Kathy’s family has called Sebastopol home for four generations. For her parents, the Community Church was the center of their lives. “My dad built tables that slid under the stage for potlucks, and my mom taught Sunday school,” she remembered. “They were on every committee in the whole wide world. My parents were a huge part of the apple pie tradition, and now that’s kind of my legacy too.”

She grew up in this church, and now her own children have, too. Some of her most meaningful memories come from church youth camps. “Camp Caz was pivotal in faith formation,” she said. “It was life-changing for so many kids. For my own children, it shaped who they are and gave them a place where everybody was accepted, and God’s love was very present.”

But as a young person herself, she sometimes longed for something different from church. “I can remember thinking, do we have to sing these old hymns and read other people’s words for liturgy? I wish it were a little more contemporary, less formal. It just felt too churchy and not spiritual enough,” she admitted.
 
She visited other congregations over the years, looking for a place that matched what she was seeking.

What kept drawing her back was the Community Church’s emphasis on justice and living out faith in the world. “For me, faith in action is where my awakening came. The humanity in all people is the most important thing Jesus brought to us,” she said. “I don’t sit around and meditate or read a lot, but I need to practice it—to walk the walk.” The church’s commitment to social justice made her proud to belong here.

Today, she is deeply grateful that Community Church feels like home. “I’m not embarrassed to say I’m a Christian. I can say I go to this church,” she shared. “I see the diversity of opinions and talents, the intergenerational bonds, and I just think—it’s a healthy church. It’s not boring. It’s a place where I belong.”

Her giving is both gratitude and legacy. “My mom and dad gave so much of themselves to this place, and I want to carry that forward,” she reflected. Over the years, she has led youth groups, spent countless summers at Camp Caz, and continues to serve through the apple pie project, stewardship work, and the many behind-the-scenes roles that keep the church strong. “Every gift supports the justice, inclusion, and community that make me proud to call this church family.
 
Written by: Linda Basso