Difference

This course explores what it means to follow Jesus in the face of conflict and see transformation through everyday encounters. A transformed world starts with transformed relationships. The course teaches three (3) habits to help us encounter others well, cross divides and see society transformed.

Jessica Hexter and Lakshmi Jacota are facilitating this 5-session course starting on Wednesday, 29 September in-person at Union Church, 7:30pm - 9:00pm. Please see our leaders' bios below. 

Register with us to secure your place at Difference. 

About Union Church's course leaders 

Jessica Hexter

During my middle school years I first experienced God’s tangible love through a Korean American church in Los Angeles.  With both spiritual and physical feeding, this church kindly embraced my family - a struggling immigrant single mom with four children. 

Over 22 years of married life, Andrew and I have moved 10 times, seven of them being international.  Through ALL those transitions, God has again and again used His people and Word to comfort and minister to me.

Union Church has been a particularly special place with dedicated people willing to serve and be His light for me (2008-2013 & 2017-present).  On top of the vibrant Sunday worship, various life-giving opportunities throughout the week have brought me to a place of deeper understanding and relationship with God.  What a tremendous blessing the body of Christ has been and all thanks be to God!

Last spring about dozen of us took the “Difference” class and pondered upon a topic that is so relevant and inevitable in our everyday encounter; ‘‘what does mean to follow Christ in the face of conflict and see transformation?

Co-hosting with Lakshmi Jacota, I am humbled, trusting that God uses us as a channel for His blessing to the body of Christ just as we have been richly blessed. I look forward to listening and discovering together how we can cross divides, disagree well, practice forgiveness, and be the community that God has called us to be.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37-39

Lakshmi Jacota 

I am an early morning worshipper – at the 08:45 service – which means I don’t often meet very many others at Union, unless through small classes or the Ladies’ Dinners and Retreats. 

Earlier this year, I took the “Difference” class. It was stirring and stimulating, and provoked insightful and thoughtful discussions on how we, as Christians, could deal with conflict.  Now, Jessica Hexter and I would like to co-host this for others. Not because we know anything better, but because we found it useful in building faith in everyday life. And also, because we had such a good time together! 

By way of background, I come from a united church in India, with a strong Anglican influence. I became Romanian Orthodox when I got married and now simply see myself as ecumenical. I work for a local NGO and have a passion for people, politics and the Psalms.