a spiritual community that feels alive

Vision

Dreams and Visions is a church in Baltimore that’s awake to the realities of our world and alive to the possibilities of God. We seek to pattern our lives after Jesus, that healer, agitator, and teacher who stands on the side of the oppressed.

We’re a church that’s open, queering, and welcoming.

Our faith lives go through different seasons. Whether you’re in a time of doubt, exploration, or awakening, you are welcome to bring the fullness of your experience to Dreams and Visions.

We are a progressive Christian community. Here, the Bible is not a rule book to be interpreted literally, but a library of stories from a diversity of times and places, through which God speaks to us.

Our congregation grows from the witness of LGBTQ+ folks. That does not mean you have be LGBTQ+ to attend. We are a place rooted in Queer identity, fully supportive of Queer identity, and reflective of Queer beauty.

Name

The name “Dreams and Visions” comes from the prophet Joel, who writes during a time of great devastation of God’s promise. Joel writes,

“Then afterward  I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

   your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.”

-Joel 2:28-29

In those days, prophesy was the role of just a few elite men. But God shows Joel a vision of God’s spirit poured out, not just on a few, but on everyone. Even those who are enslaved, Joel promises, will be filled with God’s spirit.

This passage speaks to a promise that is for everyone, no matter where you came from, who you are, or how others have judged you.

God’s spirit is poured out for all, and we are called each day to dream, imagine and envision what a world overflowing with God’s love would look like.

Divine Selfies! The Divine Selfie booth visited the Pride Festival and the Farmer’s Market. The selfie booth was the inspiration for our logo, reminding us that the Divine shines in each of us.

Story

Dreams and Visions started off with a dream, appropriately enough. Actually, not just one dream, but a few. Our Bishop Bill Gohl (as well as his predecessor) had dreamed of a new spiritual community taking root that offered a special welcome to LGBTQ+ folks. Emily Scott, now our pastor, dreamed of a congregation that was fresh, joyful, and justice oriented.

It turned out God shared that dream, and brought together Emily, the Delaware-Maryland Synod, and bunch of leaders, supporters, and congregants to imagine something new together.

After spending about six months listening and learning about the kind of spiritual community that might be needed, the fledgeling congregation held their first worship service in the Red Canoe. At that time, we used the provisional name #ImagineAChurch, while we learned more about what kind of community we were called to be.

By the second service, we had grown out of the cosy cafe and sought a new space at 3400 Norman Avenue, just down Harford Road. The church was planted in Hamilton-Lauraville, but we showed up to support justice work all over the city, from the Pride Festival to the street corner with Baltimore Ceasefire, to the steps of City Hall.

In November, 2018, we announced our official name: Dreams and Visions. And at the start of 2020, we moved to our new location at Rituals Bar and Event Space, located in the heart of Baltimore and accessible by public transit.

Dreams

Who knows what we might create together? We will hear one another’s stories, restore one another’s souls, be a community of love, fight for a more just world. God will show us the way.

Denomination

Dreams and Visions is a project of the Lutheran Church (ELCA). But you don’t have to be a Lutheran to take part in this community. Everyone is welcome, from all traditions.

Lutherans believe that no matter how far you wander or how far you fall, God can always find you, and is always searching for you. God’s grace is always close enough to reach.

The ELCA is a denomination that supports the lives and ministries of LGBTQ people and, does incredible work with refugees and immigrants. The local expression of our denomination called the Delaware-Maryland Synod. Bishop Bill Gohl, Dr. Amsalu Geleta, and the Synod Council have all worked together so that Dreams and Visions might come into being!

Spaces and Places

Before COVID-19 and the quarantine that came with it, Dreams and Visions met for worship (every Second and Fourth Sunday of the month) in a bar and event space called Rituals. Located in the station north arts district on North Ave, it’s a cosy space with room for creativity. The bar is closed during our worship service. Rituals has gender neutral restrooms and is wheelchair accessible. Parking is available on North Ave, and is usually plentiful on Sunday afternoons, and there are lots of public transit options!

During this season of worship, we gather every Second and Fourth Sunday of the month in a combination of indoor and outdoor settings. Dreams and Visions staff keep an eye on COVID data to ensure that community policies stay up to date. For now, we remain masked at all indoor gatherings. We are still singing, and we will do it only when we are outside and wearing masks. Each time we gather, we confirm safety preferences with those present to ensure that everyone is comfortable. As always, these precautions are intended to help all who join us feel at home.

Truths

At Dreams and Visions, we try to live these truths:

That there is a spark of the divine in each of us, and we are all, in our diversity, reflections of God.

That difference is a gift, not a problem.

That God’s dream for the world is wider than we can sometimes grasp.

That creation is good and we are called to care for it.

That to be human is to be broken, but wholeness can be found in God.

That Jesus came to bring truth and justice.

That we are called to speak truth and do justice too.