February 2022
Mission: to Amplify Compassion by amplifying marginalized voices in our community, including those marginalized by their race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, or any others searching for equity. We will help challenge our congregation to amplify justice, mercy, and humility to create a more compassionate church.
Book Drive for DCDC and DWS

Join Dilworth UMC as we seek to diversify the bookshelves at Dilworth Child Development Center and the Dilworth Weekday School. Representation in the books we read helps shape our perspectives of ourselves and others from the earliest age. Understanding the experiences of people who are different from us develops empathy, respect, and allyship. Click here to purchase titles off of our wish list that feature diverse characters and themes.
Reflection – Anna Sink

I just love reading. I always have. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. Books are a major way of how I understand the world around me, and I remember specific instances growing up when books made a big impression on me. I remember reading A Little Princess when I was younger and imagining what it would be like to be left at a boarding school, destitute except for my imagination. I also remember reading The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 in about 5th grade and learning about what life was like for African American families in the 1960s. Reading these books about characters who were different from me allowed me to develop empathy and a wider perspective on the world. It also helped me see just how similar I was to them too. Gaining insights about difficult topics in a “safe” way – through books instead of personal experiences – is a privileged way of gaining knowledge, but an important one. 

That’s why I’m proud of Dilworth for hosting a book drive for our campus schools: DCDC and Dilworth Weekday School. I know Kelly and Lee Anna value teaching respect, honoring diversity, and fostering care for all amongst staff and students. The populations at our schools are mostly middle-class and white, which doesn’t necessarily mean burden-free and living cushy lives. But, including books about characters that are different from them helps our children develop a greater understanding of the people around them and the world in which we live. For those students who are in the minority, it’s crucial that they see themselves represented in books so that they realize they are not alone, weird, or lesser-than. 

It’s important to talk about issues like race, socioeconomic status, gender, ability, and other “isms” in age-appropriate ways. Picture books are some of the best ways to facilitate conversations and model that we value learning about and understanding all different kinds of people. I hope you will join me in supporting this project and invite friends and family to contribute as well. Click here to see the wish list.



Suggested Resources






Share – Are you interested in sharing a reflection in the Amplify newsletter? If you feel called to share a story, testimony, or devotion related to diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation, please reach out to Pastor Cade (cade.barefoot@dilworthchurch.org). The Amplify Team is open to all members who feel passionate about shaping our conversation and working for justice in and through Dilworth UMC. Please contact Pastor Cade to become a part of this important ministry.
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