Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network

Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network Visions Statement: Our vision is to create safe places for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Nebraska through a statewide community ofreconciling folks centered in the love of Christ for ALL of God's Children. We hope to foster full inclusion and full participation of all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as we welcome, affirm and encourage them to share in all ministries in our churches.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

NE Statewide Reconciling Network: Celebrate: RMN, Love, marriage light up NY!

NE RUM's and friends : Time to Celebrate Love and Marriage in NY -- and the work of RMN with SING A NEW SONG CONVO happening and many ministries to move the UMC forward!

Give to groups that support GLBT rights and equality, full participation! www.RMNetwork.org Prayers to those leaving for SING A NEW SONG CONVO! Prayers for the Convo -

Give to our 2011 Summer Email Offering -- as our commmitment in NE-- as an official Reconciling Community of RMN for six years as an email network of friends -- we are hoping for $250 plus!

Thanks to all volunteers who send out NE reconciling news!

Write your check / love Gift to RMN and send to Maureen Vetter, 4422 Drake Lane, G Island, NE 68801 today in honor of someone, in memory of someone, to celebrate something, for someone's birthday!

Donors so far this summer: Betty, Bob Dorr and friends with RMN table gifts, Joan and Lloyd Byerhof for Jimmy Creech's Birthday, Cathy Denman for Maureen Vetter's birthday, Wendy, Eric, Brian and Jenna Smith in honor of birthdays of friends, Jim and Donna Lightbody in honor of Birthdays of friends, Loren and Iola Mullins, Maureen and Jay Vetter for Cathy Denman, Liz Bady and birthdays of friends -- we are at $210 so far this summer! Let's make it $250 or more to RMN from NE.

Join Facebook today: Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network -- and see our blog:

www.nebraskarum.blogspot.com

THANKS TO EVERYONE! Here is the news to Celebrate Love and marriage in NY -

Lambda Legal: making the case for equality

Dear FRIENDS,

We've turned Niagara Falls into rainbow colors. What a wonderful day in New York!

Today we celebrate our families, equality and how far we have come as a community. We congratulate same-sex couples across New York who are exchanging vows in their home state.

We've been fighting for same-sex couples and their families in New York for years and we congratulate the courageous couples we represented in our 2004 marriage lawsuit ( Hernandez v. Robles ).

Congratulations, New York!

New Yorkers celebrate marriage equality.

They worked hard through both litigation and legislative advocacy to reach this day. Two of those couples will be getting married today—please take a moment tomeet them and share their joy.

You can honor a couple by making a donation in their name on Lambda Legal's Wedding Registry, or join other couples by registering your wedding with Lambda Legal. Make a gift from the heart—support our work for equality.

It takes a lot of people to make history. Thank you to our colleagues at Empire State Pride Agenda and Freedom to Marry who formed New Yorkers United for Marriage and all of our allies who fought so hard for this day. We thank Governor Cuomo for his leadership, and we are proud of the state legislators who voted for equality.

Lambda Legal never gave up fighting in New York for greater recognition of our relationships and families, and we are not giving up in New Jersey either. Just days after the winning vote in New York, we filed our lawsuit seeking marriage equality in New Jersey representing seven same-sex couples and Garden State Equality. New Jersey still treats same-sex couples as inferior to others—it's time to put a stop to that.

And New York still has not enacted a law protecting people against discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression. It's time to end that discrimination, too.

We won't stop fighting for basic rights and protections across this country. While we celebrate the freedom to marry for same-sex couples in New York, we know that terrible discrimination, exclusion and violence still harm LGBT people and people with HIV every day. Progress for some makes us work harder for all.

Thank you for your support.

Kevin Cathcart.

Kevin Cathcart

Executive Director

Lambda Legal

Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network : summer action: petition to amend 161.B

Blog note: I can't actually attach the Word documents here in the blog. Email Wendy or Maureen if you need the attachments.

You are invited by the Wide is God's Welcome Reconciling group from Kansas UMC to submit individual Petitions to Amend the book of Discipline in the UMC at General Conference next spring in Tampa, Florida : instructions attached and deadline is Sept 27. SEE ATTACHMENTS!

Some UMC Annual Conferences have submitted Petitions to General Conference, some churches and UM Groups have - and now individuals can also submit Petitions to 2012 General Conference in Tampa, FLORIDA -- to change the Discipline to be more inclusive for persons of all sexual orienations and gender identities participating fully in the UMC!

Remember SING A NEW SONG in your prayers - we have a few people going from NE - see info on this Convo sponsored by MFSA and RMN : www.RMNetwork.org

Remember Summer Email Offerings can be given to support our commitment yearly to RMN by our Nebraska Statewide Reconciling network of friends, volunteers and supporters -

Make checks to RMN and send to Maureen Vetter, 4422 Drake Lane, Grand Island, NE 68801 this summer!

