LGBTQ

Central to Canvas’s identity is the welcome we extend to everyone and our conviction that all who confess Jesus as Lord are our siblings in Christ. This has always been intended to include those of the LGBTQ+ community, but in recent months we have come to understand the need to express the fullness of this welcome with clarity.

 

In February of 2020, the session of Canvas unanimously approved this Statement of Inclusivity:

 

Canvas Presbyterian Church embraces diversity and affirms the dignity and worth of every person as a beloved child of God.

We welcome into full membership and participation in our community persons of every race, ethnicity, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability and socio-economic status.

We welcome all to share in the life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, sacraments, and blessings of participation in our congregation.

 

In an effort to more fully embody this commitment to inclusion and affirmation, we now undertake the collective work of expanding our understanding.

 

The following resources and discussions are offered humbly, with no claim to being the best, last or most authoritative word on any of these subject. They are merely our best attempt to begin the learning. Please join us as we notice, watch, read, listen, pray, reflect and discuss!

 

We have created a private Facebook group for ongoing conversation (just click “Join” to be added).

 

Please note that there is no expectation that people will have time to engage every resource every week. Turn to those that intrigue you most and take time to reflect. And if you have ideas and suggestions to add, please contact us.

 

Notice – Watch – Read – Listen – Pray – Journal – Discussion

Session one

Aware that we all arrive to this conversation from different contexts and varied levels of familiarity with the LGBTQ+ community, we begin with a very broad introduction to themes, voices and questions that we must engage if we are to grow. There may well elements with which you agree or disagree (even passionately), and we offer these books, podcasts, videos, etc., not as the final word, but the first one in a long project of understanding.

LGBTQ Resources-Session One-Part One

LGBTQ Resources-Session One-Part Two

 

Winter Book Club

We spent the winter break reading great books and then met in January 2021 to discuss them. To learn more about why we selected these particular books, click here.

Books:

This is how it always is, Laurie Frankel / Becoming Nicole, Amy Ellis Nutt (as one session)
Science, Religion, and Same Sex Marriage, Mike Regele
Shameless, Nadia Bolz-Weber
Here For It, R. Eric Thomas
Girl Woman Other, Bernardine Evaristo
You exist too much, Zaina Arafat

session two

Session Two is primarily about Allyship, and how we can be better allies with the LGBTQ+ Community. To that end, we will be reading the book, The Savvy Ally, and will take the next several weeks to dive deeper into topics that will deepen and broaden our understanding of the complex issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ Community.