Personal change is hard, organizational change can be even harder. This book tells the story of a small church leaving its denomination because its leaders and some if its members felt it needed to change. I started attending the church in the fall of 2016 after that year's presidential election. I was looking for a welcoming community where I could make friends and find support for living in our complicated world. I had been friends with one of the pastors for several years and was always curious to hear how he talked about his church and the ways it was changing. I listened to some of the sermons via podcast and decided to see for myself what Sanctuary looked and felt like. For the previous 25 years I had been a "none," someone who did not participate in church life. Since attending a Christian Origins history class in college I was interested in spirituality and how it can be organized in a religious group, but nothing came my way. The defining issues that kept me away from church were conceptions of "sin" and the need to prescribe to a certain checklist of beliefs. Also my LGBTQ+ friends were often not treated well by church organizations and this made me uncomfortable in these spaces.

"Sanctuary" the book discusses and struggles through, how to become a welcoming and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ people. The candor they share, including texts and emails from the time, is commendable. Who wants to share struggles so publicly? I'm glad they did. It helps me understand their spiritual journey and the steps they took to create a space my friends and I enjoy. This book may be useful for other churches looking to create change. It also fits with books written by authors like Brian McLaren, Richard Rohr, and Kate Bowler.