|
The Harmony Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Tammie Lay has moved into the recently vacated Congregational Support Coordinator role. This change comes after Tammie expressed a strong interest in supporting those congregations within Community of Christ seeking to become welcoming and affirming, and she brings with her a great deal of experience developing and standing up programming in her area. Tammie lives in the Kansas City area and is a graduate of the Community of Christ Seminary. Following a formal Board of Directors vote - in which Tammie received unanimous support - Tammie graciously and excitedly accepted the new title of Congregational Support Coordinator. The organization is blessed to have Tammie on the Board, and we look forward to the many contributions she will make in this new role. Tammie writes, "I come to this position with a commitment to encourage the development and growth of those congregations who aspire to become welcoming and affirming communities to all, regardless of gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation." Please help us welcome Tammie into this role by showing your support through volunteerism. You may also wish to contact Tammie to express your congratulations. Emails can be sent to tammie@harmony.lgbt.  Pictured: Tammie and her husband Joe
0 Comments
As a membership organization, Harmony is filled with passionate, hard-working advocates for the Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ Community across a multitude of intersecting scenarios (e.g. churches, communities, workplaces, etc.) We wish to highlight these important local efforts as often as possible so that we might help connect advocates around the world with hope, ideas, and a network of supporters. We've chosen to highlight Sean Langdon, a member of Harmony living in the Pacific NW in the United States, and the good work he is doing there. Check out his story and video below. We'd like to thank Sean for all of his hard work to help draw the circle wider still. He is doing some incredible things. Well done! AuthorSean Langdon Part of the work I do here in Oregon is to serve on the Board of Directors for the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO). An initiative that EMO sponsors is Common Table of Oregon. I join about 40 other interfaith leaders throughout Oregon as part of this initiative. Common Table seeks to draw together an interfaith perspective as we seek common ground on important issues facing our state. The walls that might normally be up among ecumenical and interfaith leaders begin to come down as we learn from each other's stories and begin to create new ones together. Recently we launched a campaign where we asked faith leaders to respond to one of two questions via video or written response. The set of questions that I chose to respond to was this: "We’d like to hear from the wisdom of all your traditions. Where do you find applicable examples from your own spiritual and cultural histories of facing and transforming fear, isolation and scapegoating?" For my response, I shared how Community of Christ journeyed towards our USA National Conference in 2013 with the principles of Faithful Disagreement to guide us forward. This video clip below is my response! Here is a link to a news article covering Common Table of Oregon's efforts: https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2020/04/opinion-a-call-to-communities-of-faith-across-oregon-to-practice-solidarity.html?fbclid=IwAR2BprqKrlkbP9fI8rJKhrBLMjpe8C3D7r2oSd3ZatZ7PaM_kFis3EJotsc  Hello, Harmony!
Just like last month, I want to personally invite you to our monthly Sacred Pause gathering. This event is open to the public and is designed to provide a moment of connection, communion, and sharing in a safe, inclusive online environment. We hope you can join us! For security purposes, the link will be shared on the Facebook Event just before the event and via email to our mailing list in the days leading up to the event. If you are interested in volunteering to assist with any service elements, please contact Linda Stanbridge, Harmony Chaplain. Hello friends and supporters - As many of you know, Harmony ran a targeted fundraising campaign throughout the month of December that kicked off on #GivingTuesday (December 3, 2019). With your feedback, we offered giving options via Facebook, PayPal, GoFundMe Charity, and checks. This fundraiser exceeded our expectations - so much so that we had to raise the fundraising goal several times! The totals are in, and we wanted to share them with you, our supporters. Here are a few key statistics (also included in the video above):
While the fundraiser total figure is impressive and should be celebrated, the sheer number of unique donors who gave of their treasure to support the mission of our organization is equally important. This figure is a key indicator for the organization and a reminder that our mission and purpose are as relevant now as ever. Harmony thanks you for your incredible generosity and for your willingness to share our fundraiser with friends, loved ones, and other fellow Harmony supporters. What a fantastic way to kick of the 2020 year! In service, Your Harmony Board of Directors Oh, and check out our donor locations below! In this video, outgoing Interim President Jerry M. Dale, Jr. and incoming 2020 President Parker Johnson discuss the formal transition from the interim board to the first official Harmony Board of Directors. Happy New Year! Greetings Harmony supporters - We want to begin with a few words from our outgoing Interim President, Jerry M. Dale, Jr. and outgoing Interim Vice President, Parker Johnson. Please click the video below to enjoy this end-of-year greeting. Next, we are pleased to announce the arrival of our 2020 Harmony Membership form!
