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Inclusive Worship
Annually the Rainbow People are responsible for planning and
leading a worship service celebrating the inclusion of individuals
of all sexual orientations in the worshipping community. These
"Open and Affirming" celebrations have been held annually
since 1995. Preachers at most of these Open and Affirming
services have come from within the congregation. Service themes
have included gratitude for the welcome extended by First
Congregational, the importance of families, and how our church
has been blessed by becoming an Open and Affirming congregation.
Several services have been enriched
by the remarks of nationally known guest preachers. For example
in September 1998 our preacher was Rev. Bill Johnson, Ed.D..
Rev. Johnson serves as Executive Associate to the Executive
Minister for Wider Church Ministries, part of the national
UCC collegium. During the summer of 1998 it was announced
that a half million dollar scholarship fund for LGBT seminarians
had been named in Rev. Johnson's honor. In October 2002, Rev.
Dr. Mel White preached at this service. Mel White travels
the country with his partner Gary Nixon seeking equality and
understanding for God's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered
children. While he was here, Mel White also led our adult
forum and a Saturday workshop for area churches on applying
the "soul force" principles of Gandhi and King to
the struggle for justice for sexual minorities. Rev. Cheryl
Burke was our guest preacher in October 2003. Rev. Burke,
our former Interim Senior Minister, is now Association Minister
for the Fox Valley Association of the United Church of Christ
in Illinois. |
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