Following up on “Open and Affirming”
About 30 people stayed after church Aug. 7 to attend the first discussion of the Open and Affirming Working Group, “Starting the Conversation about LGBTQ with Family and Friends.” The purpose of the discussion was to gain a basic understanding of commonly referenced Biblical passages that people use to argue against the LGBTQ community. The Open and Affirming Working Group was encouraged by the discussions, questions, and feedback that the conversation brought.
Be on the lookout for handouts and other resources to continue the discussion and education process, as well as future Open and Affirming Working Group events. This group’s purpose is to revisit our Open and Affirming status to make an explicit welcome to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Most ONA covenants also welcome other communities that historically have been excluded or marginalized by the church. We want to make that promise as a church. Additional resources can be found on the name-tag credenza in the church lobby.