SOJ at Twin Cities Pride

I've got an exciting ministry opportunity to share with you, and if you're at Spirit of Joy or any of our Twin Cities Disciples congregations, I hope you'll be involved in whatever way you feel called to participate.

We're partnering with First Christian Minneapolis and First Christian St. Paul in Mahtomedi, this year to host a booth at Twin Cities Pride. It will be Saturday and Sunday, June 28-29, at Loring Park in Minneapolis, from 10-6 each day. I want to let you know what we're doing, why we're doing it, and how you can help.

What we're doing

• Sharing communion, hospitality, a listening ear, and opportunities for prayer with anyone who wants it. This means people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or questioning. It means their family members, their allies, and even just the curious. It means anyone who comes to our booth at Twin Cities Pride.

Why we're doing it

• The central sign of Christian welcome and love, Communion has often been denied to people based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. This hurts individuals, and it hurts the whole church.
• As an Open and Affirming congregation, we want to extend an intentional Christian  welcome to anyone who's ever been shut out or shut up. We want everyone to know the liberating love of God that says, "There's a place for you at Jesus' Table."
• As Disciples of Christ, we always set an open table. Everyone is welcome: the baptized and the unbeliever alike, gay and straight, rich and poor, women and men, children and adults. We put no conditions on communion beyond a willingness to accept Jesus' invitation to break bread together. 
• Finally, because Disciples of Christ are relatively unknown in this part of the country, we'd like to let the community know who we are. We want everyone to know there are Christian churches nearby where "all means all."

How you can help

• Pray for those who have been denied hospitality and welcome as well as for those who have denied them, for volunteers working our booth throughout the weekend, and for our churches in ministry together.
• Give two hours of your time by serving at the booth. Sign up by clicking here. We are asking for 2-4 people to be at the booth throughout the festival. You can sign up for any of the following, and of course you are welcome to sign up for more than one shift:
  
  • Four people are asked to set up the booth Saturday morning. This means setting out chairs, setting the communion table, putting out brochures, hanging banners, and more. Dan Adolphson from First Christian in Minneapolis will provide guidance. The communion table will come from First Christian Minneapolis. The cloth to cover it is from my office. I'll also provide the bread. Each church will provide a chalice.
  • One person should be comfortable offering communion (scripts will be available; you don't have to be a clergyperson to do this). 
  • Another should be comfortable listening and offering prayer for those who want it (again, written prayers will be available if you need them). 
  • Two others should be comfortable welcoming people and handing out fans and information about our churches.

If this ministry stirs something positive in you, I hope you'll participate. Click here to sign up. You'll be asked for your email, and you'll get a reminder three days beforehand. 

Blessings and Peace,

David Cobb