Workshops

Conversations around worship and liturgy

Presenter: Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, founding pastor, House for All Sinners and Saints, Denver, Colorado

Questions?  Seeking ways to re-invigorate worship, combine relevance and tradition, bring people together of differing ages and perspectives?  Good!!  Let’s talk…

Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber is the founding pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints, an ELCA mission church in Denver, Colorado. She’s a leading voice in the emerging church movement and her writing can be found in The Christian Century and Jim Wallis’ God’s Politics blog. She is author of “Salvation on the Small Screen? 24 Hours of Christian Television” (Seabury 2008) and the Sarcastic Lutheran blog.

Come and explore the Salvadoran Lutheran presence through the lens of two congregations.  Grow in your understanding of El Salvador’s turbulent recent history in addition to what daily life is like in this Central American nation.  During our time together we will also learn the plight of LGBT Salvadorans and how the intersections of sexuality, poverty, third-world country citizenship, and faith can successfully co-exist in the future.

René Garcia, Lutherans Concerned Region 4 Coordinator since 2010, came to Lutherans Concerned in 2004 as the first Director of Multicultural Relations and person of color to serve on the board of directors.  Under his leadership the former Multicultural Relations Committee was convened which gave birth to Lutherans Concerned’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization, and later as an organization committed to working at the intersection of oppressions. 

A graduate of Texas Lutheran College with a BA in Communication Arts – Media Studies and Spanish, René currently teaches Spanish at Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, Texas and is a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas.  In March 2012 René joined a delegation of New Hope Lutheran Church, Missouri City, Texas, visiting its sister parish, El Buen Pastor Lutheran Church in Usulután, El Salvador.  During this transformative and life-changing trip he felt the presence of God and  has been discerning a call to accompany this Salvadoran congregation as it begins  dialogue regarding LGBT issues.

Rev. Anita Hill is the newest staff member and oversees Lutherans Concerned activities in Region 3 (Minnesota and the Dakotas). Specifically she supports RIC congregations, programs and synods towards further union of LGBT inclusion. She joined Lutherans Concerned during this historical moment in Minnesota and leads our efforts to defeat the proposed anti-marriage amendment on the Minnesotan ballot on November 6, 2012. Her work towards marriage equality will sow seeds in Region 3 and act as an example for other regions to the radically inclusive love God has for committed couples, who deserve protection and support through both civil and church rites.  Anita studied Spanish in San Salvador in February and made five yearly visits with Christ the Liberator Lutheran Church in the village of Nahualapa.

What’s Up With Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries?

Presenters: Rev. Michael Wilker and members of Proclaim

Following the 2009 ELCA Ministry Policy changes, Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries embarked on a vision and mission conversation to discuss the needs of LGBTQ rostered leaders in the changing ELCA and what our organization might offer.  We have re-tooled our three core programs in the following ways: the ELM Roster has largely become Proclaim, a new professional community of nearly 100 Lutheran rostered leaders and seminarians who publicly identify as LGBTQ.  Extraordinary candidacy has become Candidacy Accompaniment, offering support and resources to LGBTQ people in Lutheran candidacy processes. We have expanded the availability of our Ministry Grants program to include all of Proclaim.  Through these programs, we are expanding ministry opportunities for Lutheran rostered leaders who bring sexual and gender diversity to this church. We believe these leaders and their ministries help change the church and transform society.  Join the Rev. Michael Wilker, Co-Chair of the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries board and several members of Proclaim to learn more and hear stories about how this growing ministry.

Lifting Your Faithful Voice: Using Media to Advance Full Inclusion

Presenter: Ross Murray, Director of Religion, Faith & Values, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

Are you tired of having anti-LGBT voices misrepresent your faith? Do you ever think, “But I’m not THAT kind of Christian”? It may be time to amplify your voice and your faith and use the media to do that. Let’s explore together why your voice is so important and how you can write, speak, or organize in a way that lets people know that Lutherans love ALL people.

