about us
Our mission is to liberate spiritual seekers from
the constraints of the Institutional Church,
empowering all people to fully embody the unique image of God we are
created to be.
Many people of faith know the parable of the prodigal son. In this famous narrative, jesus tells the story of a man who had two children. The younger of them asked his dad to go ahead and give him his inheritance and traveled far away from home. On the journey, the prodigal made mistakes, had fun, learned lessons, and wandered far away from home. Many would say this prodigal was lost.
But not all who wander are lost.
What if our life is meant to include seeking, wandering, doubt, questions, mistakes, and frustration with our situation in life?
The prodigal needed to take this winding journey to understand themselves and find the center of who they are. after much wandering, the prodigal felt a desire to remember the unconditional love that has always been there. On arriving home, the prodigal is not shunned for their wandering or shamed for their journey to UNDERSTANDING, instead they returned home to open and loving arms.
There are many of us that have stories SIMILAR to the prodigal when it comes to religion and church. We may have stepped away from faith because the church didn’t allow questions or doubt. We may have been on a long and winding path to self discovery, a journey many christians may shame. yet, this journey is what helps us come to the realization that we have never truly been out of the reach of a home that brings peace, understanding, acceptance, and unconditional love.
CORE VALUES
Inclusion
Social Justice
solidarity with the marginalized
Community FOCUSED
Dialogue centered
Non-judgemental space
LeadERSHIP with Vulnerability
Intimate worship experiences
deep friendships
liberation for all people
Our team consists of people who have been frustrated by the church, harmed by the church, are queer and been kicked out of the church, had too many questions about faith, or find themselves identifying with being ‘spiritual’ but not ‘RELIGIOUS.’ From a wide variety of backgrounds, our team has a desire to create brave space where people can be authentically who they are and be loved exactly as they are in a faith community.
We can be a loving community anywhere and we don’t need four walls to do it. Methodist founder, John Wesley, left the confines of the church’s walls to preach in the fields to thousands of people who were seeking a spiritual home. As Methodists, we are still called to this kind of radical faith, in which we can unconventionally practice a way of faith that is expressed organically through communal acts of love, service, worship, and expressions of a joy filled, abundant life.
the JOURNEY
THe labyrinth is an ancient christian symbol that represents the path to spiritual enlightenment, the life journey of the hero.
SYMBOLICALLY, it shows us that life’s journey is challenging, filled with ups and dowNS, twists and turns. Unlike a maze, which has dead ends, the labyrinth is ‘unicursal,’ with only one path that leads to the center.
No matter where we are on our spiritual journey, we want you to find a faith life that resonates with the center of who you are, the very image of God.
Meet the pastor
Rev. Laura Byrd is the adult discipleship and outreach pastor at grace avenue united methodist church in frisco, tx and has a passion for doing life with people who question, want to explore faith, and want to have deep conversations about god. She received her master of divinity degree from perkins school of theology at southern methodist university in may 2022. She also holds a master of sacred music, master of music, and bachelor’s in music education from baylor university. She loves all things dogs, singing, walks in nature, trees, meditation, yoga, reading, live music, and craft beer. laura is passionate about being in ministry with those who are on the margins of societY and works toward anti-racism, women’s rights, queer rights, migrant rights, and the liberation of all people.
she considers herself a prodigal, a person who has taken a long and winding journey to find the center of herself, and thus, the divine. She wants to co-create a space in which people can freely question, discuss intellectual ideas, and stand up for their values through the lens of their faith life.
laura lives in denton, the hipster capitol of texas and has three very needy (but cute) chihuahuas. she would love to grab a coffee, cold brew, beer, or beverage of your choice any time and listen to the story of your spiritual journey.
You can dm laura on socials or email her at lbyrd@graceavenue.org. let’s hanG!
the prodigals
the prodigals
MEET OUR SINGER SONGWRITERS IN RESIDENCE
Vaughn Faison & Gabby Carr
Vaughn Faison, originally from Upstate NY, is a professional musician, worship leader, and the tenor 1 in the popular dallas based A CAPELLA group Kings Return. He is often making and teaching music, playing tennis, or searching for the world’s best breakfast sandwich.
Gabby Carr, originally from buffalo, New york is a professional musician and songwriter, as well as graduating in 2024 with her masters in counseling from the university of north texas. She can often be found playing with cats, singing, putting together a killer fit, or giving the best advice you never knew you needed.
Vaughn and Gabby are cat parents to two beautiful and sneaky kitties, mushroom and may.