Four Years In!
- Andy Gray

- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Thank you!
I am so grateful for your engagement and generosity as we finish our fourth year of ministry at Catalyst for Harmony. There is much to celebrate this year and look forward to in the year ahead.
Sankofa is Growing
This year, we completed multiple Sankofa: Journey to Harmony trips. The trips take a tremendous
amount of planning and effort, but are so worthwhile. This year included a trip for 35 high school
seniors. I was so proud of the students as they grappled with our nation’s history of racialization, but looked forward with hope. We recorded footage and captured participants’ expressions of their experiences, and created a powerful video to share the concept and power of Sankofa with future participants. Take a few minutes to view the video
Flourishing Together
Our first cohort is in the books! We had 25 people from 8 different churches and ministries meet
together monthly for 12 months. Learning in a cohort like this has many advantages, but I want to share with you the three that stood out most to me.

1. Relational Depth: participants experienced the blessing of getting to know one another
holistically. In a day and age when many relationships remain on the surface, or we only
connect with someone in a specific context, it’s a blessing to get to know one another more fully.
Our monthly gatherings included time to talk over meals. Our extended time of traveling
together on Sankofa allowed us to share a depth of emotions that most of us keep hidden. Spending time outside our cohorts with our families helps us better understand one another, whole lives. I believe life-long friends and collaborators in ministry were formed.
2. Time to Learn: I’ve long held the conviction that discipleship best happens when we learn in a
“slow-soaking rain.” Conferences where a lot of material is presented can spark inertia and get
people moving, but true transformation takes time, adjustment, engagement, and practice.
Spending a year together exploring different learning styles of reading, watching, conversing,
and reflecting helps cultivate lasting differences.
3. Difference and United: The cohort was comprised of participants from various denominations,
neighborhoods, and ethnicities who ministered in a wide range of roles and in an array of socio-
economic contexts. Yet throughout the cohort, there was an encouraging increase in
understanding and unity. It was a blessing to experience and witness.
Cultural Agility and Racial Harmony Workshops
We led several Cultural Agility Workshops in the Twin Cities and Raleigh, NC. The training opens
hearts and minds to broader perspectives, cultivates cultural humility, and increases curiosity,
understanding, and empathy in relationships.
We developed and led our first Racial Harmony Workshop and received very positive feedback from participants, with one attendee expressing that it was the best training on this subject matter she’s ever participated in. We remain committed to the ethos of Catalyst for Harmony being scripturally rooted, gospel-fueled, contextually relevant, culturally expansive, and hope-aimed. As we enter 2026, we’ll carry forward the friendships forged, the lessons we learned, and the hope of unity and oneness in Christ that drives us.
Please consider including us in your year-end giving.
We are also seeking partners who will support our efforts through recurring monthly gifts, which are the sustaining lifeline of our ministry.
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Together, we can be the voices that promote healing and harmony in our cities and nation.
Thank you for being an integral part of Catalyst. Your support, your passion, and your commitment to our mission are what make all this possible.
Here's to a year of growth, impact, and flourishing together!
With warmth and affection,
Pastor Andy Gray
Executive Director




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