Ross Murray amplifies pro-LGBT religious voices in the media, holds the media accountable for the words and images they present, and shapes the conversation about religion and LGBT people. Ross holds a BA in Youth & Family Ministry from Augsburg College and a MA in Outreach & Discipleship from Luther Seminary. Ross is also a founding director of The Naming Project, the first faith-based LGBT youth group. Ross is especially interested in helping people cultivate a holistic identity that includes sexuality and spirituality.

The Challenges and Joys of Being Bi: Psychological, Physical, and Spiritual Implications

Presenter:  Margaret C. Charmoli, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

People who identify as bisexual tend to be the least visible and perhaps most misunderstood of the gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender communities.  This workshop will discuss some of the challenges that are unique to the bi community as well as some of the joys inherent in being bi.  The challenges of being bi will include marginalization by both the straight and gay/lesbian communities.  Ramifications for mental health, physical health, and spiritual health will be addressed.

Objectives of Workshop:  Attendees of the workshop will learn:

• -Definitions and prevalence estimates of bisexuality.
• -Ways to assess bisexuality.
• -Challenges of being bisexual (including marginalization and stigma).
• -Joys of being bisexual.
• -How the mental health and physical health of bi people compare to the straight and g/l/t population.
• -Spiritual ramifications of being bi.
• -Resources on bisexuality.

Margaret C. Charmoli, Ph.D,. is a psychologist in private practice and has taught at Macalester College and the University of Minnesota.  She has extensive public speaking experience with lay and professional audiences at the local, regional, national and international levels.  Her speaking engagements have included presentations on sexuality, sexual orientation, spirituality, mental health, addiction recovery, trauma, school violence, disaster preparedness/response and professional development.  She is a current member of the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives. Dr. Charmoli is a past president of the Minnesota Psychological Association. She currently chairs the Marriage Equality Task Force for the Minnesota Psychological Association.

Anti-Gay Marriage Constitutional Amendments:  Assessing Psychological Harm and Developing Resilience

Presenter:  Margaret C. Charmoli, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist

In recent years more than half of the states in the US have put anti-gay marriage constitutional amendments on the ballot. Psychological research has indicated that these initiatives harm people in the LGBT community and also provide opportunities to develop resilience. This workshop will discuss the factors that contribute to psychological harm as well as resilience.

As a result of the research conducted on anti-gay initiatives, the American Psychological Association has formally opposed legal initiatives that discriminate against gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender people.  They have also developed resolutions that support marriage equality.   Some of the research that led to these resolutions will be discussed as well.

Objectives of Workshop:  Attendees will learn:

• -How anti-gay initiatives damage LGBT people;
• -How LGBT people have developed resilience in the face of anti-gay initiatives;
• -Psychological research that supports marriage equality.

Margaret C. Charmoli, Ph.D,. is a psychologist in private practice and has taught at Macalester College and the University of Minnesota.  She has extensive public speaking experience with lay and professional audiences at the local, regional, national and international levels.  Her speaking engagements have included presentations on sexuality, sexual orientation, spirituality, mental health, addiction recovery, trauma, school violence, disaster preparedness/response and professional development.  She is a current member of the American Psychological Association Council of Representatives. Dr. Charmoli is a past president of the Minnesota Psychological Association. She currently chairs the Marriage Equality Task Force for the Minnesota Psychological Association.

Addressing Reconciliation and the Intersection of Oppression on a Global Basis

Presenters: Philip W. Moeller, PhD; the Rt. Rev. Bishop Disani Christopher Senyonjo; and Gard Sandaker-Nielsen

Notwithstanding our having links abroad from an early point in our history, the International Program of Lutherans Concerned, as a concrete and articulated approach, spans little more than a decade.  Our objectives resonate with that of other LGBT groups and international development agencies: we seek to address the intersection of oppression globally, with specific but not exclusive focus on LGBT issues, and to advance the reconciliation process in our witness.  The “International Workshop” will feature panelists from different regions to discuss how this needs to be done in a concrete setting.  Is there a common framework that can be replicated globally or are regional variations to great to do this.  Are we making progress?  What can be done in the near-run and long-term future.  Come, join the search for communality and specificity in the reconciliation process.

