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The debate around transgender children rages, with some Christians being the loudest voices against loving and supporting these young people. So, now more than ever, people of faith need to be grounded in God's call to love and affirm young people in who God created them to be. Raising Kids beyond the Binary bypasses the sound bites to give readers a vivid picture of who transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive young people are and what they need to thrive.
Grounded in the unequivocal truth of God's deep love and limitless creativity, this book compels readers to move past "all are welcome" to loving and celebrating transgender and gender-diverse youth in the brilliance of their uniqueness, the wisdom of their self-awareness, and the joy of their authenticity. Faith leaders and adults who work with youth will also find the book a helpful tool for gaining insight and building safer and more welcoming congregations for these children.
On the tenth anniversary of her baptism, we gathered with our congregation, our family, and Rebekah’s godparents and we celebrated and blessed her and her forever name. This is the liturgy we used in that service.
Faith, Hope & Love is a ministry of the New Jersey Synod, ELCA. Leading this event has been one of my greatest accomplishments and privileges, and this year I was grateful to turn it over to a team of faithful and committed leaders. The event grew out of a request from some of the Synod’s young people who wanted to talk about how the church walks with LGBTQ+ youth. The church has a complicated history with the LGBTQ+ community. These young people were, and continue to be, deeply aware of the mixed messages the Church sends about gender and sexuality both by what we say and do and what we don’t.
For three years 120+ youth, young adults, parents, youth leaders, pastors, and congregational leaders have come together to celebrate the rich diversity of God’s people and learn how to make their homes, congregations and communities a safer, more welcoming place for LGBTQ+ children and youth. Rooted in lifting up the voices of LGBTQ+ people, the day is filled with education, story-telling, community, and worship.
The 2022 event will be Saturday, April 22
