“We are in an era where those in power are trying to legislate queer people out of existence. One of the common justifications for this violence is Christianity. The United Methodist Church taking steps towards the full inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQ+ people is a way to challenge the legitimacy of this argument.” — Josie White The United Methodist Church’s 2024 General Conference started this week, and we are asking LGBTQ+ Christians and allies to — Read. Pray. Share. — alongside the stories of our LGBTQ+ siblings in the United Methodist Church as they fight for inclusion within their deno ..read more

“What began as an impassioned plea for LGBTQIA+ inclusion from my own experience as a gay candidate for ministry on a secular undergraduate campus, has unfolded into a ministry of care for the very people our denomination has excluded.” — Rev. J.J. Warren The United Methodist Church’s 2024 General Conference started yesterday, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, and we are asking LGBTQ+ Christians and allies to — Read. Pray. Share. — the stories of our LGBTQ+ siblings in the United Methodist Church as they fight for inclusion within their denomination. This global conference is where they can vote on pol ..read more

“Although I had witnessed many highly public trials, being a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, I needed to know — whatever the risks — that I had done everything that I could do to let that young person know God loved them, and to help my church proclaim as much publicly.” — Rev. Hannah Adair Bonner Last week, we started the Looking Forward campaign, where we are asking our community to — Read. Pray. Share. — the stories of our LGBTQ+ siblings in the United Methodist Church as they head into the 2024 General Conference. This global conference is where they can vote on policies tha ..read more

From April 23rd through May 3rd, United Methodists from all over the world will converge in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the 2024 General Conference. General Conference is a space where delegates come together to vote on policies that will govern the denomination until they can meet again, shaping the lives of United Methodists worldwide. This is a gathering that has been postponed for the last four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of equitable internet access for all voting members worldwide. This upcoming conference is the first meeting since the called 2019 General Conferenc ..read more

We celebrated Trans Day of Visibility last week on March 31st. Trans visibility is important because in the current global and national political climate, trans and gender-expansive people often experience negative forms of visibility, such as discrimination and oppression because of their identity. Trans and gender-expansive people are also often victims of hate-crimes. In the United States, there are currently over 400 active pieces of legislation that are being considered which discriminate against or deny healthcare to trans and gender-expansive individuals. Many of these bills harm adults ..read more

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! On Easter Sunday, churches around the world joyfully proclaim the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not that Christ has risen but that he is risen. We refer to Christ as "our risen Lord." While the disciples only knew that Christ had risen from the grave, we have 2000+ years perspective to know that Christ is risen and continues to be present in our midst. This year, Easter Sunday and Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) share the same date. While Trans Day of Remembrance memorializes those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia, TDOV celebrates t ..read more

Today we spend time with the death of Jesus. The Romans have mocked and tormented him, they have hung him on the cross, and they find Jesus dead before the others he had been crucified with. Death can be difficult to understand and cope with and we must also acknowledge that without Jesus’ death, there could be no resurrection. We must sit with the fact of death on Good Friday before we can know the joy of Easter. One of Jesus’ last acts on the cross is to tell his mother and the disciple whom he loved that they are now a family. (John 19:26-27) Mary, mother of Jesus, takes this beloved disc ..read more

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy Week. You may have participated in a Palm Parade at the beginning of a Palm Sunday service or your place of worship may have decorated the space with palm fronds. You may even have seen pictures on social media of your friends waving palms as well. This celebration marks the stark contrast for what is to come at the end of the week, when the crowd is yelling, “Crucify him!” instead of “Hosanna!”. You may have had a time in your own life where you have felt like the crowd was cheering you on, and then everything changed in a split s ..read more

During the Lenten Season, we have introduced different spiritual practices that help us find connection with the Divine. We started with Lectio Divina, Contemplative Scripture Reading, and prayer and reflection. This week, we return to Lectio Divina while we focus on the passage where Jesus speaks about His death, as found in John 12:20-33.  Lectio Divina is a type of meditative prayer practice that includes a reading, a time of meditation, a time of prayer, and a time of contemplation. You will read the passage three times, with a pause after each one and a prompt for meditation and con ..read more

During the Lenten Season, we are exploring different spiritual practices that will help us engage with scripture in the hopes that the scriptures that we have read over and over again may reveal to us something new. Over the last few weeks, we have introduced Lectio Devina and Contemplative Scripture Reading. This week, we turn to a time of prayer and reflection while focusing on John 2:13-22.  We encourage you to read through the passage slowly, twice. While using the name for God you feel most comfortable with (ex. Divine Love, Creator, Gentle Parent, etc.) and one supplication or requ ..read more