On September 16th St. Nicholas United Methodist Church of Hull Massachusetts voted unanimously to adopt a welcoming statement and affiliate with the Reconciling Ministries Network.
Pastor Will J. Green says, “Diversity is a good gift from God. Because of the flagrant harm that has been done in the name of the church, at St. Nicholas we embrace the opportunity to stand in solidarity with marginalized people and thus with Jesus Christ. Let it be known that discrimination and prejudices – both silent and explicit – against gay, lesbian, bisexual transgender and other people is sinful. By taking this public action, we call ourselves, the church and the world to be accountable to the way we fall woefully short of God’s commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves and to honor God with our whole being.”
Their statement concludes:
The congregation of St. Nicholas United Methodist Church in Hull recognizes that more and more people in today’s world are seeking a spiritual foundation for their lives. We welcome these seekers into our church where we provide a sanctuary for worship, reflection and study.
We are a community united in our faith that we are all God’s Children, that God’s love is universal. From that conviction springs our commitment to become a Reconciling Congregation. In joining the Reconciling Ministries Network, St. Nicholas declares that all persons, just as they are equal before God, are welcome to participate fully in the life of our congregation. We invite people of all ages, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, economic or marital statuses, physical or mental health into our community.”
Photo sets for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday are uploaded to Flickr. Feel free to download photos or order prints directly from Flickr.
Final Communion at Convo
BREAKFAST TABLE TALKS
Rev. David Meredith has made available the outline and slides from the Breakfast Table Talks at Convo. They were prepared by the Breakfast Table Talk leadership team: David Meredith, Will Ed Green, Christina Wright, Jeni Markham Clewell, Chad Johns, and Rachel Harvey.
National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed in the United States from September 15 – October 15, celebrates the culture and traditions of Hispanic Americans. The observance begins in mid-September because the 15th is the anniversary of independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; the 16th for Mexico; and the 18th for Chile.
Here is an article about Hispanic Heritage Month with history, resources and ideas about how to incorporate the month into your worship services.
In our Hispanic-Latino countries, every day is a celebration of our respective cultural heritages. We live daily the richness of our countries and our history, our customs, the concept of unity in the family, and everything that is part of our daily lives. It is not until we migrate to the United States that we become aware of the diminishing or lack of these elements that form our being. In some places, we have access to the music, the products to prepare our typical dishes, and the opportunity to mingle with people who speak our language. However, there are some who feel somewhat isolated from all that has formed and developed their existence.
Those of us who are part of a faith community, where we are identified as people, feel the support and respect for who we are and why we exist. In the United Methodist Church, we have groups such as The National Plan for Hispanic-Latino Ministry, M.A.R.C.H.A. (Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans), Hispanic Women, Hispanic Clergywomen, and others who struggle to defend our cause and advocate for the Hispanic-Latino people. This reinforces our idiosyncrasies and motivates us to go forward in a process of continuous identification as children of God and in defense of who we are and what we can contribute to this nation without assimilating ourselves to the American culture.
Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of Hispanic-Latino people to this nation. This month is not only so that we may celebrate who we are, but also for the whole nation to celebrate with us the fact that we can be part of this nation without abandoning or diminishing our Hispanic-Latino culture.
October is LGBTQ History Month...Make History on the 11th.
LGBTQ HISTORY MONTH
Modeled after Black and Women’s History Months, GLBT History Month highlights annually the achievements of 31 gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender icons—one each day—with a free video, bio, bibliography, downloadable images and other resources.
Not only is October 11th. National Coming Out Day, but October 10-11 is also the National Equality March on Washington. Here is the video:
On October 10-11, 2009, we will gather in Washington, D.C. from all across America to let our elected leaders know that now is the time for full equal rights for LGBT people. We’ve had a moment thrust upon us by the election of President Barack Obama and the spirit of hope and change, and also by the sense of entitlement in the new generation of grassroots organizing. This march is a vehicle to a larger goal. We want to work to bridge the gap between the national organizations and the grassroots community organizers. We will gather. We will strategize. We will march. And we will leave energized and empowered to do the work that needs to be done in every community across the nation. This is only the beginning.
HRC’s Religion & Faith Program today released the completed “Out In Scripture” collection. For the past three years, week-by-week, the program provided conversations on Bible passages from more than 100 scholars and pastors representing 11 denominations. These conversations are now available in a complete collection online at www.hrc.org/Scripture.
“This unique collection showcases the extraordinary momentum we’re seeing by people of faith committed to LGBT equality,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Through this resource we are helping to assure that no one will again have to choose between who they are and what they believe.”
Reconciling Movement News Roundup brings together news about the Reconciling Movement and societal events that positively impact the progress of the Reconciling Movement. If you would like to submit news, please send it to rmnetworknews@gmail.com.
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 email these requests to prayer@rmnetwork.org.
Reconciling Ministries Network mobilizes United Methodists of all sexual orientations and gender identities to transform our Church and world into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love. Founded in 1984, RMN consists of 295 congregations, 36 campus ministries, 84 reconciling communities. Extension ministries include the Parents' Reconciling Network, Reconciling Ministries Clergy, United Methodists of Color for a Fully Inclusive Church, and RMN's student movement, MOSAIC.
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New Reconciling Community in Hull MA
On September 16th 
