2021 Michigan Open and Affirming Experience

If you are:

• An Open and Affirming congregation
• Talking about becoming Open and Affirming
• Thinking about starting the conversation
• Wanting to explore how to be effective allies

There will be something for you and your congregation. Come learn what it means to be Open and Affirming and how to fully express extravagant welcome to all God’s children.

Open and Affirming (ONA) is the United Church of Christ's (UCC) designation for congregations and other settings who incorporate a covenant of affirmation to persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions, welcoming them into the full life and ministry of their faith community.

There are two tracks - one for churches in-process or preparing for an ONA process (1) and one for churches who are already ONA (2). All sessions will take place on Zoom and each will be interactive. Fuller descriptions to each session will be released later in January.

Here is the schedule for the day, in EST:

10:00 am Introduction and Welcome from the Michigan Conference ONA team

10:15 am Centering Prayer by Reverend Phiwa Langeni

10:30 am Session 1:

1. Skills and Resources for an ONA Process. Come for a brief walk-through of the best tools and resources for an ONA process, including 1-to-1 conversations. the BIC Toolkit, Consultants, and more. Led by ONA Program Minister Kimi Floyd Reisch (they, them)

2. Open and Affirming 201. Tips for Marketing, communication, evangelism, and advocacy for ONA congregations. ONA congregations that are visible and public in their commitment to inclusion can grow in numbers and spirit. This session shares tips for marketing, communication, evangelism and advocacy. Led by Coalition Executive Director Andy Lang (he, him)

12:00 pm Lunch Break

12:30 pm Session 2:

1. ONA and the Bible. How do we read the entire 31,000 verses in the Bible? Just seven short texts from the Bible are sometimes an obstacle for congregations on their journey towards an Open and Affirming covenant. But there are more than 31,000 verses in your Bible! What does the Bible teach about our relationships with God and each other? And how should you respond when members of your church have questions about the seven texts often used to condemn same-sex relationships? Led by Andy Lang.

2. Beyond Binary. This session is an introduction to the diversity of experience beyond sexual and gender binaries. It will cover the science beyond binaries and introduce people to the long history of gender and sexual diversity that existed in the world prior to the colonial era. It will highlight the stories of nonbinary children and adults, and discuss the growing number of children and youth who are authentically themselves. Led by Kimi Floyd Reisch

2:00 pm Break

2:15 pm Session 3 (both 1 and 2): ONA & LGBTQIA Justice - Panel Discussion.

4:00 pm Sending Commitment and Prayer by Pastor Elizabeth Larrivee

Cost is free for members of Michigan Conference UCC churches or $25 for all other participants.

Churches may purchase access for up to five participants for $75. (Also free to Michigan Conference churches - just have individual members who are attending register using the link above.)

Conferences can also sponsor the event to allow free participation for all members and member churches in that conference. We ask that you self determine if you are a small ($250) or large ($500) conference. Following registration, we will send a code to share with your Conference that allows members to self-register for free.

All proceeds will be split - half will be returned to the Michigan conference to replenish their ONA funds for work in the conference and the remainder will be used to build the scholarship fund for the next ONA National Gathering.

We would also like to repeat this event in the fall of 2021 to allow easier participation for our Hawaii and western conferences. If you are interested in cosponsoring that event, please contact us.

Special thanks to Wayne Burling and the ONA Team in the Michigan Conference for sponsoring this event.