The Reconciling Ministries Digest

(Note: Because of the nature of many websites, some of the links to external news sources in this digest may have expired.)

1. GC 2008--Young Adults: Young Adult Day
2. GC 2008--Young Adults: Barna Research
3. GC 2008--Young Adults: UM Legislation Passed By Young Adults Mirrors Barna Research
4. GC 2008--Young Adults: MoSAIC Letter to the Delegates
5. GC 2008--Young Adults: These Are Our Stories
6. GC 2008--Youth-At-Risk: Teen Sexual Identity and Suicide Risk
7. GC 2008--Youth-At-Risk: 42% Of Homeless Youth Are LGBT
8. Let Us Pray For You

 GC 2008--Young Adults: Young Adult Day

Young Adult Day is an event planned by MoSAIC (RMN) and OnFire (MFSA) to invite Young People from our denomination to attend UMC General Conference for observation and witness.

As young people we wanted to offer other events and activities to make the gathering more about fellowship and connection than polity.

Events planned:

• speakers on Young Adult issues,
• worship,
• 24 hr drumming,
• coffeehouse Friday night,
• Saturday night movie on the lawn.

On Saturday, April 26th at 1 p.m., there will be a rally and speaker series called “We are the Future of Hope.”  Come and hear presentations by young adults in the church about the future we have chosen, and issues concerning this generation at General Conference.  Young adults and youth are not leaders of the future but leaders today, and today we claim our voice.  Young people have chosen their own future—it is a future that does not exclude, especially on the bases of age, race, sexual orientation, gender, class, or nationality. Young People have CHOSEN to ally themselves with the Reconciling Movement, because we want a church that welcomes all people. We want a future where young people are welcome in the church for who they are, as children of God. 

The rally will be followed by the “We will not be Silent March” that will process to General Conference to bring our message of HOPE and LOVE to all those at General Conference.

Please encourage Young Adults to attend this event, so that they may be heard by the General Conference.  More information: www.generalconference2008.org.

Information:

Young Adult Day Flyer

Young Adult Weekend Schedule

 GC 2008--Young Adults: Barna Research

The statistics on the right come from the groundbreaking Barna Research. The statistics show what young people 16 to 29 think about Christianity. According to a USA Today article on the Barna Research:

Majorities of young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. What's more, many Christians don't even want to call themselves "Christian" because of the baggage that accompanies the label.

A new book based on research by the California-based research firm The Barna Group found that church attitudes about people in general and gays in particular are driving a negative image of the Christian faith among people ages 16-29.

"The Christian community's ability to take the high road and help to deal with some of the challenges that this (anti-gay) perception represents may be the ... defining response of the Christian church in the next decade," said David Kinnaman, Barna Group president and author of the book, UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity.

"The anti-homosexual perception has now become sort of the Geiger counter of Christians' ability to love and work with people."

The findings were based on surveys of a sample of 867 young people. From that total, researchers reported responses from 440 non-Christians and 305 active churchgoers.

Full story:
Youth See Christians as judgmental, anti-gay
Click here

Additional coverage:
unChristian
Click here

 GC 2008--Young Adults: UM Legislation Passed By Young Adults Mirrors Barna Research

Legislation passed at an international gathering of youth and young adults in Johannesburg, South Africa hosted by the General Board of Discipleship mirrors the Barna Research as does the winner of the Reconciling Movement's 2007 Cup of Justice Award.

Young Adults want a fully inclusive church.

Here is passed legislation on the General Board of Discipleship site:

Defining Membership

Votes for inclusive membership:
Y=86; N=3; A=2

The Funding Ban

Votes for removal of funding ban against promoting the acceptance of homosexuality:
Y=64; N=12; A=6

Equality in Ordination

Votes for equality in ordination:
Y=57; N=8; A=10

Additional coverage:
Young people celebrate global connection, hear challenges
Click here

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The Cup of Justice award is given for taking bold action to invoke justice where injustice, oppression and exclusion exist.

MoSAIC member Rebecca Cramer received the 2007 Cup of Justice Award.

