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To be Open & Affirming means that our congregation has a deep and abiding commitment to honor the worth, dignity, gifts, and ministry of ALL of God's children, including those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender and to their inclusion in the full life and leadership of the congregation, just as Jesus would have us do.

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Please Visit This Website:  www.couragecampaign.org/Divorce

This is an incredible website and video regarding the pain of what is happening in California following the passage of Proposition 8 and the efforts to nullify marriages that have happened there.

I co-officiated at one such marriage, of my beloved friends Gerry and Allen, last August.  I ask you to watch this video and sign on to not only stop the efforts to nullify the marriages that have taken place, but to repeal Proposition 8. 

Pastor Allen

www.couragecampaign.org/Divorce

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God Doesn’t Make Mistakes
By: Michelle Brown

How often have you heard this? How often have you said this? God doesn’t make mistakes, and that is the truth. So because a person is different they are not one of God’s creation. I disagree. We are all God’s Children. We are all different. Some people are tall. Some like me are short. Some are homosexual. Some are heterosexual. Some are transgender. Some are sick. Some have a disease. Some have cancer. So, who are we to pick a choose which are God’s and which are not. Who are we to act like God. God doesn’t make mistakes remember. We were all placed here to open the eyes of the world.

Yes, we are different and yes, we do all belong to God. God doesn’t care what we are, He cares about who we are. We are His children. And are differences makes Him love us even more. People care about what we are. People judge, name call, make fun of, harass, and assault. God does none of that. So as people who are we to turn to another person and tell them what we are is wrong and God doesn’t make mistakes. We criticize each other and then put God in where He doesn’t belong. If God has a problem with me, He would of told me. Just as the world has a problem with me and the world tells me.

The world takes away our rights, makes it hard to live in a good neighborhood and tells everyone who will listen how wrong we are. But God, God just loves us and hold us closer. So next you go to judge someone make sure you remember it is you judging and not God. After all, God Doesn’t Make Mistakes. But people do.

[Pastor's Note: The above was written by Elder Michelle Brown, who leads our Children's Worship & Wonder program in response to our church becoming Open & Affirming last fall.  Thanks, Michelle!]
 

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Resources provided on this page are intended to help our congregation in its discussion of issues of critical importance to our faith.

 

Read the remarks Pastor Allen made at the November 15 rally at the Free Stamp protesting Proposition 8.  Click HERE!

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Resources: 

[See below for Organizations - Books/Articles - Websites - Same-Sex Marriage]

Organizations:

Gay, Lesbian & Affirming Disciples Alliance

New Resources for Open & Affirming Churches and Supporters
http://www.gladalliance.org/oaa.html

> Open & Affirming E-Mail List
The Open & Affirming Ministry Team has set up an e-mail list server for Open & Affirming Churches, their members, as well as for those who wish to know more about Open & Affirming ministries or to help their own congregations more towards becoming Open & Affirming.

This e-mail list will allow you to communicate with the community simply by e-mailing to the list. You can receive e-mails as they are sent, or in "digest" form, which is a summary of the day's e-mails to the list.

Click here to sign up for the list.

If you have questions or problems signing up, e-mail us at glad@gladalliance.org .

> Facebook Group
The Open & Affirming Ministry has also started a Facebook group. If you haven't been to Facebook yet, it's a social networking site that enables users to connect in all sorts of ways. If you have been to Facebook, you already know what we're talking about.

If you are already a member of Facebook, you can connect to the Open & Affirming Ministry Facebook group by clicking here.

If you are not a member of Facebook, you can check it out by clicking here.
 

The Institute for Welcoming Resources

http://www.welcomingresources.org/index.htm

Denominational representatives of the Welcoming Church Movement created IWR in November 2002. The purpose of this ecumenical group is to provide the resources to facilitate a paradigm shift in multiple denominations whereby churches become welcoming and affirming of all congregants regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. IWR wants to help build church homes that are truly welcoming and nurturing, where everyone knows “they're okay, just like they are.” In early 2006, IWR became a program of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, through a formal merger.

IWR's vision is that of its sponsors, the welcoming church programs. The task assigned to IWR is to provide or assist in the production of resources to make possible this paradigm shift in Christianity.

It will do this by:

the development, production, and distribution of resources to support the welcoming church movement
the development and planning of conferences and training events designed to inspire, empower, and equip members and leadership in the welcoming church movement
the expansion of networks and the creation of coalitions within and beyond the welcoming church movement.

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Books & Articles:

A Resource From Pastor Allen:

Article From the January/February 2008 issue of DisciplesWorld on Ordination, click HERE

The God Box by Alex Sanchez

[Click on the book cover to see more info, and to order.]

I *highly* recommend this book as a simple, readable, and yet crisply intelligent introduction to being gay and Christian.  While it is a "teen novel," it will be an excellent gift for adults who still can't understand how the Christian faith can fully embrace in an affirming way its lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members and worshippers.

In a manner that is not at all preachy, the characters cover much ground in biblical interpretation, cultural understandings, family issues, and congregational politics. It is a must read. It was recommended to me by one of the youth in the church which I serve, and it helped inspire her to be a leader in her high school's GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance).  You go, Samantha!

~ Pastor Allen

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Websites

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Same-Sex Marriage/Holy Unions

Read the remarks Pastor Allen made at the November 15 rally at the Free Stamp protesting Proposition 8.  Click HERE!

To hear a magnificent commentary by Keith Olbermann, click HERE or on the picture below.  To read the text of Mr. Olbermann's remarks, click HERE

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27650743/from/ET/
 

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