Dear friends, Come one, come all!
You are invited on Sunday, April 27 at 11:15 AM to our first of three gatherings to learn more about becoming an Open and Affirming faith community.
St. John's UCC has always claimed to "be a church and a spiritual center that welcomes all." Now, we are formalizing that assertion by launching a process to be designated as a faith community that openly welcomes people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
April 27 is the first of three conversations in a journey toward adopting an Open and Affirming (ONA") Covenant, which we plan to develop and present for a vote at our Annual Meeting on July 27. If you aren't able to attend on April 27 in St. John's Fellowship Hall, join us for future conversations on June 1 and July 7. Bring your questions and perspectives. Or, email Pastor Nathan directly.
Below are the reasons we are pursuing ONA. We believe this is a learning opportunity; one more way of opening our hearts and minds and living in community with people who may have different philosophical ideologies.
Being an ONA faith community:
- reinforces our commitment to full inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQ+ individuals;
- creates a safe and welcoming space for all people, promotes belonging, and fosters a more just and compassionate community;
- ensures LGBTQ+ people feel seen, valued, included, and safe;
- affirms the identity and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals;
- recognizes the worth and dignity of LGBTQ+ persons;
- provides a space where everyone can flourish spiritually; and
- reinvigorates our commitment to work for justice and reconciliation.
We look forward to being in conversation with you about this process. We pray that God guides us as we discern this path together.
– The Open and Affirming Team (Mark Pass, Lee Baker, Gwen Smith Patterson, and Pastor Nathan)