Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble is pleased to announce that it has hired Aaron Miechkota as the new coordinator for *IRIDESCE: The Living Apology Project*. AUSE thanks the United Church for its funding of this position and looks forward to collaborating on this important work towards a Living Apology to gender- and sexually-diverse communities.
Aaron is currently studying toward ordained ministry and brings a background in creative communications to her role. Aaron is interested in the theology of friendship with people and the Earth.
*IRIDESCE: The Living Apology Project* seeks to inspire and reconcile people of diverse sexual, romantic and gender expressions and identities within the United Church of Canada.
“All persons, regardless of sexual orientation, who profess their faith in Jesus Christ are welcome to be or become members of The United Church of Canada” and “all members of the United Church are eligible to be considered for ordered ministry”
~ General Council, 1988
How have you been welcomed as an LGBTTQIA or Two-Spirit person in your church? How has our 1988 decision influenced you and your community of faith? How do you envision living with diversity… of opinions, beliefs and ways of living? We are now collecting stories from… you and yours! Let’s talk!
Through dialogue and story-telling, participants will have the opportunity to feel community support, and develop a greater sense of empathy for the many experiences people have had in our church communities. Even more, together we are creating a collaborative artwork as we approach the 30th anniversary of this historic and prophetic inclusion of people of diverse sexual identities and expressions within our church.
*IRIDESCE: The Living Apology Project* is called to be a faith-filled, collaborative journey guided by the Spirit. Why not get involved! It is a whole-community project, with intentional focus on the intersections of our lives, with special orientation towards those at the margins of our communities including trans people, people of colour, and people in rural areas!
Look for our new website soon.
How to get involved? Now is the time.
Connect!
JOIN our Facebook Group, Iridesce! https://www.facebook.com/groups/iridesce/
SUBSCRIBE to the Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble newsletter at http://affirmunited.ause.ca/sign-up-for-our-newsletter/(it’s free!).
EMAIL me at livingapology(at)gmail(dot)com to say hello!
Get Involved!
Be part at the heart of the process by becoming a member of our “Core Team” of volunteer organizers. Or get involved in day and weekend events in your region! Have an idea? Share it with me! I’d love to hear from you!
SHARE!
- Invite IRIDESCE to visit YOUR church this year! (June 2017-June 2018)
- Share with your friends at church and outside of church, so that many voices can be heard!
- Find and share on social media with the hashtags #iridesce #affirmunited #livingapology #ause
VOLUNTEER!
A Core Team of dedicated Volunteers is needed! If you are interested in helping to make things happen in one of the following areas, please contact Aaron Miechkota as soon as possible:
- Visioning: Creative folks and dreamers familiar with the creative process. Be a listening ear and sounding board for extroverted creative people!
- Administrative support: Booking, networking, shipping of supplies and materials, research and fact-checking, budgeting and accounting.
- Regional Volunteers: Short-term volunteers to help organize local day/weekend events (set up, promoting the event, refreshments, audio/visual support, pick-up from the train station, etc.)
- Communication: Help maintain the website, design printed materials, French translation, etc.
- Worship, Spirituality & Theology: Ideally a minister or ministry student to help create faith-filled gatherings and resources for use by the national church
- Event Content Planning & Development: Ideally a Diaconal Minister or person of faith with similar experience, to help create/consult on safer spaces, workshops, etc.
- Children & Families Resource Person: Help provide resources and ideas for children, teens and families (play, games, colouring books, etc.) at regional events
- Historian / Education / Context: Help to outline the state of queer in the United Church of Canada from 1988-2018, contextualizing the work of the UCC within the larger Canadian and North American contexts, etc.
- Social Justice, Policy and Service volunteer: what’s next for our church and our world?
- Represent IRIDESCE at the Sky Light Festival happening this Summer!
Please contact Aaron Miechkota at livingapology(at)gmail(dot)com for more information or to express interest in volunteering.
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