Community Connections

Tag: Community Connections

“Coming Out” Monologues: Listen to the Sacred Stories of the LGBTQIA+ Community

Posted on May 9, 2023May 9, 2023 by GPNW2020

Submitted by Sean Langdon, Rocky Mountain Mission Center President

A few years ago, my friend Dylan and I attended an event called the “Coming Out” Monologues in Portland, OR. It was an evening of celebration, vulnerability, and courage. Six individuals shared deeply and authentically their Coming Out stories with those gathered. There were tears, there was laughter, and there was a strong sense of safe space and supportive community. Various sexual orientations and gender identities were represented that night. A mother of a trans child even shared from their perspective as an ally and then the child bravely shared with the audience. As Dylan and I continued to reflect on that experience, we knew that we wanted to create a similar experience for a Community of Christ audience. So, during the Pride month that follower, we hosted Chapter 1 of the Community of Christ “Coming Out” Monologues in June 2021. We are now preparing for Chapters 6 and 7 to take place in the remainder of 2023.

We invite all to join on Zoom and listen with open hearts, ears, and minds to the sacred stories of those within the LGBTQIA+ community as well as those who journey with them. To help preserve the sacred practice of listening, the chat feature is turned off until the end of the event. In respect for the vulnerability of the stories shared, we do not record the monologues. We invite folks to join and be fully present to what is unfolding in the lives of our storytellers. These are stories from our journey, past and current, with hope shared for the journey forward.

Our next two “Coming Out” Monologues will be:

Friday, June 30: “The Story of Who I Am: Authentic Stories of Truth and Hope”. Help us close Pride month on a high note by listening to the stories shared during Chapter 6 of the monologues.
Wednesday, October 11: Join us on National Coming Out Day for Chapter 7 of the monologues.

Storytellers for both Chapters will be shared as we get closer to their respective events.

If you are in the LGBTQIA+ community and associated with Community of Christ and are interested in sharing your story during a future monologue, please contact Sean Langdon (slangdon@cofchrist.org).

These 2-hour events will begin at the following times: 6:30p PT / 7:30p Mt / 8:30p CT / 9:30P ET.

How to connect to the “Coming Out” monologues:

Join us by using the following Zoom Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85186670433?pwd=VVlEcXFDQjhyd1JNWkxzT1lESXhDQT09

Alternatively, to join by phone and listen in, use this number: 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID: 851 8667 0433
Passcode: 942012

The Community of Christ “Coming Out” Monologues is co-sponsored by Beyond Horizons and Harmony. Beyond Horizons is a New Expression of Community focused on relational ministry for the LGBTQIA+ and Allies Community in the Greater Pacific Northwest USA Mission Center. Harmony is a non-profit organization that provides advocacy, education, and resources for Queer voices in Community of Christ with a shared vision of full participation.

Community Connections: Lent & Easter 2022

Posted on February 26, 2022 by GPNW2020

Prayer for Peace | Nov 28, 2021

Posted on November 29, 2021November 29, 2021 by GPNW2020

This Prayer for Peace was written and offered by Evangelist David Brock in
the November 28, 2021, Community Connections online worship
on our first Sunday of Advent (HOPE). It was offered as a
Prayer for Peace and Hope for those who struggle during the holidays.

These are holy days, God. This is a sacred time and season. But that does not always mean it is a happy time, or a joy-filled time or a peaceful time, as you well know.

Death of loved ones happens even on Thanksgiving; a mother dies in childbirth on Christmas Eve. Divorces are finalized during this season when we long for joy, hope, love and peace. A baby is born in a manger, yes, and wise men and shepherds and angels herald the birth, but somewhere a child hurts during advent—of malaria, of mistreatment, or struggles with mental or physical debilities. Someone has lost their job and there is no feast. Someone is so alienated from family that there is no invitation to share the feast. Not one.

Life continues with all its risks and unpredictability, God, even in this sacred season. The Christian calendar year is finished. A new year Christian year begins with the desire for the birth, the return of the one who we call Messiah and Savior and Teacher and Emmanuel. Hope springs in this winter season. Come thou long expected Jesus, come and set us free– All of us. The rich and the poor. The happy and sad. All of us.

God, we understandably want our days to end in reconciliation, in an embrace, in a solution to the conflicts of living—like in a Hallmark movie. Of course we want that and I think you understand. Of course we want snowflakes falling freshly and presents under the tree, and a table groaning under the weight of a feast. Who wouldn’t want that and why not? Happy Holidays and a Merry Season to us; the merriest of all.

But, we pray tonight for those who mourn and weep at Christmas. These may not be holidays for them in the traditional sense. But these are holy days, sacred days; these are especially their days. These are days to declare: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

May all those people, God, especially those people (maybe right here and right now in this service) know that this is their season. This is the season when mourning may or may not lead to dancing, but this is the season of your strength for their weakness. It is the season when our pains are carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.. This is the season when you say to those conflicted or bereaved: “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God.”

This is your holy season. These are holy days because they are your days. These are the days when the lonely and those that mourn are comforted. In Jesus name, Amen.

