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None of our communities is perfect, writes Kade Rogers. But imperfection does not cancel goodness. If anything, it makes the goodness more meaningful. (Shutterstock Photo)
Special to United Methodist Insight | March 2, 2026
Today was one of those days where I felt so many emotions.
This morning I helped lead youth group at Grace UMC. Then onto worship. Then our LGBTQ+ Advocacy meeting. Later, Theology on Tap at Dough Co Pizza. Then community dinner and worship at Southside Church and Community Center.
All in one day.
There were beautiful conversations. Brave ones. Young people asking honest questions. Adults naming things they have carried for years. Moments that reminded me why I said yes to this work in the first place.
I met strangers, that by the end of our conversation felt like friends. There were also hard conversations. The kind that are uncomfortable. The kind that make you sad. The kind that expose the gaps between who we say we are and who we sometimes actually are.
And here is what I keep coming back to tonight.
None of our communities is perfect. They are made up of people. And people are complicated. We misunderstand each other. We fall short. We bring wounds into rooms. We sometimes get it wrong.
But imperfection does not cancel goodness.
If anything, it makes the goodness more meaningful.
Because despite all of that, I saw courage today. I saw people choosing to stay at the table, or coming for the first time. I saw growth. I saw vulnerability. I saw a deep desire to build community where young people are safe, where voices are heard, where questions are welcomed, and where no one has to pretend they have it all together.
It is messy sometimes.
It is also sacred.
I am tired tonight. Some conversations still feel heavy. But I am grateful to be part of communities that are willing to keep trying. To keep learning. To keep loving imperfectly but intentionally.
Kade Rogers (Courtesy Photo)
Kade Rogers is director of communications at Grace United Methodist Church, and director of ministry at South Side Church, both in Des Moines, Iowa. He has been selected to represent the Iowa Annual Conference at the Council of Bishops' Leadership Conference in October, 2026. This post is republished with permission from his Facebook page.