Resourcing the Work of Collective Gender + Sexuality Liberation
A year ago, I had the great honor of being ordained to the work of Gender and Sexuality Liberation on behalf of and in ministry with the community of Juniper Formation UCC. The congregation and I had been dreaming into the possibilities of what it would mean to house a ministry team that was focused on creating inclusive and equitable spaces for LGBTQ+ people in communities of faith, as well as programming that would encourage and build gender and sexuality liberation for all people. We envisioned this work challenging oppressive systems like heteronormativity, patriarchy, and cultures of violence and control. We wanted to do this by teaching, preaching, and practicing cultures of care, consent, equity, and inclusion in the way of Jesus.
I walked into this role knowing that it was going to require creative thinking and innovation, because we didn’t have any money to support this work and we weren’t quite sure where the funding might come from. And so, working collaboratively in community, we went out searching for financial partners who would come alongside us to do the work of developing programming and structures that would support our goals of gender and sexuality liberation in the Church and in the broader world. And I am so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.
In just one year, our Gender and Sexuality Liberation Ministry has been funded by individuals, regional and national settings of the United Church of Christ, and, excitingly, government entities. At the end of 2023 we received an In the Mud grant from the Rocky Mountain Conference of the UCC and in the Spring of 2024, a Genesis Grant from the national setting of the UCC. These grants seeded our work in ways that opened the door for other granting opportunities.
In June 2024, we received a $10,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to use in just ONE month. It was a rush of energy and adrenaline to see how we could quickly use these resources to advance gender and sexuality liberation. The goal of the grant was to create affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ youth all over Colorado and we saw that we were well positioned to help achieve that goal with our congregational partners. We were able to provide our Open and Affirming 2.0 training at the Rocky Mountain Conference UCC’s Annual Meeting, training participants how to create more equitable and inclusive spaces for transgender and gender-expansive people. We began the work of mapping affirming faith spaces all across the state for future collaboration. And joyously, we redistributed over HALF of what we received from the state to six other congregations. These microgrants supported those congregations in attending their local Pride events, creating opportunities for LGBTQ+ youth to connect with communities of faith that would affirm their belovedness and dignity. Congregations from Montrose and Grand Junction to Fort Collins and Parker were able to purchase booth registrations, pop-up tents, giveaways, and more to support their work of supporting LGBTQ+ young people.
This illustrates one of the things that I love most about being in ministry at Juniper Formation—we are unafraid of imagining partnerships and collaborations that resource the work of collective liberation. From going after state-funded grants that other communities of faith may not think are possible to recognizing the power of interdependence with other congregations, Juniper Formation is experimenting with how we can advance the work of the Kin-dom through unconventional means. We believe that we are in collaborative relationships with other communities of faith, not in competition for members or limited resources. We believe that funding can come from a wide variety of settings and that we can be a conduit for God’s multiplying power. We believe in the abundance that’s possible when we step out in faith.
As we enter 2025, we know that there is so much work to be done around Gender and Sexuality Liberation. LGBTQ+ people and families are experiencing increased political and social violence and oppression. Trans kids worry for their futures. And the patriarchy is rearing its ugly head. Would you help us take steps cultivating care and liberation? We’d love to expand our work in sexuality education by offering Our Whole Lives courses to youth and adults. We want to continue our work of collaborating with communities of faith across Colorado to create affirming and loving spaces for queer youth. We want to apply for audacious grants. And in order for those things to happen, we need the support of individuals to help us fund our staff team as we build towards sustainability for this ministry.
I ask that you consider setting up a monthly contribution to the Gender and Sexuality Ministry at Juniper Formation, which will fund the often unsexy but vital work of administration, grant writing, and pastoral care. $100 a month will support two hours each month of spiritual support for Juniper Formation community members who might be navigating their queerness and faith. $50 a month would support an hour of grant writing and research time. And each and every gift is received and multiplied into collaborations and partnerships that energize sustaining this work of liberation-making into the future.
And let’s talk collabs! If you’d like to chat with me about our ONA 2.0 workshops or accompanying your congregation on an Open and Affirming journey or planning an Our Whole Lives facilitator training or anything else, please feel free to schedule a time for us to meet. Our relationships with and commitments to each other are how we’re going to build a more just and liberated world for us all.