HOW IT WORKS
Harmony is committed to journeying alongside Community of Christ congregations wishing to pursue Welcoming & Affirming status. Such a status is a privilege and requires dedication and commitment from congregational members. Harmony defines the term Welcoming & Affirming in a Community of Christ context to mean:
A community that publicly, intentionally, and explicitly lives out its affirming policies following a purposeful Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ educational curriculum approved by Harmony.
With the help of trained volunteers, all participating congregations will receive one-on-one support from a dedicated facilitator. Should concerns or issues arise, this individual will be your main point of contact and connection to the Harmony Board of Directors. Each facilitator will be paired with a Board member to ensure appropriate support is given throughout the process.
We have outlined the process below into three milestones.
We have outlined the process below into three milestones.
QUESTIONNAIREInterested congregations will form a Core Team (4-6 people) to represent the wishes of the body. The Core Team completes a questionnaire concerning the congregation's overall knowledge, exposure, comfort, and inclusivity concerning the Queer/LGBTQIA2S+ Community as it relates to the congregation.
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DISCERNMENTHarmony reviews the questionnaire results and provides a recommendation to the Core Team about how best to proceed. Participating congregations are paired with a trained facilitator within the denomination to assist them throughout the entirety of the program.
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PROGRAM COMPLETIONUpon successful completion of the program, participating congregations draft a Welcoming Statement and hold a business meeting to approve it. This is also an opportunity for the body to ensure all members are comfortable with moving forward as a Welcoming & Affirming congregation.
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Listen carefully to the many testimonies of those around the world who have been led into the fellowship of the Community of Christ. The richness of cultures, the poetry of language, and the breadth of human experience permit the gospel to be seen with new eyes and grasped with freshness of spirit. That gift has been given to you. Do not fail to understand its power.
- Community of Christ Doctrine & Covenants 162:4a
BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE CHURCH TOOLKIT
Harmony utilizes an ecumenical resource known as Building an Inclusive Church Toolkit. Participating congregations will use this resource to varying degrees depending on the outcome of their questionnaire. Harmony's predecessor, Welcoming Community Network (WCN), assisted in the creation of this thoughtful toolkit.
You are encouraged to download and review this resource to get a better understanding of the process, time commitment, expectations, etc.
Consider making a donation to help us continue to develop quality resources like this one.
You are encouraged to download and review this resource to get a better understanding of the process, time commitment, expectations, etc.
Consider making a donation to help us continue to develop quality resources like this one.