Over the Rainbow: LGBTQ Training for All

Dear friends,
One of the things that came especially clear in our recent congregational survey and listening sessions is that it is very important to many people here that our church is open, affirming, and inclusive. Our vestry shares this desire, and they have named being more explicitly welcoming of LGBTQ folks as one of their key priorities the last two years. I’m delighted by the ways this is already happening — for example, a growing presence from Resurrection at the Clayton Pride Parade, hosting the Drag Queen Spaghetti Feed here as a fundraiser to support local LGBTQ resources, and celebrating the renaming blessing of one of our beloved young adults last fall.
As we have talked about this effort to be more intentionally welcoming, we’ve also come to recognize that we have much to learn, both as individuals and as a congregation. Many folks want to be supportive, but don’t always know the best way to live that out. To that end, the vestry and I are really excited to offer a formation series this fall designed to help our church grow as a safe and welcoming space for all, facilitated by two brilliant local leaders. I’m thrilled that we can come together in this way, and hope that many of you will prioritize setting aside these three evenings to join. You’re most welcome to invite friends from beyond the church, too. Read on for the details!
Thanks and love,
Liz+
Join us for three sessions, with finger food available to fuel our conversation.
October 12, November 2, and November 9, 5:30-7pm
In this series, we will begin with the foundational concepts of gender and sexual orientation. With language and identities constantly evolving, we’ll take this opportunity to develop some shared understanding and create space for questions you may not have been able to ask elsewhere. This will be an opportunity to learn about the struggles and joys of LGBTQ history and culture, the renewed threats nationally to our queer and trans siblings, and how these intersect with our own lives here and now. From there, we’ll explore ways to deepen our practices of inclusion and belonging, how LGBTQ allyship dovetails with our faith, and how we can work to intentionally become a more thoroughly welcoming community.
About our Leaders:
The Rev. Laura Eberly (she/her) is an Episcopal Deacon serving as the interim clergy at Santiago St. James in Oakland. Co-founder of Mountaintop Coaching & Consulting, Laura has a strengths-based facilitation practice of creating compassionate, honest spaces to foster real relationship and sustainable change. As a queer white person on a lifelong quest to disentangle systems of oppression, Laura knows her life is richer and freer and more deeply faithful for having taken steps on this journey. It is life-giving for her to support others who want to do the same.
Tuesday Jones (they/them) identifies as a Black, Egyptian, and Indigenous California native. They work at CompassPoint, a nonprofit leadership development practice based in Oakland, CA, and in particular they support training participants by making sure they have accessible and welcoming learning experiences in workshops. In their spare time, Tuesday is a community organizer with over ten years of grassroots organizing experience. In addition to working with CompassPoint, Tuesday Jones is a stand-up comedian, writer, and dancer. In Tuesday’s downtime, they enjoy closeness with family and friends, and especially appreciate time with their son.