Our goal as an offcial community as the Nebraska statewide reconciling network is $250 for 2011 and hopefully we can EXCEED that amount with General Conference coming next spring - we will acknowledge all the donors this fall - be a GIVER to Reconciling ministries through our NE network of Friends : check our new Facebook: Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network and become a FRIEND and check out our new blog : www.Nebrasakrum.blogspot.com

give to RMN to support the UMC becoming fully inclusive through their offices staff, ministries and convos like this summer telling our stories, resources and more!

Events: Aug 1, memorial service for Garnett Bond, long time supporter of Reconciling work, RMN, Rumola at Christ UMC Lincoln, NE - 10:30 AM

Sept 18 : AIDS walks in NE www.nap.org get a team together

Sept 19 : Alliance, Hastings Pflag and Open Hearts Potluck at hastings college : GRAND POTLUCK - bring food to welcome back students in the alliance group at hastings college!

Oct 11 : Coming out day and week - be watching for events coming -

Get together with Reconciling friends - have a BBQ this summer, fall - have a coffee support group, book group, Birthday party coffee meetup and give gifts to RMN rather than cards and gifts to each other - share books, movies, fundraisers, AIDS projects, walks and more!

Reconciling folks in NE - contacts, volunteers and friends ! SEE ACTION BELOW -

-------- Begin forwarded message --------
Subject: petition to amend 161.B
Date: 7/21/11 11:57:11 AM
From: "wigw-kc" <wigw-kc@hotmail.com>
To: wigw-kc@hotmail.com

The members of the WIGW-KC Steering Committee have decided to individually submit copies of a petition to General Conference regarding amending Paragraph 161.B in the Book of Discipline. We invite you to submit your own copy if you wish and to share it with as many friends as possible. The petition and instructions are attached to this email. Note that petitions must be submitted by September 27!
Please reply to this message if you have questions.ThanksJeanette Grenz, Communication Chair
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of Wide Is God’s Welcome - KC is to strengthen the Body of Christ through the full inclusion in the United Methodist Church of persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
VISION STATEMENT
This mission will be fulfilled as we unite Kansas City area United Methodists for education, advocacy, and empowerment.

Summer Action Item: DOMA repeal

SUMMER ACTION ITEM for persons of faith, RUM's and friends:

Thanks to Judy Sandeen of Hastings PFLAG - Hastings, NE for sharing this Action:

Act today!

Become a Citizen Co-Sponsor of our DOMA-repeal legislation at WeRespectMarriage.com. <http://leahy.convio.net/site/R?i=KmCxC0X079r8vnm4z5bF2g..>

What an historic day.

Just yesterday, we chaired the first-ever congressional hearing focused on repealing the discriminatory /Defense of Marriage Act/ (DOMA), bringing us even closer to restoring the rights of all lawfully married couples to receive the full benefits of marriage under federal law.

Now, on the heels of our successful hearing, we're rallying the American people to join the 145 congressional co-sponsors who are on the record in support of repealing DOMA, in an effort to win over the support of our colleagues who are still on the fence.

*We respect marriage -- for all Americans, including same-sex couples. Will you stand with us?*

*Click here to sign on as a Citizen Co-sponsor of our DOMA-repeal legislation at WeRespectMarriage.com.* <http://leahy.convio.net/site/R?i=Jgn8aSJRRSqzsB2_htG2Kw..>

We've got lots of momentum behind us.

In fact, a majority of Americans -- 53 percent -- now believe same-sex couples deserve the same right to marry as everybody else.

So when the Obama administration announced it would no longer defend the discriminatory /Defense of Marriage Act/ (DOMA) in federal court earlier this year, we went a step further and co-sponsored the /Respect for Marriage Act/ to completely repeal DOMA -- which President Obama officially endorsed.

Then, just last month, this growing public acceptance -- and the persistence of the pro-equality community -- persuaded a bipartisan majority of legislators in New York to approve same-sex marriage legislation, after previously rejecting it.

Nevertheless, until we repeal DOMA, federal law will continue treating gays and lesbians unequally. *That's wrong -- and we need to do something about it.*

*Click here to sign on as a Citizen Co-sponsor of our DOMA-repeal legislation at WeRespectMarriage.com.* <http://leahy.convio.net/site/R?i=ynYD6EYoJG48GmJLl49LXA..>

Justice delayed is justice denied, and for those lawfully wedded same-sex couples who have been denied the full federal recognition we both enjoy in our own marriages, the /Respect for Marriage Act/ is long, long overdue.

That’s why -- even if you’ve already contacted Congress or spoken out against DOMA -- it would mean so much if we could publicly list your name as a Citizen Co-sponsor of our legislation to right this terrible wrong.

*Click here to sign on as a Citizen Co-sponsor of our DOMA-repeal legislation at WeRespectMarriage.com.* <http://leahy.convio.net/site/R?i=qm-s37NQAz8nUkXeDPoz1g..>

It's often said that the wheels of justice grind slowly, but we're teaming up to pick up the pace.

We hope you’ll join with us.

Sincerely,

Patrick Leahy
U.S. Senator

Chris Coons
U.S. Senator

*Become a Citizen Co-sponsor at WeRespectMarriage.com <http://leahy.convio.net/site/R?i=GbOsAWgJrqpN4f38kxb0aQ..>*