UCC to ‘love out loud’ on National Coming Out Day

UPDATE: The new Book of Love is now available. It features messages of hope, love, and encouragement from the LGBTQIA community within the UCC and beyond. You can view it HERE.

The United Church of Christ is celebrating National Coming Out Day on October 11 in a big way. The Gender and Sexuality Justice Ministries is inviting the wider church to share their own coming out stories which will be collected into a book called Love is Louder: The Book of Love. 

A diverse tapestry

“[The book], we hope, will be a diverse tapestry of voices offering their liturgy, poetry, and devotionals for the wider church to utilize onward,” said R Ward, minister for Gender and Sexuality Justice. “Submissions are now open and we’re so excited to offer this resource digitally for National Coming Out Day week.”

Love is Louder: Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD, according to an official description, “embodies the testimony of Jesus and calls on the Church to be faithful siblings to one another – friend and stranger – for the sake of love.” 

“This is a movement where together we can support the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of LGBTQIA+ siblings! Our initiative offers faith communities with resources and tools for just action and care,” Ward said.

The importance of being involved

National Coming Out Day was founded in 1988 to honor the courage of LGBTQIA+ people who choose to live openly,  celebrating the anniversary of the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The celebration comes amid tense and divisive rhetoric, and increased violence, which Ward says is important for the church to be involved. 

“The Church has a responsibility, I believe, to respond in faithful love,” Ward said. Ward is also planning a special worship service that will be broadcast on October 8 featuring the various stories and messages that were submitted. There are also plans to release devotionals and prayers through the Book of Love offering that same day.

Churches, communities, and individuals may contribute to these two resources today at ucc.org/loveislouder. The worship service will be broadcast live on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 3:30 P.M. Eastern Time on the UCC YouTube Channel.

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