Philip W. Moeller, Lutherans Concerned International Programs Director, is a Senior Institutional and Social Specialist working on institutional and governance issues for the World Bank. Having started working at the chapter level of LC/NA, he carries out his board work by providing liaison with such international advocacy groups as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in New York on behalf of LC/NA. Philip also lectures at various colleges on globalization and development. Philip is on the Board of Directors of the St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation and is active with a variety of LGBT advocacy groups.

The Rt. Rev. Bishop Disani Christopher Senyonjo received his M Div in 1966 and his STM in 1967 from Union Theological Seminary, New York. Bishop Senyonjo is perhaps best known for his courageous advocacy on the part of LGBTQ persons in Uganda, where he spent his entire ministerial career prior to his 1998 retirement.  He has been recognized by the California State Assembly for his leadership on LGBTQ issues and was named one of Huffington Post’s Ten Most Influential Religious Leaders for 2010. Bishop Senyonjo’s courageous stand against anti-LGBTQ bigotry in Uganda was the subject of a profile in Religion Dispatches in February 2011. He is Executive Director of the St. Paul’s Reconciliation and Equality Centre, Kampala.  

Gard Sandaker-Nielsen is a 33 year old ordained minister in the Church of Norway. For 3.5 years he was president in the Norwegian organization for Christian LGBT, Åpen Kirkegruppe and he is a board member in the LGBT-network in the Norwegian Labour Party. For the past two years he has been a board member in the European Forum for LGBT Christian Groups and has for several years been involved in the outreach to LGBT in Eastern Europe. In 2008 he married Lasse in a church ceremony in Oslo, a ceremony that was debated in the news all over Norway. For the past 4 years he has been working as a senior communication advisor and speech writer in the Norwegian Ministry for Education and Research. In his degree from the Norwegian School of Theology, he has one year at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Iowa.

Including Children in the Work of Welcome.

Presenter: David Weiss

Children are not just the future of the church—they are the church right now. Whether working to prevent bullying or to create a congregational culture of welcome, they have needs to honor and gifts to offer. Rooted in the groundbreaking work of aMaze, this workshop offers insight into the need for and the dynamics of anti-bias work with children. Using stories as a way to unleash imagination and foster empathy, aMaze has pioneered a model (and curriculum) that empowers children to become change agents for welcome around race, class, gay/lesbian families and more. Learn how to harness these insights for reconciling work in your own congregation.

David Weiss, author of To the Tune of a Welcoming God: Lyrical reflections on sexuality, spirituality and the wideness of God’s welcome, is a theologian, poet, essayist, and hymnist. A lifelong Lutheran and longtime Ally, David is a self-employed speaker and writer on sexuality and spirituality, and a Board member for aMaze, a Minnesota-based nonprofit nationally recognized for its Families All Matter Book Project. Contacts: www.amazeworks.org / www.davidrweiss.com.

A La Familia

Presenters: Nicole Garcia and Lisbeth Melendez Rivera

A one-hour overview of a 12-hour workshop program that addresses the acceptance of LGBTQ Latinas/os. Most Latinas/os know what it means to be excluded, having experienced discrimination, exclusion from good jobs, good neighborhoods and good schools. Yet, still, some of us exclude other Latinas/os because of a different sexual orientation or gender identity. This workshop discusses the fear surrounding the Latina/o LGBTQ community and how we can love and accept everyone for who they are.  This workshop will present an overview of the entire curriculum with the aim of participants leaving with a better idea of the multiple layers of oppression faced by the LGBTQ Latina/o community.