Rebecca is part of the leadership of Methodist Students for an All-Inclusive Church (MoSAIC) and has had a commitment to Reconciling throughout her college career. During her time at UC Berkley, Becca attended Student Forum annually where she wrote and presented legislation with groups of MoSAIC students from around the country. Her legislation established the "Open hearts, Open minds, Open doors" worship service at Forum, created a workshop on the Reconciling movement and discussed changing language in the Book of Discipline. Each year at forum Becca dialogued with people on reconciling issues and built bonds with people who were on the opposite sides of many questions. She is continually out front pushing the issue at forum and creating safe spaces for all students. Her courage and unrelenting hospitality encourages many new leaders and allows people the chance to rethink their positions. In the spring of 2006, Becca wrote her senior thesis on exclusive language in the Book of Discipline. Since graduating Becca has been on staff at the Campus Ministry at UC Davis. Becca attends seminary at Claremont, where she is preparing for her ministry of justice.

 GC 2008--Young Adults: MoSAIC Letter to the Delegates

 

Dear Delegate,

Many of us grew up in The United Methodist Church—baptized, confirmed, youth group, youth choir, Sunday School, and mission trips—all with a good dose of pot-luck suppers and live nativity scenes nurturing us into our faith.  We love this church; it is our home; it is our family. 

My sister was afraid to tell me she is a lesbian.  It made me really sad because my sister means the world to me, to think that she would think I wouldn’t accept her breaks my heart.  It is time for The UMC, the church that I love, to include…I need to feel that people like my sister will not have to go through this again.  I feel so strongly.  It will happen in my lifetime, and I will feel comfortable being called a UM member.  (Miriam)

We are called to leadership, ministry, and mission.  Already, our hearts seek to celebrate God’s inclusive love.  In our church by a majority of 2/3rds, the United Methodist Student Movement (UMSM)--both at the Global Gathering and in the US--sent inclusive petitions to General Conference.  In our generation, 91% of young persons ages 16-29 identify the church as anti-gay and choose not to explore Christianity.  Another 80%, who already have a church home, won’t invite friends to worship because of anti-gay teaching (unChristian, 2007).  We want to bring friends to church!

When our friends say that they are at the point of having nothing more to do with the church because it is anti-gay, we want to be able to invite them back with confidence they will not be further harmed.

Having exorcism prayers over me and being anointed with oil for being gay wasn’t healing; it was heaping on shame.  It brought the epiphany, that this is me.  If God is in fact love, I must embrace this truth.  Since I’ve reconciled my faith with my sexuality, life has improved immensely--any sense of shame has been replaced with joy!  How can people in the church be against something that is based in love? (Matthew)

We are the future with hope, not some day, but right now.  A UMSM leader, Rachel says, “I was born in a reconciling congregation; I’ve been in an inclusive church my whole life.  We, young people, claim reconciling as our own.”

We invite you to hear our stories at http://www.youtube.com/user/MosaicRMN (see next article).  God’s Spirit is moving and young people are listening; we ask you to join us to truly create the future now.  Please help us eliminate discrimination against our own faithful UM disciples who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.  You can make a difference in Fort Worth!

MoSAIC, Methodist Students, Seminarians, and Young Adults for an All Inclusive Church

…faithful United Methodist young adults making disciples of Jesus Christ
for the transformation of the world.

 GC 2008--Young Adults: These Are Our Stories

Thirty-Four young adults from MoSAIC (RMN) and OnFire (MSFA) met for the Martin Luther King day weekend at the West River United Methodist Center in Churchton, Maryland. The weekend  titled, "We  Are God's Peace: Young Adult Leadership In a Divided Church and World", was an exciting time of worship, education and planning for both organizations.

"These Are Our Stories" was recorded at the retreat as part of the MoSAIC witness to the 2008 General Conference.  Each YouTube Video is a Young Adult's experience and perspective about life in the United Methodist Church.

