Many of us are interested in pursuing justice, but how do we pursue justice for the long haul? We can join an effort here or support a cause there, but then we get tired, burnt out, discouraged, or even depressed. There are so many broken systems in our world that justice-making can feel draining or hopeless. Yet, time and time again our heart responds to the injustices we see around us. We know something is not right and we know something needs to be done about it. What do we do with this dilemma? In Jesus, we see someone who pursued righteousness and justice and maintained joy and a connection with God even in the most dire of circumstances. Jesus, too, calls his followers to pursue a life of love towards God, our neighbor, and even our enemies. One gift Jesus gives his followers to accomplish that mission is The Holy Spirit. The Spirit is critical to the early followers of Jesus fulfilling the vision Jesus gave them. Might the Spirit be a gift to us as well? On February 17th and 18th, please join ECV for a weekend of exploring how we can pursue justice in a way that’s in response to a living God who gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit, including spiritual gifts. We’ll see how these gifts, especially prophecy – the gift of speaking words from God’s heart to others – are essential to a long haul pursuit of justice. We hope all who attend will leave equipped to live lives of ministry and love that are deeply entangled with justice and the power of the Holy Spirit. Our guest speaker will be Kathy Maskell, who runs the Steering Committee of the Vineyard Justice Network and is a Pastor of Discipleship at Blue Route Vineyard Community Church right outside Philadelphia, PA. Importantly, Kathy also co-founded Elm City Vineyard! Please come out and learn from this woman who has poured out so much of her life in service of others. Here’s some more info on Kathy: Kathy Maskell is the pastor of discipleship at Blue Route Vineyard Community Church, and she also leads the Vineyard Justice Network. Raised by Buddhist parents in San Diego, Kathy began her eastbound journey by first studying literature and poetry at the University of Chicago. While there, she got rocked by Jesus’s kindness and power. Kathy then pursued a teaching career, spanning from elementary to high school. While in New Haven, CT, Kathy worked for six years as the U.S. Advocacy Director of Love146, a leading anti-trafficking organization, and co-planted Elm City Vineyard Church. Kathy’s M. Div. work at Union Theological Seminary (NYC) focused on the study of abolitionist movements, developing Biblical resources on justice and exploitation, and analyzing poverty as a root cause of human trafficking alongside leaders of poor-led organizations. She lives with her husband Caleb, son Josiah, and daughter Emmanuelle in Media, PA.