January 2, 2024

Connection to Psalm 33:11
Our theme verse is from Psalm 33, chapter 11: “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”

Psalm 33 is a joyful and celebratory chapter, beginning with familiar verses in Christian praise and worship: “Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous…sing to him a new song…praise the Lord with the harp… shout for joy.” (Psalm 33:1-3, NIV) — all aligning with our emphasis on celebration.

The chapter goes on to recall God’s unfailing greatness and His faithful love that sees us through every part of our lives, even our failures. This verse is a rallying cry for us to reflect on our 60-year journey as an organization, as well as our own individual journeys, while also looking ahead at the path before us – a path toward inclusion, accessibility, and belonging.

Summary of Theme Messages:

Our 2025 organizational theme is “Celebrate Every Journey.” This theme was created in collaboration with the Our Voices Matter Council, the Onward Communications Champions, and the Senior Leadership Team.

Here are some key points that came up as we were discussing:

  • We celebrate life as a whole: the ups and downs, overcoming challenges, and how we come out of hard times stronger and more connected.
  • We can be better at celebrating people while we are here together.
  • Throughout challenges, God’s love and faithfulness prevails.
  • It’s important to talk about our challenges so we can celebrate each other fully.
  • There is so much to celebrate – moments, milestones, awards, gifts, each other.

Connection to the Theme Logo:
When we were brainstorming images and pictures to represent “Celebrate Every Journey,” we kept coming back to monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies are famous for their long migration journey, traveling thousands of miles from North America to central Mexico each year. This remarkable trek, which spans generations, ties in perfectly to our theme Bible verse: “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Monarch butterflies know where to go even if it’s their first time – they are guided by the invisible path built into their DNA. The butterfly is also a symbol of resurrection and new life – a new life that is accessible and a new life where Everybody Belongs!