Affirming Ministry

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CSRC Affirming Statement | PIE Day Workshop | Celebrating Pride | Resources |  Staff Support

The Affirming Resource Team Members are as follows:

• Peter Haddow (Team Lead)
• Dawn Vaneyk
• Gailand MacQueen
• Stephen Bell
• Marilyn Schatzler
• Marlice MacLeod
• Louise Hart
• Susan Marrier
• Rob Smith (Staff Resource)

Affirming Ministries in The Canadian Shield Regional Council:

• Emmanuel UC – Sault Ste. Marie
• St. Andrew’s UC – North Bay
• St. John’s UC – Marathon
• St. Paul’s UC – Thunder Bay
• St. Peter’s UC – Sudbury
• Westminster UC – Thunder Bay

Responsibilities of Affirming Resource Team

The Affirming Resource Team’s work is to guide the Regional Council through the required Affirm United process to be recognized as an Affirming Ministry and to hold the Regional Council to the commitments made in that process.

The team consists of a Team Lead and eight to ten members to be elected by the Regional Council, with intentional recruitment of representation from the LGBTQ2S+ community.

Responsibilities:

• Support to Affirming Communities of faith;
• Support to Communities of faith exploring Affirming Ministry designation;
• Holding the Regional Council accountable for keeping Safe Space;
• Encouraging the Regional Council in entering into a process of discernment regarding Affirming Ministry.

As an Affirming community, the Canadian Shield Regional Council welcomes, includes, and supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and two-spirit (LGBTQ+) people in all aspects of the life, work, worship and governance of the church.  We believe that all people are children of God; that persons of all ages, races, abilities, theologies, gender identities, and sexual orientations are part of our increasingly diverse culture; and we include all persons into the full life and ministry of the church.

We aspire for members of the LGBTQ+ community to find the churches and governing bodies in our Regional Council to be safe places to worship and share gifts.

An increasing number of our churches proudly march in Pride Parades each year behind banners proclaiming who we are. Many of our members are also present at community events in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

The Canadian Shield Regional Council is fully supportive of Affirm United as we strive to continue to be supportive and accepting of all with whom we are in relationship. Please visit their website www.affirmunited.ca to learn more.

Our Regional Council acknowledges that God’s love is wider and more inclusive than we can imagine, let alone live out, and we commit ourselves to sharing that news with others who may have heard a quite different message about what it means to be church. Because voices of condemnation, exclusion, and hatred are loud and persistent within the church and in society, we declare that it is important to be a public witness and to be a role model for other ministries. As a Regional Council, we will work persistently, and encourage our communities of faith, to be safe, accessible, inclusive, and affirming.

P.I.E Day Workshop

Celebrating Pride 2023

Calendar Moments

• MARCH 14 NATIONAL AFFIRMING/PIE DAY Celebrates the intention to be Public, Intentional and Explicit in the inclusion of people of all sexualities and gender identities.
• FIRST SUNDAY IN JUNE The United Church of Canada celebrates Pride Sunday.
• NOVEMBER 20 TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE Resources for worship and action from The United Church of Canada and other communities of faith

Affirming Communities

AFFIRM UNITED OPEN HEARTS DOCUMENT  By Alyson C. Huntly, in conjunction with the Affirming Ministries Program Coordinators. This is a resource for and about Affirming Ministries, includes information and resources on the affirming process as well as ideas to help congregations continue to grow. Includes a very full listing of additional resources. [PDF| 95 pages | 2017]AFFIRMING MINISTRY REQUIREMENTS From Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble describes the components required in the affirming process. [2016]

Staff Support