Gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community!
L’Arche was founded with Christian roots, and today, L’Arche NC is a nonfaith organization that welcomes people of all backgrounds. We partner with a wide range of religious and social organizations, which helps us live out our vision of being an inclusive community of communities. At L’Arche NC, we recognize that people of every belief system and tradition seek meaning, purpose, and belonging—and we strive to create a space where everyone feels at home.
Last Sunday, friends of L’Arche North Carolina joined Edenton Street UMC for worship. It was a beautiful Spring morning to share in community together. I had the honor of sharing a sermon; it was my first time doing so since L’Arche NC welcomed our Core Members and Assistants to move into the house. The lectionary text for the Sunday was Luke 13:1-9, the parable of the barren fig tree.
I’ve copied my sermon below; or, you can watch the YouTube clip, which also includes our L’Arche friends reading some of the prayers (beginning at 20:00), scripture, and assisting with communion.
Loving God, thank You for the gift of community – help us to receive Your Word today with open hearts and to grow in love for one another. Amen.
- The Fig Tree: Waiting to Be Seen
Beloved friends of L’Arche North Carolina, members of Edenton Street, and guests,
Today, we reflect on Jesus’ parable of the barren fig tree from Luke 13:1–9.
A landowner comes to a fig tree in his vineyard and finds no fruit for the third year in a row. He’s ready to cut it down—ready to write it off. But the gardener steps in with a plea: “Leave it alone for one more year. I’ll dig around it. I’ll fertilize it. Let me care for it, and then we’ll see.”
This parable is about more than a tree. It’s about how we respond to one another when we don’t immediately see results, productivity, or success. It’s a story of grace—and a call to faithful, patient, relational care.
Because the truth is: Gifts don’t grow alone—they grow in community.
At first glance, the fig tree looks like a disappointment. No fruit, no value—just taking up space. In a world that often measures people by their output, the landowner’s response feels familiar: If it’s not useful, remove it.
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Grateful for Partner Congregations
It's always a delight to partner with local congregations and organizations to share in the joy of inclusive and accessible community gatherings. Earlier this month, we joined Community United Church of Christ (CUCC) in Raleigh for worship. During this Lenten season, CUCC has focused on Creation Justice. Friends of L'Arche NC shared the scripture passage (John 9), and Tatum Tricarico, our Disability Theology & Justice Intern, preached a very moving and thoughtful sermon on Disability Justice. We are grateful for this opportunity to be in community again with this partner congregation to sing, pray, learn, and dance together. To view and listen to this worship service, including Tatum's amazing sermon, click HERE and select March 19. It was just one year ago, that we joined with CUCC for a very fun event to celebrate Mr. Rogers' birthday. It was an unforgettable community gathering as we made puppets, participated in hilarious improv skits, and enjoyed music and cake. Joy and love are always present at CUCC as soon as you enter their church. Our Board Chair, Stuart Harrell, also shared about L'Arche NC, and the importance of celebrating read more
Our Hearts are Full: Thank You St. Francis of Assisi Church
On Friday, March 17, we gathered with St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Raleigh for the Stations of the Cross: Disability Justice. Our Disability Theology & Justice Intern from Duke Divinity School, Tatum Tricarico, wrote reflections for each station that included joys and sorrows from a Disability perspective in connection to Jesus' journey to the cross. Participants were invited to notice the unique ways that God is at work with and through the Disabled Community. As we traveled through the stations together in solidarity with Disabled people, we prayed to move beyond the Ableism and discrimination that are often present in society. If you missed this gathering, we will offer the Stations of the Cross: Disability Justice again as a virtual gathering on Zoom on April 4 at 7:00pm. Click here for more information. At the gathering, St. Francis presented a $25,000 donation to L’Arche NC to support the establishment of our first residential home in the Triangle area! This donation is half of their three-year pledge to support L’Arche NC and our mission to create an inclusive and dignified community. We are incredibly grateful for the read more
Our New Website
Check out information about our site redesign!
You’re Never The Same
At my first prayer service at L'Arche, a long-term assistant welcomed me and said, "Be careful. L'Arche gets in your blood, and you're never the same." 26 years later, I still affirm that she was right. L'Arche is so much a part of me that it's like it's "in my blood."
Welcome Tatum Tricarico, our new Disability & Theology Intern
This month, we welcomed a Duke Divinity School Intern to L'Arche North Carolina. We are excited to introduce Tatum Tricarico.
Passion & Gifts
by Tammy Breeding, Board Chair L'Arche Fort Collins Recently I attended an event entitled “Y'all Belong Here.” It is an inclusive sacred space event collaboration by L’Arche Atlanta and L’Arche North Carolina. I love to attend, to make time in the midst of a busy day for a “soul break”, to focus on gratitude. The theme was Passion & Gifts. We were invited to ask ourselves questions, such as “What do you Love?”, “What are you good at?”, and “How can you use your gifts to benefit the world around you?”. For me, I love children, nature, music, and faith. I am good at collaboration, singing, organization, and communication. I can use my gifts to benefit the world around me through my involvement in L’Arche. I find that the more I receive from L’Arche, the more I want to give back to L’Arche. I have a son with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and one of the things I love about him is his childlike approach to life. When I look at the world through his eyes, I get in touch with my own inner child, and experience joy read more
A Welcome Like No Other
Last month, I had the opportunity to visit L'Arche Atlanta for a couple of days. Before I tell you about this amazing community, I'd love to share briefly-ish how I came to work for L'Arche North Carolina.
What a Ball!
Our L'Arche Community is growing! We had some new friends and familiar faces gather at the Durham Bulls game on Friday, August 12. We had a total of 29 people join us as we cheered on the Durham Bulls! Our enthusiastic cheers helped the Bulls win against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Winning was fun, but the best part of the evening was getting to know new friends. The night ended with fireworks -- which was fitting because we all had a BLAST! This community gathering was made possible by grant funds from the NCCDD Summer Program Grant. We are grateful for the ways these funds have helped provide opportunities to be and learn together.
