12 in connecting with the presence of God already present in their lives and in the world, we utilize the Godly Play method and curriculum. This program allows us to embody the postures of wonder, connections, and reflection with our children’s precious and fragile faith. Godly Play is a montessori-style Christian education curriculum developed by Jerome Berryman that implicitly teaches the practices of building and sustaining Christian community, deep wondering about the mysteries of God, fluency in the Biblical narrative and chronology, and a child’s identity within the larger community of the people of God throughout history.
Other Things
Sunday’s gatherings don’t sum up our community life, but are rather one expression of it. Often the first step into Kaleo is through a Sunday service, but the strength and value of our Christian community life and witness happens every day of the week all across South Nashville. Connecting deeply in neighborly ways through serving the community, caring for each other, mutual support, living locally, and being vulnerable with sharing needs and surpluses is the heartbeat of any positive and life-giving love seen in our gatherings. It is entirely possible to be a part of this community and not conform to commonly held beliefs or behave in prescriptive ways. We love our neighbors and want them to belong. Find out more about this.