February 2010 Update

Here's what's been going on with Sanctuary Collective during the month of February!

This month was our first round of regularly scheduled blogs! We've had updates from our Discipleship Program participants as well as Sanctuary Collective staff. Here's a sampling:

Matt's post: Some thoughts on Prayer, and a Challenge for you
...I'm not talking about a quick Pater Noster as I brush my teeth, I'm talking about some quiet reflective time where I talk to God, with God, or at God followed by some time listening.

MarySue's post from Mississippi College
My immediate goal is to help create a safer atmosphere on campus by engaging in dialogue with other students on campus about the issues LGBTQ students face as well as continuing to foster safe community within our QSA.

Micah's post: The Things that Sustain Us
There's just something about sitting down over coffee and laughing about being afraid that the rapture had happened anytime I walked into an empty room as a child that is so therapeutic for me.

Delfin's post from Yale Divinity
Though the journey is just beginning, I am able to embrace and be Queer, American, Cuban, El Salvadoran, Catholic, Spanglish, catholic, Ecumenical, Mujerista, Eccentric, Imperfect, Curvaceous, and share a distinct quirky laugh that the world either likes or doesn’t like.

Emily's post from Hope College
All too often, the struggle for human rights feels like war to me, attacking or defending.  But who am I fighting? I label this person with words like “conservative,” “fundamentalist” or “close-minded.”  Recently, I have been invited to rethink this approach.

Brian's post on What We're Reading
If you're looking for a few good reads, check these out and then share your thoughts with us! 

We've also been busy this month connecting our Discipleship Program participants with some amazing mentors. Each participant gave us some guidelines of what qualities would be helpful in a potential mentor, and we've been working from those to make sure each person gets to be in communication with someone who will be a good fit for them. As of now, we're still looking for someone with a strong background of working with the intersection of sexuality within faith communities and communities of color. If you know someone who fits the bill, pass their information along - it would be really helpful!

Finally, it is our hope to be able to support a full-time staff member in 2010 so that we can continue to support our current participants, as well as to seek out new and innovative ways to support young folks organizing for LGBTQ justice in Christian communities. But we can't do this without your help. Please consider donating monthly so we can make this a reality. Any monthly contribute--whether $5 or $50--will go a long way to creating sustainable movements for justice.  If you can't commit to monthly giving, will you give $7 today. We honor and appreciate any gift you are able to provide - including and especially the gift of taking the time to spread the word! Will you tell four friends about what we are doing and the need for their financial support?

Love & Peace,
Micah