Collaborating with the incoming 2020 Board of Directors, the 2019 Interim Harmony Board of Directors agreed upon a marginal increase for our 2020 membership dues for Individual and Household memberships. There is no change to the Student/Limited Income membership level. The previous dues structure has been in place for more than 20 years, and this is the first time in the organization’s history (including GALA/WCN) that a dues increase has been implemented. The purpose of this increase is to assist with the increasing cost of operating the organization, including insurance, required technology, and tools necessary to fulfill the mission of Harmony. If you have any questions about this increase, please contact us at info@harmony.lgbt. Memberships run per calendar year. (January 1 - December 31) Paid members are guaranteed a voice in all votes, elections, and business of the organization during this time. We offer individual, household, and student/low income membership packages. Scholarships are also available upon request. If you were a member of Harmony in 2019, we invite you to renew your membership with the organization. Your continued input, regional representation, and diversity continue to be valued by our organization. We hope you’ll join us as we move from administrative revitalization to programmatic renewal. CLICK HERE TO RENEW If you weren’t a member of Harmony in 2019, we invite you to consider membership with a fast-growing, inclusive community seeking radical inclusivity across our denomination. With more than 170 members in seven countries and counting, Harmony is poised to effect positive change across our worldwide denomination, Community of Christ. CLICK HERE TO BECOME A MEMBER As we prepare to enter the new year, we stand ready as an organization to respond to a worldwide church in need of our support, advocacy, education, and resources. Thank you for your consideration! We hope you will journey with us. In service, Your Interim Harmony Board of Directors  ATTN: Harmony Members -
Join us on Saturday, November 9, 2019 at 2 p.m. CST for our 2019 Annual Membership Meeting. We will meet via Zoom (web conference) discuss the business of the organization as well as the results of the recent Board of Directors election. All members should have received an email today with details, the Zoom link, and meeting materials.* See you soon! *If you are a paid member and did not receive this email, please email us at info@harmony.lgbt so that we can rectify the situation.  It's time to nominate members for the first Harmony Board of Directors!
Per the merger agreement, we must successfully fill all ten board positions with committed, energized candidates who will help to move the organization forward under the Harmony brand. A full description of the makeup of the Board of Directors and the role for each board member and officer can be found on our bylaws page. We have also put together a simplified one-sheet of available Board of Directors positions here for your convenience. If you are interested in serving on the Board of Directors or if you have a certain person in mind, we would like to encourage you to fill out the nomination form below. Qualifications
 To Our Members and Supporters:
Your current Board of Directors was elected as a transitional (interim) board to carry the organization through merger, rebrand, and finally through the election of the new organization’s first Board of Directors. In addition to these three major commitments, the Interim Board of Directors has made a strong effort to continue GALA/WCN (now Harmony) traditions as best we can throughout this transition. The Interim Board of Directors has assessed the administrative tasks to be completed by fall 2019 and, while we are well on our way to fulfilling our obligations to the organization, we are unfortunately unable to continue our plans for this fall’s membership retreat at Bountiful Campground due to low registration. We are postponing the retreat to the Spring of 2020 and will let you know the location and other details as they are available. By postponing this retreat, the Interim Board of Directors will be freed up to focus on all remaining outstanding administrative tasks and will ensure a successful transition of leadership to the organization’s first Board of Directors later this year. We regret any inconvenience or frustration this might cause you or your families. We hope that this notice comes with enough advance notice to allow you to make alternative plans. All members who are currently registered for this retreat will receive a full refund, and we are currently exploring Spring 2020 dates as possible alternatives. Stay tuned! Should you have any questions, please direct them to info@harmony.lgbt. We will respond as soon as we can! As an interim board, we have worked hard to establish a strong foundation for the organization moving forward and are proud of the many successes we have achieved together as a community. We look forward to a bright future! Respectfully, Your Harmony Interim Board of Directors AuthorGinger Farley  It was a privilege to work in the Harmony booth at World Conference. There were many people who supported the name change from GALA to Harmony. I had numerous chances to explain what Harmony is. There was overwhelming support from the people I talked with. I had the opportunity to talk with a father who was grieving because his son was gay and would never have children to carry on the family name. I explained that through Harmony this man may be able to connect with other parents who have felt the same way. There was a young boy of 9 or 10 who wanted to know what Harmony was about and I explained that it was an organization that supported the LGBT members of the church. I further explained that not everyone in the church or the world were accepting and supportive of the LGBT community. The young boy stated "well that just sucks, everyone should be supported". Harmony wants to be supportive of the LGBT community and those who love them and are having challenges in acceptance. I was also able to attend the Harmony worship service on Wed. evening of conference. Harmony members were able to talk about why GALA/Harmony was started, 37 years ago. Others talked about how WCN (Welcoming Community Network) grew out of the need to assist congregations in accepting the LGBT members. Individual Harmony members talked about the pain of not being accepted for who they are, and several spoke of how important it was in their journey to find GALA/Harmony. They found a place they could be accepted without reservation and to be able to openly share in worship. It was very meaningful to have Apostles, a high priest and appointees serve communion to the Harmony gathering. It was a moment of healing for me personally. The gathering had over 100 people in attendance.
|
RSS Feed
YOU ARE LOVED!
addressP.O. Box 16973
Kansas City, MO 64133 |
Telephone816-368-5773
|
|
We rely on your generous contributions to fulfill our mission. Please consider donating by clicking the button below.
|