Events & Human Rights Campaign

HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN is seeking help with posting resources people have written!   see below!  Pass this on to friends!   Check out Human Rights Campaign and their work .. they have a Religion and Faith Program and Work area!

www.hrc.org    Collaborate with other groups, other faiths, PFLAG, NAP (Ne AIDS Project) in your town or area!

 

To become an AIDS Ambassador in your local church, contact Maureen Vetter today : mvetter@charter.net  Go to the website to learn more about UM Global AIDS fund started in 2004 in the United Methodist Church and 2006 in NE!  $1 a member is the goal for each church and a new campaign is going to give $20 a year per person ..  20 X 20 Visioning for an AIDS Free world!   go towww.umglobalaidfund.org for more info and an upcoming conference on African American Women and AIDS early March in SC..  we would love to hear someone from NE is going!   Totals for NE offerings in 2010 are coming!

 

Maureen and Wendy, NE RMN Email contacts .....

 

PS check out www.RMNetwork.org and sign up as a Reconciling United Methodist today online --  go to Sign up on the home page and our new NE blog:  www.nebraskarum.blogspot.com   or go to our GROUPS page for facebook --   Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network  ---  let's grow the number of reconciling friends around NE and beyond for inclusive church :  

 

Remember it is : ANOTHER GREAT YEAR OF SPIRITUAL AWAKENING --  Seek ways to awaken your spiritual life in your personal actions and in your faith community..  seek our spiritual partners to share joys and concerns, laments .. remember lamentations? 

 

We invite you to seek a faith group or reconciling group!   Believe OUT LOUD and take Reconciling on the Road..  carpool to events, read Bishop Spong books for March and Horizons of Faith or even if you cannot go!  Share with some local friends, meet at a coffee shop and keep the conversations going!  Tell your sacred stories to friends, each others, in groups as a witness to others!   

 

Send Gifts to RMN - Reconciling Ministries Network through local groups and offerings, fundraisers or send directly to RMN in Chicago either online or snail mail!   RMN operates through our gifts / offerings as many grants are gone!

 

We will have a Summer Email Offering again this summer for our NE Statewide group of friends since we are an "official" Reconciling community!   We send all gifts to RMN in statewide network and groups!

 

Keep warm!  Be watching for Rainbows of HOPE this spring!    

 

Try to find a Bishop John Shelby Spong book to read this winter/spring!  STRETCH YOUR THINKING!

He is the featured speaker / theologian at Horizons of Faith Tenth Anniversary march 25 - 27 at Omaha first umc..  www.horizonsoffaith.com  for registering and info!  Or Do your own Bishop Spong read or get a few folks together to reflect..

he has written 20 books of new thinking and openness to awakening our spiritual senses!  His new book is Eternal life .. others are : Why Christianity must change or die and more!  Go online and he has a website for daily inspiration!

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Religion

Cc: Joanna Blotner ; Sharon Groves

Sent: Friday, January 21, 2011 12:15 PM

Subject: Seeking Sermons, Spiritual Reflections and Other Inspirational Resources

Greetings! 

I hope this message finds you well.  HRC’s Religion and Faith Program is in the process of updating itsSermons & Spiritual Reflections archive and we’re asking for your help with this undertaking.  If you have given a sermon recently (within the last year) on issues relating to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender equality – becoming an affirming congregation, LGBT public policy issues, responding to youth suicides and bullying, inviting LGBT sisters & brothers to the table, overcoming oppression, etc – we’d love to feature your words of wisdom as a resource for others in the community seeking inspiration. 

Please send sermons, spiritual reflections, speeches, op-eds, liturgical resources,  blessings, etc toreligion@hrc.org.  In that email please include your title, name, congregation/organization, date the sermon was delivered, and any other information you deem necessary so that we may properly cite and attribute the content provided.   All submissions for our Sermons and Spirituals Reflections resource page will be vetted prior to posting and due to volume constraints we cannot guarantee our ability to post all materials submitted.

Thank you very much for your contributions and assistance,  

~ Joanna

Joanna Blotner | Religion & Faith Program Coordinator | Human Rights Campaign Foundationjoanna.blotner@hrc.org | 202.572.8973 | 866.892.7459 (fax)

1640 Rhode Island Ave NW; Washington, DC 20036

Join us at the 2011 Clergy Call for Justice and Equality

May 22-24, 2011  |  Washington, DC

RSVP now:  www.hrc.org/ClergyCall

Upcoming RUM events

NE RUM's and friends:   Upcoming events and opportunities :  Awaken your spirit!  

 

Another great year of Spiritual Awakening in NE, Believe OUTLOUD and Reconciling goes on the Road  -  find an event and carpool or go worship somewhere new and take friends with you!   Get together for Meetup:  coffee, tea or a good book, movie, conversations!  Do a service project or missions to those in need with friends ..  reach out to others as Jesus reached out to the marginalized of his day!