Here is Jon's story:

Full story:
MoSAIC's YouTube Channel
Click here

Additional coverage:

MoSAIC Blog
Click here

OnFire Blog
Click here

 GC 2008--Youth-At-Risk: Teen Sexual Identity and Suicide Risk

The following Resolution was adopted by the 2004 General Conference. Nothing has been done.

158. Teen Sexual Identity and Suicide Risk

In the year 2003 at least 700,000 high school students will attempt suicide--one in every 13 high school students in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates among adults have steadied or even declined over the past few decades but teenage suicide rates have tripled.

A 1989 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study found that teens dealing with issues of sexual identity are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than are other youth.

The United Methodist Church, in Social Principles ¶ 162.H, states: Certain basic human rights and civil liberties are due all persons. We are committed to supporting those rights and liberties for homosexual persons.

The General Conference will establish and fund a task group which will:

• Publish, in laypeople's terms, a summary of current research on homosexual youth at risk for suicide;
• Work with organizations currently doing research on these issues;
• Provide a directory of agencies working on issues of teen suicide among youth dealing with issues of sexual identity;
• Publish a resource for congregations and families which provides accurate information, recommendations for programs, and pastoral guidance.
• Make recommendations for legislative actions within The United Methodist Church;
• Make recommendations for programs for youth thourgh congregations, districts, conferences, mission agencies, United Methodist Women, United Methodist Men and other organizational bodies of The United Methodist Church.
• Report to the 2008 General Conference on its findings and work.

ADOPTED 2004

See Social Principles, ¶¶ 161G and 161M.

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Wallingford UMC, a Reconciling Congregation, decided to take initiative on their own and created a resource called After The Facts.

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The Trevor Helpline (866-488-7386) is the only national crisis and suicide prevention helpline for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

Here are some stories from the front lines at the Trevor Project:

Full story:
The Trevor Project
Click here

 GC 2008--Youth-At-Risk: 42% Of Homeless Youth Are LGBT

According to an article in InterstateQ:

A report was released in New York City on Thursday, December 14, 2006, by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and the National Coalition for the Homeless (AP, Newsday)

The report finds that up to 42% of all the estimated 575,000 to 1.6 million homeless youth in the United States are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). In New York City alone, 8,400 out of an estimated total of 30,000 homeless youth identify as LGBT.

The report says that the rate of homelessness among LGBT youth is becoming an “epidemic” in the United States...

People on the other side of me in this great cultural debate over homosexuality and the place of LGBT people in society often say that there should be absolutely no support mechanisms for LGBT youth, mostly offered by high school student groups such as gay-straight alliances or through support groups and programming offered through local chapters affiliated with Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

More specifically, people such as Alan Chambers of the ex-gay Exodus International and Scott Chambers of their youth counterpart, Exodus Youth, make claims that the true “epidemic” is the rate of “homosexual indoctrination” within America’s high schools.

Full story:
More proof why LGBT youth support is needed: 42% of all homeless youth are gay
Click here

Additional coverage:
The Task Force Report: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth: An Epidemic of Homelessness
Click here

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My Address: A Look at Gay Youth Homelessness
by Kate Moennig

Episode One | Episode Two | Episode Three (above) | Episode Four | Episode Five

 Let Us Pray For You

Please let us be part of your support and let us know how we might help. One way is to let us pray for you. We invite you to send your prayer requests to us and be counted in the weekly offering of joys and concerns. You may call (773-736-5526), write (RMN 3801 N. Keeler Ave. Chicago, IL 60641) or email these requests to prayer@rmnetwork.org.

Pray for youth at risk of being bullied and even murdered in America's schools because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Pray that administrators and educations will embrace the issue and that school districts will take the needed action to make schools safe for all America's youth.

Move from prayer to action on April 25, 2008 and participate in the National Day of Silence. The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. This year’s event will be held in memory of Lawrence King (2/20/2008 Flashnet, 3/5/2008 Flashnet), a California 8th-grader who was shot and killed Feb. 12 by a classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Hundreds of thousands of students will come together on April 25 to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior.

Full story:
National Day of Silence
Click here

Additional coverage:
GLSEN 2005 National School Climate Survey
Click here