Channing Memorial Church, Unitarian Universalist

Welcoming Congregation

The Channing Memorial Church Welcoming Congregation (WC) Team worked for more than 2 years to take the steps needed to become a Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) “Welcoming Congregation.” The UUA defines the Welcoming Congregation program as a method through which congregations become intentionally more inclusive toward bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people, who have historically been intentionally excluded from many religious communities.

The role of the WC Team was to engage the congregation in a dialogue about this process. To this end, the WC Team--

• Attended several workshops on becoming a Welcoming Congregation.

• Conducted its own series of Welcoming Congregation Adult RE workshops for Channing members on issues for gay, bisexual, lesbian, and transgender people, and on what becoming a Welcoming Congregation means.

• Held a lay-led service in the form of 'conversations' that addressed questions and concerns on what it means to be a Welcoming Congregation. This service engaged the congregation more fully in what this effort means for CMC, and for Unitarian Universalist individuals and families.

• Held forums to address questions and issues raised by CMC members.

In May 2007, the congregation voted for Channing to become a Welcoming Congregation, and be formally recognized by the UUA.

In February 2008, the UUA officially certified Channing Memorial Church as a UUA Welcoming Congregation. Our doors are open to all!

Come worship with us!
 

Lay-Led Services:

• Sunday, January 28, 2007 -  We had a lay-led service to build awareness and understanding of transgender identity. We invited a guest speaker from the Transgender Education Association of Greater Washington, DC. After the service, we joined in conversation with our guest.

• Previous lay-led service from Spring 2006: "Opening the Welcoming Conversation"

Adult RE Courses:

•  What the Bible says about gay, bisexual, lesbian, and transgender issues

•  Movie night/discussion featuring the film “Transamerica” with Felicity Huffman

Youth (Middle/High School) Activities:

• Movie night featuring the film “X-3” followed by a discussion of themes related to GBLT issues

• Youth panel to talk about what it’s like to be gay/ bisexual in middle/high school
   

RE (K thru 5th Grade) Activities:

• We worked with the RE committee and the Director of Religious Education on integrating the following themes:
  • What is a family?
  • How do you/can you stand up for yourself or others in the face of bullying and name-calling (including when someone is called “gay”)?
     

GBLT Resources:

Non-Fiction Books:















 

Fiction:
Elementary School

Middle School
through Adult

  
   ▪ Homosexuality and World Religions, Arlene Swidler, Editor
   ▪ Freedom, Glorious Freedom: The Spiritual Journey to the Fullness of Life for Gays, Lesbians,
         and  Everyone Else,  by John J. McNeil
   ▪ Gay Theology without Apology, by Gary David Comstock
   ▪ Free to Be You and Me, by Marlo Thomas
   ▪ Asking About Sex and Growing Up: A Question and Answer Book for Boys and Girls, by
        Joanna Cole and Alan Tiegreen
   ▪ Beyond Acceptance: Parents of Lesbians and Gays Talk About Their Experiences, by
        Carolyn Welch Griffen, Marian J. Wirth, and Arthur G. Wirth
   ▪ Straight Parents, Gay Children: Inspiring Families to Live Honestly and with Greater
        Understanding, by Robert A. Berstein
   ▪ Loving Someone Gay, by Donald H. Clark
   ▪ Trans Forming Families: Real Stories of Transgender Loved Ones, Mary Boenke, Editor
   ▪ Out of the Ordinary: Essays on Growing Up With Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Parents,
         Noelle Howey and Ellen Samuels, Editors
   ▪ Love Makes a Family: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Parents and
         their Families, Peggy Gillespie, Editor, and Gigi Kaeser, Photographer

  
   And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

   Am I Blue?, Marion Dane Bauer, Editor
 

Websites:

  www.uua.org/obgltc/  Unitarian Universalist Association Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and
  Transgender Concerns (Information on becoming a UUA certified Welcoming Congregation;
   also has an extensive recommended reading list)
            UUA sites related specifically to transgender identity issues:

• www.uua.org/obgltc/resource/tg102.html -- includes definitions of key terms as well as a section titled “How To Be More Understanding and Welcoming of Transgender People”

• www.uua.org/obgltc/resource/cp.pdf --“Crossing Paths: Where Transgender and Religion Meet”

   www.nmha.org/whatdoesgaymean National Mental Health Association
   www.glsen.org Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
   www.pflag.org Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
   www.pflagmd.org PFLAG Columbia-Howard County chapter
   www.infowebpage.org/pflagbalto PFLAG Baltimore chapter
   www.hrc.org Human Rights Campaign
   www.tolerance.org Teaching Tolerance
  

For more information about our Welcoming Congregation, contact .