New Role Emphasizes Nurturing Community and Cultivating Family Connections
Second Congregational Church of Greenwich (2CC.org) is pleased to welcome Jennifer Byxbee to its leadership team as Minister of Care and Connection. A Greenwich resident and longtime advocate and champion for children and families, Byxbee will lead the church in the ongoing work of cultivating an even stronger community of belonging and will build on the practices of loving and serving one another during this time of evolving new norms. Her first new initiatives include a Youth Spiritual Arts Weekend, August 28 and 29, and Children’s Chapel on Sunday mornings beginning September 12.
Byxbee is a May 2021 graduate of the Chicago Theological Seminary Ministry Preparation program. An active member of the Greenwich community, Jenny also serves in a leadership capacity with the Greenwich Sentinel Foundation and most recently served with Greenwich Chaplaincy Services during the pandemic.
Introducing the new ministry and Byxbee’s role, Reverend Maxwell Grant, 2CC’s Senior Minister, underscores the importance of an accessible and welcoming church. “We’ve long understood that working with children and families is one of the most important expressions of our ministry. At the same time, we are increasingly recognizing that it’s getting harder and harder for families to make faith formation a priority, even when they’d really like to do just that. Offering a Christian education is only one component of creating something much larger and harder to get your hands around – someone’s experience of knowing they belong.”
Reverend Grant continues, “Belonging to something – that is what we at 2CC have always stood for. Now we are trying to do it in a world exhausted and fragile after a year of such tremendous disruption, and when we are so exhausted and fragile ourselves. The need for church at its best has never been greater. The challenge of doing it well – with magic joy and deep commitment – is also tremendous. That’s why we are so blessed to have Jenny joining us.”
Byxbee was the Executive Director of the New Canaan Teen Center and the Director of Children’s Ministries at Round Hill Community Church. She is most known to the community for her time with the Town of Greenwich as the Youth Services Bureau Administrator, where she was honored and recognized as a Community Health Hero by Greenwich Hospital, Youth Services Bureau Administrator of the Year with the state of CT and with the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce Michael Dunn Quality of Life Award.
Says Byxbee, “I am deeply honored and touched to be called and to serve the Second Congregational Church of Greenwich. I very much am looking forward to meeting and getting to know and loving each member of the congregation. I believe God has called us to love one another.”
Pictured are Jenny Byxbee, Second Congregational Church’s new Minister of Care and Connection with Senior Minister Max Grant and Associate Pastor Shawn Garan. Photo credit: Bob Capazzo
To experience the extravagant warm welcome of 2CC, please join us for family-friendly, music-filled weekend services Saturday evening or Sunday morning, including a new Children’s Chapel. Learn more at 2CC.org. Second Congregational Church of Greenwich supports the individual paths we all take to strengthen our Christian faith. To meet the many needs of our community, we offer an array of in church and livestream services, ministries, ongoing activities, fellowships, special events, worship music and children’s programs. If you would like more information about this topic, please call Max Grant or Jenny Byxbee at 203- 869-9311 or email max@2cc.org or jenny@2cc.org
