What it means to be an Affirming Church!
What is an Affirming Ministry?
Affirming ministries are congregations, presbyteries, Conferences, educational institutions, and other ministries within the United Church of Canada that publicly declare their commitment to inclusion and justice for people of all sexual orientations with respect to sexuality and gender, and their commitment to justice is far broader. We continually grow and change as we seek to live more fully into God’s way of welcome, love and justice for creation. Just as God rejoices in the goodness and diversity of creation, so too, Affirming Ministries honour and celebrate diversity.
One justice is not seen any more important than another, for in our culture of prejudice and power, injustices are interwoven and often mutually reinforcing. Work for change happens in many ways and in many contexts. Affirming Ministries work in many different ways, towards healing and wholeness of class creation, challenging bias and discrimination based on appearance, culture, class or age, working to end racism, promoting economic justice, increasing accessibility, and caring for our planet. Affirming Ministries seek to go beyond issues of gender diversity and sexual orientation and strive to work for justice for all people.
Affirming Ministries provide information, acceptance, support and justice-making for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families. These ministries declare, in words and actions, that God loves and accepts people who are lesbian, bisexual and transgender as much as anyone else. They call upon the rest of the church and society to do the same.
To love God is to love in the way that God loves – indiscriminately. To love God is to love what God loves – everything…
Affirm United Newsletter, November 8, 2024 - CLICK HERE
March 14, 2023:
The Fifth Annual National Affirming/PIE Day is coming up on March 14! PIE is not just a delicious dessert—it’s also an acronym that stands for Public, Intentional, and Explicit, and this year’s theme is The Year of Intention. Moderator Carmen Lansdowne encourages you and your community to have conversations, dream big, and commit to taking another faithful step in the journey to embody the expansive love of God for Two Spirit or LGBTQIA+ people.
Lawn Signs for Pride!
#HateHasNoHomeHere
June and Summer also mean it’s time for Pride. Central Alberta Pride Week is scheduled for August 8-14. Calgary’s Pride begins on August 24 with its Parade on September 5, 2021.
Pacific Mountain Region’s Communications has put together lawn sign artwork and made it available in Chinook Winds. The sign came about after some unfortunate vandalism to church Pride signs in BC.
Individuals or Communities of Faith can get the sign printed at a local print shop (printing instructions included) and then put the sign on your church’s lawn or on your home’s lawn, fence or balcony. Follow the instructions on the first page of the PDF and the second page is the artwork for the lawn sign. Download HERE
Once your sign is ready to go, please also share on social media with the hashtag #HateHasNoHomeHere