Community Connections Moving to Evenings this Summer

Posted on May 7, 2021 by GPNW2020

Beginning Sunday, July 25, our Online Worships will be moving to the evening. “Foyer” Greetings will be at 6:15 PM (Pacific), followed by worship at 6:45 PM (Pacific). We look forward to welcoming Australia Mission Centre President Ben Smith as the speaker to help us kick-off the Sunday Evening worships. This decision was made with the anticipation that with vaccinations increasing, new COVID-19 numbers will be decreasing, and therefore we will likely be having congregation apply to reopen this summer. Rather than waiting to make a last minute decision to change the worship time in the midst of reopening’s, we chose a summer date to make the switch so that we could plan ahead with scheduling. Our online worships have proven to be an invaluable New Expression of Community in our Mission Center during this pandemic. We also understand that they will be an invaluable expression of community beyond the pandemic as well. They help connect us throughout the Mission Center and to World Church. Our hope in providing these evening worships include:

Continuing to provide worship ministry to those who don’t live near, or aren’t engaged locally with, a Community of Christ Congregation.
Providing an opportunity to still gather in community for worship even when your weekend schedule doesn’t allow you to attend Sunday Morning Worship in a congregation.
Providing an additional opportunity for all to experience worship. Gathering locally with your home congregation and then also gathering online to connect with people all over the mission center and beyond.

After all congregations have reopened, we will reassess how often we have online worships. Either way, they will continue!

Faith & Formation Videos: September 2020

Posted on October 3, 2020October 3, 2020 by GPNW2020

Faith and Formation (which meets online on Wednesday evenings) has been viewing presentations by religious leaders, scholars and philosophers of various faiths and denominations to expand our personal and communal theological understandings. At the end of every week, we ask the important question: “What about this presentation was compatible or incompatible with Community of Christ theology?” Unfortunately, I cannot share with you the amazing discussions we had after watching the videos. But maybe you could also glean important lessons from these videos.

The videos we viewed in September 2020:

September 16: Lesley Hazleton “On Reading the Koran” & Alaa Murabit “What My Religion Really Says about Women“

September 23: Jonathan Merritt “The Death and Resurrection of Sacred Speech“

September 30: Brent Strawn “The Greatest Story Never Told: Re-Thinking the Bible as Poetry“

Join us Wednesdays* at 7pm (PT).

*The first Wednesday of the month is prayer service.

Faith & Formation Videos: August 2020

Posted on September 3, 2020October 3, 2020 by GPNW2020

The videos we viewed in August 2020:

August 12: Balpreet Kaur “The Power of Kindness“

August 19: Kwame Appiah “Is Religion Good or Bad“

August 26: Alain de Botton “Atheism 2.0“

Join us Wednesdays* at 7pm (PT).

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*The first Wednesday of the month is prayer service.

Faith & Formation Videos: July 2020

Posted on August 3, 2020October 3, 2020 by GPNW2020

The videos we viewed in July 2020:

July 15: Diana Butler Bass “Jesus the Ingrate: The Subversive Power of Gratitude“

July 22: Rob Bell “An Introduction to Joy“

July 29: Hillary McBride “Body or Spirit: Why We are Both and Why That Matters“

Join us Wednesdays* at 7pm (PT).

*The first Wednesday of the month is prayer service.

Community Connections: Online Worship

Posted on July 31, 2020May 19, 2023 by GPNW2020

Our Online Worships are the 2nd and 4th Sunday evenings, beginning with “Foyer” Time at 6:00 PM (PT). “Foyer” Greetings is an opportunity to say hello, make sure you’re connected properly, and prepare for worship. The worship will begin at 6:30 PM (PT) and end around 7:30 PM (PT) with “Parking Lot” Goodbyes. “Parking Lot” is a time for announcements to be shared by Mission Center Leadership with an opportunity to say goodbye to one another at the end of our online worship. More Info.

To connect to our online worships, click here: https://zoom.us/j/841448115?pwd=WDFQTzdIYWpPM0p1MWJyTlF0aHZDZz09
To listen in to the online worships, dial 1-669-900-6833 (Meeting ID: 841 448 115 / Password: 043423)

Online Communion
Here is some information to help you prepare for our sacred experience:
A reminder that all are welcome and invited to share in the sacrament of Communion. If you choose to participate, you will need to provide your own juice and bread or appropriate alternatives.
You can participate in Online Communion whether you are joining the service via webcam or your phone.
Joining by phone does meet the “online” requirements.
Per the guidelines for Online Communion, “real-time online participation” is a guiding principle for taking Communion this way. Therefore, the taking of Communion should only be observed if participating in the Sunday Morning worship. If you’re watching or listening to a recording of the worship, please contact your Pastor to make arrangements for Communion to be provided via the phone.

Tips for our Online Worships
You are welcome to use the chat feature but please be mindful of how you use it and how often as it can be distracting for others. Comments in the chat should be affirming in nature. Please keep negative or critical comments to yourself.
Be mindful of your surroundings and body movement while on the screen. In other words, don’t forget that others can see you.
If in front of a window, please close the curtains/blinds to avoid a glare on the screen. Your mic will be muted at 10:40 AM and will stay muted until following the announcements at the end.
The Mission Center will be recording our Online Services for those who are not able to participate in a service on Sunday Morning. If you miss the service but would like to request the link to watch it, please contact Sean Langdon (slangdon@cofchrist.org, 425-293-6366).

Faith & Formation Videos: The Beginning

Posted on July 3, 2020October 3, 2020 by GPNW2020

The videos we started with:

Peter Enns “Reimagining an Ancient God“

Amy-Jill Levine “Life After Death: Jesus, Judaism and Justice“

Lauren Winner “Magnolia Trees and Cardigan Sweaters: Unexpected Metaphors for God“

Shane Claiborne “Resurrecting Church“

Tony Campolo “Birthday Party“

Join us Wednesdays* at 7pm (PT).

*The first Wednesday of the month is prayer service.