Open and Affirming – Coming Events
As our congregation considers whether to become Open and Affirming, there is no more important person than you. The Open and Affirming Committee is announcing two events that will help us learn about what Open and Affirming is, what it could mean for our congregation and, most importantly, what it would mean to the LGBTQ+ community. Ellington Congregational Church needs you to participate.
The first event will be an educational seminar on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, Sunday, October 12th after worship service. For this one-time event, we are bringing in a health educator to help us understand the latest thinking and science regarding sexuality and gender. For many of us of a certain age, these are new topics, so please come and learn. This will be an in-person event only. We will be offering childcare so all can attend. Sign-ups are not required for this event; we are asking just to get an estimated attendance number.
The second event is the start of group discussions on Open and Affirming. These discussions will occur at regular intervals from this October through early 2026. At these discussions, we will talk about a specific topic raised by the congregation, split into small groups for further discussion, then meet back together for conversations as a whole community. We will host each discussion at least two times, with a Zoom option for those who can’t make the in-person conversations. The first of these will be held after worship service on October 26. Again, sign-ups are not required but are helpful.
Whether to become Open and Affirming is a big decision for our church. It is only through learning and listening, that we will be able to prayerfully discern the choice for our church.
We will have sign-up sheets for both events in the Social Room after church starting Sunday Sept. 14. Or, you can sign up online with the following links:
Click here to sign-up online for the Open and Affirming Group discussions.
Click here to sign-up online for the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression Learning Event.
Sign-ups are not required for any of these events but are appreciated, as they will help us plan for the size of each meeting.
ECC Open and Affirming Committee