February 11, 2023 from Noon-4pm in Lansing
In the first century, Jesus inspired a movement – a community of people whose lives were centered on Jesus Christ and committed to living the way of God’s unconditional, unselfish, sacrificial, and redemptive love. As Episcopalians, we believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan have legacies of inclusion, though not always perfect, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being. In our church, all people have access to every level of belonging and leadership, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
We believe that God loves all – no exceptions. And, because of this, we believe we have a role in sharing that unconditional love with the world, especially in this time in which our siblings are barraged by a marked increase in harassment, discrimination, and violence.
Join our Office of Evangelism, in partnership with Great Lakes Bay Pride, for an afternoon training for congregational leaders intended to build knowledge about this large and underrepresented demographic, to learn steps to make your congregation’s culture and physical plant more safe for our LGBTQ+ siblings, and opportunities to connect in new ways for church growth and the sharing of the Good News. Participants will walk away with increased language, knowledge, and practical tools to implement in their congregation and local community.
There are LGBTQ+ identifying people in every community — this training is applicable to your congregation regardless of your size, age demographics, location, or local politics.
This training is open to all participants and may be of particular interest to clergy, vestry members, communications and evangelism staff and volunteers, welcome teams, and more.
With questions, please contact Canon for Evangelism and Networking Katie Forsyth at kforsyth@eastmich.org.
MEET OUR TRAINERS
In addition to leaders from our diocesan staff and congregations, we will welcome two trainers from Great Lakes Bay Pride to share their expertise in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with our congregations.
Scott Ellis (he/him)
Scott is the Executive Director of Great Lakes Bay Pride, a role he stepped into in 2019 (fun fact, the former ED is Chris Lauckner, member of St. John’s, Midland!).
Under Scott’s leadership and with the board of the organization, Great Lakes Bay Pride has become the predominant leader and resource for LGBTQ inclusion throughout Mid-Michigan, up through northeast Michigan and through the Thumb. Their work includes organization for Pride Month festivities, trans support groups, education, social gatherings, advocacy, and more.
A native of Atlanta, Michigan, Scott now lives in Bay City.
Lee Ann Keller (she/her)
Lee Ann serves as President of the Board for Great Lakes Bay Pride. She is also President and CEO of Omni Tech International, a Midland-based business that provides consulting services around several areas, including strategic planning and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) training for nonprofits and businesses.
She and her wife, Tamara, live in Sanford.
LOCATION
St. David’s Episcopal Church
1519 Elmwood Road
Lansing, MI 48917
REGISTRATION
This event takes place on Saturday, February 11th from Noon-4pm. We will begin with lunch.
The cost for this training has been subsidized by the Office of Evangelism for the dioceses. We will offer this pricing structure for participants to self-select:
Individuals – $15/person
Groups of three or more from a congregation – $10/person
If this cost is prohibitive, please contact Canon Katie Forsyth at kforsyth@eastmich.org to request assistance.
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The deadline to register is February 5th.
