More Light Presbyterians engages over 230 congregations and thousands of individuals in the Presbyterian Church (USA), enabling Presbyterians to lead LGBTQIA+ service and advocacy in communities nationwide. More Light’s mission has always been to empower and equip individuals and congregations to live into their welcome for LGBTQIA+ people.
More Light has developed interrelated programs to move congregations along a pathway towards full inclusion, improve ministry services for LGBTQIA+ individuals in need, and expand the faith-based movement opposing discriminatory legislation. Our programs help congregations and our members build their capacity and develop new skills to deepen their welcome to LGBTQIA+ people within their churches and in their wider communities. Check out Our Work to learn more about our various programs!
Open and Affirming (ONA)
Open and Affirming is a journey of building inclusive churches and other ministry settings that welcome the participation of LGBTQ+ people in their full life and ministry. Congregations and other expressions of the church are encouraged to engage in the ONA process. A toolkit, training, educational resources, consultation and technical assistance are available to help you assess where you are on the journey and design a process to fit the life and culture of your congregation or organization.
Since 1974, ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation has advocated for the full welcome, inclusion, and equity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community. The Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program of ReconcilingWorks is for congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries, and other Lutheran organizations that publicly welcome LGBTQIA+ people.
Reconciling Ministries Network equips and mobilizes United Methodists of all sexual orientations and gender identities to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.
Reconciling Ministries Network envisions a renewed and vibrant Wesleyan movement that is biblically and theologically centered. As committed disciples of Jesus Christ, the Reconciling Ministries Network strives to transform the world by living out the Gospel’s teachings of grace, love, justice and inclusion for all of God’s children.
Yale Divinity School's Youth Ministry Institute offers a free, online/downloadable curriculum and other resources to support leaders, volunteers, mentors and peers in welcoming and affirming 2-SLGBTQIA+ siblings, including:
Cindy Bohrer (United student and admissions counselor) is passionate about creating safe, inclusive spaces, particularly when it comes to gender, identity, and pronoun usage. As part of her Social Transformation capstone, she has just released "Becoming in the New Year," a fun downloadable resource to help churches become more generous, kind, and affirming — because y'all means all!
Click here for more information. Click here to download the free resources from Dropbox.
Coming In: Gays and lesbians reclaiming the spiritual journey
Urs Mattmann
The author explores a mystic spirituality and describes numerous practical steps that gay men and women can take in order to connect with their innate spiritual nature and express it in their daily lives and relationships. He provides prayers, meditations, rituals, exercises and other suggestions to foster spiritual discovery.
Supporting Parents of LGBTQIA+ Youth
By Leah Dail
Includes a list of additional online resources for developing your own small group or support network.
This four-session guide is for middle- and high school youth (confirmation classes or youth groups); for exploring safe and healthy relationships and imparting lifelong skills to make safe and healthy choices.
Sessions include:
Hope Church (UMC) offers a great list of resources for parents, faith formation leaders, clergy, and allies to create justice, hospitality, and study.
Social Justice Books shared their Pride LGBTQ+ Booklists and Reviews:
- Children's Booklist
- Middle & High School Booklist
Full Booklist
It can be difficult to love ourselves and others when we live in a society that isn't always affirming of queerness. These books inspire us to overcome our fears and transform more fully into the person we are meant to be.
During Pride Month, the Open and Affirming Coalition of the UCC will launch a new podcast called “The Intersection” beginning June 6. The biweekly podcast will be available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
Transgender or devoutly Christian? An Iowa teen refuses to choose.
Sid High was 18 and trans in a world that felt increasingly hostile for young people like him. But as the U.S. grew more divided, he found himself growing deeper in his faith.
By Casey Parks
December 23, 2022 at 7:00 AM CST
Beyond the Binary: Retelling the Diné Creation Story
Illustration by Polo Heredia/Yes! Media
"For this was First Woman’s gift: a choice to be, to love, and a small power of creation. For some, the power of pregnancy. For a select few, the power to call forth rain. And for everyone, the power to create bonds that last a lifetime."
Austen Hartke shares The Blessings of a Complex Story
Jennalynn Fung explores What It Means to Be Nonbinary in TeenVogue.
In RevGalBlogPals, The Pastoral Is Political blog, Rev. Emily Heitzman clarifies the importance of creating Affirming Spaces for LGBTQIA+ Youth.
A resource list for parents and caregivers who want to learn more about gender identity and expression in children, along with coloring pages featuring the dress and other clothes from the shop, is available at flyawaybooks.com/resources.
October is LGBTQ+ History month, Church Safety and Security month, and Emotional Wellness month. Find resources for ministry to your youth here:
LGBTQ+ History Month
A BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR LGBTQIA2-S PRIDE FLAG
Posted by LACDMH Blog | Jun 16, 2022
Standing for Love is Required of All
A panel of spiritual thought leaders discuss what we can all do to create more inclusive communities of faith at the Wild Goose Festival
“What to Watch: Celebrate LGBTQIA Pride Month” by Beatrice Alvarez (PBS, June 1, 2022) – an article with a number of PBS documentary videos featuring people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and their stories
"The trans community is very small, it’s a microcosm of the society, even smaller than the LGB community,” says Ebony Harper, executive director of California TRANScends. Harper joined Lambda legal attorney Carl Charles and congressional candidate Maebe A. Girl on a special videotaped roundtable marking Transgender Day of Visibility, which falls on March 31. The three panelists engaged in a sweeping discussion of how a small minority of Americans has become a target of conservative culture wars as a way to distract people from issues like climate change and economic injustices, and how resistance to right-wing attacks takes many forms: litigation, political engagement, and individual acts of solidarity.
Ceremony to honor and commemorate persons coming into the fullness of their identity with the support of their worshipping community.
