“Alright now,” the congregation chimed.

“—I’m not currently attending any church but this one—”

“Praise the Lord Saints!” shouted a voice from the choir.

“—and Sister Maureen invited me here today.”

Shiny black and brown faces stared back at us and smiled with approval. Then Tiny giggled nervously before speaking the first words I had ever heard her say to anyone but her baby.

“Hello, how you doin’ … I’m Tiny but my real name is Monica Young …”

“Take your time, sister…” the man in front of us mumbled while Monica giggled again.

“I’m from Chicago,” she continued once she took her hands from her face. “I used to go to Holy Trinity Fire Baptized Church when I was little, and I was invited here today by Sister Maureen.”

The church exploded into thunderclaps, welcomes, and praises with each new announcement.

“I’m Geraldine, I’m from Gary, I ain’t never been to no church but this one, and I don’t remember the name of who invited me.”

“I’m Catherine. I was born in St. Louis but I live here now. I was baptized at Ebeneezer Pentecostal Church and the ladies at the shelter where I’m staying brought me here today.”

Finally, it was my turn. I took a deep breath and rose up, making sure to pull down my purple and black striped dress in the back, and hoping nobody noticed I wasn’t wearing stockings. For a quick minute I was scared my nipples were showing through the fabric stretched tight across my chest. Then I remembered I had on dark colors so maybe nobody would see that. I had never spoken to a large group of people before, not even in school classes, so I just concentrated and stared at the large vase of fake flowers blocking out the altar.

“I’m Shivana Golding, and I’m from here. Right now I don’t belong to any church, but I like this one so far.”

The organist hit a few notes and almost everyone shouted, “Amen!” When I went to sit down, I heard the whole church start to chatter. I was so nervous from talking that I couldn’t make out what anyone was saying. Then Tiny tapped my leg and mouthed, “Who invited you?” I quickly jumped back up, forgetting about the back of my dress, and said, “Oh. Sister Maureen invited me here.”