 

One of my good friend's mom's died this week, Helen Witters of Christ UMC, Lincoln and married to Lee Witters!  Her memorial service was yesterday at Christ UMC, Lincoln.  Helen and Lee were very supportive of our RUMOLA group getting started in Lincoln.   They would often come and share info, laughter and insight!   In Helen's Obituary this week in the Lincoln paper the family listed that she was a RECONCILING UNITED METHODIST!  

 

What a witness Helen has made to the world even in her death and we celebrate life on earth.   We send love to their family in Lincoln -- Mark, Laurie, Alex and Maesen Churchill who are also Reconciling United Methodists and their loved ones...

and especially to Lee Witters her beloved husband. 

 

The saints who have gone before us are part of our spiritual awakening each day!

 

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Poster for the Star City PRIDE skate party coming up on February 27 from 4-6. Join us at Skate Zone for a "FUN"draiser for this summers Pride. Please print and share the poster with any and everyone to help get the word out. The skating party is open to persons of all ages.

 

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From Judy Sandeen: : play in Lincoln at UNL coming up:

 

January 30th - "Dog Sees God" (the play), 2PM, Temple Building, 3rd
floor:  (UNL campus)

The LGBTQA Resource Center will be sponsoring a play entitled "Dog Sees
God." It will take place on the 3rd floor of the Temple Building in the
black box theatre at 7:30pm so come have some down time with the
Queerteers of the LGBTQA Resource Center!

For a synopsis of the play, please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Sees_God:_Confessions_of_a_Teenage_Blockhead

 

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Please help us get the word out on the upcoming AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND AIDS by the UMC in Columbia, SC early march!   Visit this site for more info and registering:  www.umglobalaidsfund.org   Registrations are due Feb 11, 2011

 

Maureen, Chair of the NE UMC HIV AIDS Task force, part of Risk taking mission and justice team of NE UMC

 

PS PLEASE SEND THIS TO OTHER PERSONS IN HEALTH FIELDS, Multicultural groups, Diversity groups, classes; Theology, Social work, Sociology, Teaching, Medicine, Healthcare, counselling and more!   Send to Parish nurses and groups emails!

 

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Hall County Suicide Prevention is hosting:  FREE  Suicide Prevention Workshop, Monday jan 24 evening Grand Island NE..  free snacks and more info at :  Suicide Prevention Workshop, Jan 24, Grand Island:

http://theindependent.com/articles/2011/01/09/news/local/doc4d2a7be7b8f03535497429.txt

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PFLAG Hastings next coffee, 11 am, Feb 12, at Blue moon coffee shop, downtown hastings

Next Meeting :  Feb 21, 7 PM, UCC Marian Road, Hastings   Topic :  Speaker and info on GLSEN

 

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Feb 20:  Open Hearts Reconciling Community, Trinity UMC, Grand Island  (511 N Elm Grand Island) in the Gathering Place, South side of the church new entrance area :  Becca speaking about her journey to start a GSA (Gay STraight alliance) at GISH (grand island sr high)  --   come at 2:45 for snacktime and visiting ;  Telling our story at 3 PM -  bring a snack to share.  Come at 2:45 if you are new to the group to read the support group guidelines!  Contact :  maureen mvetter@charter.net

 

Feb 20:  Friends for the Journey, Trinity UMC, 10:45 - 11:30, Miller Hall  BOOK SHARE: Bring a Bishop Spong book that you have read to share about!   Come even if you have not read a Spong Book  --  bring a tea cup and favorite tea!  Friends for the Journey Jan 23 at same time sharing about SaraAnn an artist from the MONA art show;  Jan 30 will be a Wool Celebration :  bring something wool you have made or in your family to share!  Learn about felted wool!  Bring a tea cup and favorite tea~

 

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MONA or museum of NE Art, downtown kearney (in the old post office that is marble inside), A GREATER SPECTRUM : African American Artists from 1912 - 2010 up till April 3 -- this is major exhibition of DIVERSITY and a ground breaking exhibit for Nebraska.   22 artists are featured including three pieces by former Senator Ernie Chambers!   See website for MONA for hours and details!    Take to the road to see this one!    Curator Teliza Rodriguez, MONA

 

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Horizons of Faith Tenth Anniversary with Bishop John Shelby Spong March 25 - 27 at Omaha first umc, Omaha ne.

Go to :  www.horizonsoffaith.com for more info and registering!   Read a Bishop spong book and awaken your spirit!

 

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SING A NEW SONG:  coming as a convo for Reconciling Ministry Network!  www.RMNetwork.org

 

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BECOME a Reconciling UM and join the 300 plus persons in NE working and hoping for a fully inclusive UMC!

Go to :  www.RMNetwork.org  today!   Also others info and newsletters, website, blog and more!

 

For Nebraska Statewide Reconciling Network info go to Facebook groups and join us!

see our new blog:  www.Nebraskarum.blogspot.com       

 

Maureen Vetter and Wendy Smith, NE RMN email contacts, Main Email contact, local contacts and PRN (parents reconciling contacts) and RUM's in NE!        mvetter@charter.net  and wsmith28@gmail.com