Reconciling Ministries Network Offers Suggestions for Moving Forward

Newsletter

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Welcome to the first installment of the Love Train email series: where we mobilize to stay on track with progress.

It’s been a month since the close of an historic General Conference (GC).

Many annual conferences (AC) are enjoying a more welcoming spirit, and Reconciling Ministries at Pride festivals are able to witness in exciting new ways!At the same time, many of us still live in a Church that hasn't changed. Some of our Church leaders are less interested to "do no harm" and more interested in assuring traditionalists that nothing has to change. This hurts our hearts… but it also clarifies our calling.

GC outcomes placed us on a path full of potential. Now it's time to renew our commitment, invite others, fuel up, and get on board toward our shared destination: a fully just and inclusive UMC. As United Methodists, we took vows of membership. Those vows include our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. There's a seat saved just for you on the Love Train. The more people there are engaged in this work, the more life-changing results are possible. Today, we're exploring how those membership vows can guide us in keeping the Love Train fueled. Now that the harmful language has been removed, we've just begun the journey.

  • Pray with RMN. Engage RMN’s prayer guide for Pride, shared each day of June on Instagram, Facebook, and our website. 
  • Pray for your local church – for the courage to explore what might be possible in your congregation. Perhaps LGBTQ+ education or a new wedding policy. 
  • Pray for your bishop and AC leaders - for the courage to resist fear and continued discrimination, and to lead from a position of positivity and hope.  
  • The importance of showing up can never be overstated! Keep showing up! 
  • Look for ways to amplify and elevate the voices and leadership of LGBTQ+ members in your local church, district, and conference settings.
  • Consider financial giving through RMN's pledge campaign. Your ongoing financial contributions, no matter the amount, are essential to our continued progress.  
  • Consider sharing your gift for organizing, hospitality, writing, story-telling, social media, etc. to help multiply the Reconciling presence in your setting. Email your organizer to discuss volunteering your gifts in your area.
  • Part of a Reconciling church or community? Post-GC, what next steps are needed in your Reconciling setting? Click here for ideas. Consider sharing your experience with other ministries considering becoming Reconciling. Your organizer is happy to offer helpful tools.   
  • In churches not yet Reconciling, we’re counting on RUMs to name the changes that can now be explored. Have a conversation with your pastor and lay leaders about educational opportunities, updating your wedding policy, and increasing your overall inclusive witness. 
  • It’s annual conference season. Is your Reconciling Ministry planning a presence at AC? Click here *and* here for more information and ideas.  
  • It’s Pride month. Is your Reconciling Ministry planning a presence at Pride? 
  • Visit the RMN store for things to wear and swag to share at AC and at Pride. 

In case you missed it...

We typically include links to helpful resources in each of our emails. For this Love Train series, we're going to include brief links. We'll return to our more substantial email format in September.

We hope you enjoy our special summer Love Train series. As always, we are here to support you however we can. Email, call, or text us.

The launch email for this series. Sign up as Reconciling United Methodists to get the remaining emails in the series. Click here to contribute to Reconciling Ministries Network.

Izzy (he/him), izzy@rmnetwork.org, 510-717-4894, Western Jurisdiction,  North Central Jurisdiction, The Philippines

Helen (they/them),  helen@rmnetwork.org, 508-247-7818, Southeastern Jurisdiction, West Virginia, Baltimore-Washington, Greater New Jersey, Peninsula-Delaware, Western Pennsylvania, Africa 

Laura (she/her), laura@rmnetwork.org, 936-581-9401, South Central Jurisdiction,    Upper New York, New York, New England, Susquehanna, Eastern Pennsylvania, Europe

This post is republished from the Reconciling Ministries Network's organizers newsletter.