Member Monday #1 — Open Worship

Hey friends! Welcome to our first ever Open Blog Member Monday. Here we’ll be taking the time to highlight some of the folks who make our community so special. This week, we’re highlighting two of our newest members, Em Manning and Sam Reeves. I’ll let them introduce themselves to you.

My name is Em (like the letter) and my pronouns are they/them! I hail from Highland Village, but have recently moved to Carrollton. My weekdays are spent teaching 6th grade Spanish and 7/8th Technology. When I’m not in teacher-mode I love to read, knit, crochet, spend time with my family and friends, and practice boredom.

My best friend and other half Layton brought me to Open in the summer of 2017. I love that I can be completely myself in a community without any omissions. I’ve been part of the college & careers group for over a year now and it is home to me.

I’m Sam and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I’m from Marshall, Texas, which is a fairly small town in East Texas, only about 15 minutes from the Louisiana border. I am a student at UNT, studying linguistics, English, and social sciences. I love reading, singing, playing the cello and piano, and baking

When I moved to Denton for college, I really wanted to find an inclusive church community, because the area I grew up in definitely wasn’t the most progressive of places. I visited Open for the first time on September 30th, 2018, and I felt immediately at home. I haven’t been to another church in Denton since!

My favorite thing about Open is the people. I’ve honestly never felt quite so at home and spent so much time around people for whom both faith and inclusion are as big a deal as they are for me. I decided to join officially because I wanted an outward statement of the fact that being part of Open marked a new chapter in my life, one where I could be unapologetically myself in a community of believers.

I’m absolutely obsessed with all things fantasy. The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and the Chronicles of Narnia are my favorite book series, but I’ve never been able to pick a favorite standalone book. My favorite ice cream flavor is Blue Bell’s Cookie Two Step because I’m indecisive and that way I don’t have to choose between Cookies and Cream or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. My favorite TV show is probably Doctor Who. I love Italian food, Chinese food, and Thai food (basically, if a dish includes noodles, I probably love it).

I can’t think of anything else I need y’all to know, except that I’m so so grateful for the community you made here. Thank you for giving me a church home I can cherish so deeply.