Nicole Garcia, Co-Chair of Lutherans Concerned, has previously served on the board as Secretary, and as Transgender Representative. Nicole has presented workshops and participated in panels concerning gender identity and spirituality in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, and throughout the Denver/Boulder area.  A member of many LGBTQ secular and religious organizations, Nicole is a student in a master’s degree in counseling program at the University of Colorado, Denver, intent on becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Lisbeth Melendez Rivera works at Thrive DC in Washington.  A twenty-plus year veteran of the LGBT and Labor movements, Lisbeth has extensive experience organizing and training at the intersections of sexual orientation, gender identity and culture specifically as they relate to communities of color. Lisbeth has crisscrossed the country training workers and community leaders in organizing, leadership development and community building strategies from a grassroots perspective.  Before Thrive DC, she was Director of UNID@S, The National Latin@ LGBT Human Rights Organization.  Previously she has been the Director of Development for Stonewall Democrats, and a founder of the National Coalition for Latino/a Justice, now a project of Unid@s, a national Latina/o LGBT human rights organization.

Youth and Young Adult Panel

Presenters: Emily Hamilton and members of the Youth, Young Adult, and Families Committee

What work is being done by young people in the Lutheran church toward full inclusion of LGBTQ people? What needs are they experiencing, and are we meeting them as a movement? Ask youth and young adult leaders at Reconciling Works2012 what drew them to the movement, which ministries they’ve been working on, what projects they are focusing on for the future, and discuss with them how we can support young LGBT Christians and allies.

Emily Hamilton joined the Lutheran Volunteer Corps as a program assistant for Lutherans Concerned in the fall of 2010. Her work has included anti-bullying research, Reconciling in Christ support, and Youth and Young Adult Programming. She will be attending Union Theological Seminary this fall to pursue a Master of Divinity degree.

Understanding the “T” in LGBT

Presenter: JamieAnn Meyers

This workshop will give participants a foundation for understanding trans* people and the complex issues they face every day of their lives. A combination of activities, group brainstorming sessions, and lecture/discussion will address such things as terminology, myths and stereotypes, the differences between sex, gender, and sexual orientation, participants’ own gender identities, gender-conforming privilege, “coming out,” and how to be an ally to trans* individuals and the trans* community.

JamieAnn Meyers is the Transgender Representative on the board of LC/NA.   In addition to her work in Lutherans Concerned/North America, she interacts with GenderFold in the Coalition of ONA churches of the UCC. She is active in the secular LGBT community as a lead trainer with the Minnesota LGBTA Campus Alliance and is a board member of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition.  She takes a social justice and anti-oppression approach to her activism and advocacy. Her work focuses on advocacy for Transgender and Bisexual persons, and on trainings for Allies across the boundaries of all LGBT communities.

Presenter: JamieAnn Meyers

Welcoming and including trans* people in your congregation involves much more than a sign outside the place of worship and an inclusive mission statement in the bulletin. In this workshop we will use a variety of activities and brainstorming techniques to explore ways in which welcome and inclusion of trans* folks can be achieved in the life of the church.  T* folks are often a misunderstood and forgotten part of LGBT, even though the Bible is rich in its portrayal of people of different gender identities and expressions.  Consequently, education around gender identity and gender expression is sorely needed.

JamieAnn Meyers is the Transgender Representative on the board of LC/NA.   In addition to her work in Lutherans Concerned/North America, she interacts with GenderFold in the Coalition of ONA churches of the UCC. She is active in the secular LGBT community as a lead trainer with the Minnesota LGBTA Campus Alliance and is a board member of the Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition.  She takes a social justice and anti-oppression approach to her activism and advocacy. Her work focuses on advocacy for Transgender and Bisexual persons, and on trainings for Allies across the boundaries of all LGBT communities.

Privilege

Presenters: Rev. Darryl Kiehl and Rev. Anita Hill

We enjoy privilege, all of us.  Some of us have more arenas of privilege than others, but no one in North America is without privilege.  Nationality, sexuality, religion, class (to name a few) are arenas in which we experience more or less privilege.  This brief workshop includes a simple but enlightening exercise in identifying the privilege we each enjoy based on our social identity.  We will discuss the ways in which our unique combination of privilege/lack of privilege influences our daily lives, and equips us to work at the intersection of oppressions.  You’ll walk away with new insights, and a colorful reminder of the privilege you enjoy.

Rev. Darryl Kiehl is pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Birmingham, Alabama, and a Licensed Professional Counselor (Ph.D. Georgia State University). In addition to serving on LC/NA’s Board since 2010 as Co-Director of the Committee Working at the Intersection of Oppressions, he is on the Board of Lunches for Learning, Honduras, and actively helping form Birmingham Faith in Action, a community organizing network. He has served on the Synod Council, Mutual Ministry Committee, and Support Team (conflict resolution), and on the boards of AID Atlanta, Lutheran Ministries of Georgia, and Lutheran Community Food Ministry. He was active in counseling and public speaking on LGBT issues in Atlanta. His congregation recently hosted the “Building an Inclusive Church Workshop,” and he took the lead in starting the first LC/NA chapter in Alabama.

Rev. Anita Hill is the newest staff member and oversees Lutherans Concerned activities in Region 3 (Minnesota and the Dakotas). Specifically she supports RIC congregations, programs and synods towards further union of LGBT inclusion. She joined Lutherans Concerned during this historical moment in Minnesota and leads our efforts to defeat the proposed anti-marriage amendment on the Minnesotan ballot on November 6, 2012. Her work towards marriage equality will sow seeds in Region 3 and act as an example for other regions to the radically inclusive love God has for committed couples, who deserve protection and support through both civil and church rites.  Anita studied Spanish in San Salvador in February and made five yearly visits with Christ the Liberator Lutheran Church in the village of Nahualapa.

Building an Inclusive Church: Beginning the Welcoming Journey

Presenter: Tim Feiertag, Lutherans Concerned Grassroots Organizing and Training Coordinator

What brought you to attend this assembly?  Perhaps it was a longing to experience a faith community in which people of all sexual orientations and gender identities would be fully welcomed.  If your home congregation has not yet taken such a public stance of welcome toward gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and you would like to help make that welcome a reality, this might be the workshop for you!  Participants will receive an overview of the Building an Inclusive Church training and toolkit, our primary resource for designing a successful welcoming church process.

Tim Feiertag joined the staff of Lutherans Concerned in February 2012. He attended his first Lutherans Concerned Assembly in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1994. He served as a regional director from 1995 to 1998 and as Co-Chair from 1998 to 2002. It was during his time as Co-Chair that he began to sense a call to ordained ministry in the ELCA. He left behind his work in the foster care system in Kansas City and headed to seminary in Berkeley, California, in 2005. After receiving the Master of Divinity degree in 2009, Tim returned to Kansas City serving briefly as a church secretary. He might still become your pastor some day. Until then, he is pleased to help congregations become places of more intentional, wide-spread, and public welcome!

We’re RIC; Now What?

Presenter: Tim Feiertag, Lutherans Concerned Grassroots Organizing and Training Coordinator

Did you know that the RIC program used to be named in the past tense—RECONCILED In Christ?  Years ago, LC/NA recognized that becoming welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people is not a one-time achievement.  Rather, it is an ongoing process.  Come and share your own congregation’s best practices about living into the welcome that God has extended to all people.  Learn some new ideas on how your congregation might broaden and deepen the commitments you have made to be a community of radical hospitality.

Tim Feiertag joined the staff of Lutherans Concerned in February 2012. He attended his first Lutherans Concerned Assembly in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1994. He served as a regional director from 1995 to 1998 and as Co-Chair from 1998 to 2002. It was during his time as Co-Chair that he began to sense a call to ordained ministry in the ELCA. He left behind his work in the foster care system in Kansas City and headed to seminary in Berkeley, California, in 2005. After receiving the Master of Divinity degree in 2009, Tim returned to Kansas City serving briefly as a church secretary. He might still become your pastor some day. Until then, he is pleased to help congregations become places of more intentional, wide-spread, and public welcome!