Reconciling Ministries Virtual Film Screening (Zoom Only) • July 18 & 19
Join the Blaine Innovation Hub and Reconciling Ministries team for a virtual film screening and discussion event. We’ll be watching and discussing the 2019 documentary film UnUnited: Fighting for LGBTQ Inclusion in the United Methodist Church.
We will host 2 different screening dates/times:
- Tuesday, July 18 from 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM
- Wednesday, July 19 from 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM
The Zoom link to join this event will be shared via email on the day of the event. If you have any questions, please contact Lynne Onishi at lynneonishi@gmail.com.
New Summer Ministry Ways!
By Lynne Onishi
Greetings from the Innovation Hub!
We’re all looking forward to another summer of hikes, movie nights, fellowship, and adventure. We’re grateful and excited to be doing ministry in new ways that will speak to young people and folks of all ages. Here are just a few highlights of our summer so far. Take a look!
Film Nights:
The Innovation Hub is excited to put on more film and discussion nights this summer! As I’m writing this, the team is planning for a documentary screening and time of discussion around LGBTQ+ folks in the church.
Young Adult Hikes:
Summer is in full swing as our young adult hiking group hits the trails after a long winter season of indoor activities. This hiking ministry provides opportunities for young people to get outdoors, experience creation, and come to know one another more fully as we share in conversation and reflection.
RM Straw Poll:
On Sunday, May 21, the Reconciling Ministries team conducted a straw poll to learn about your attitudes about the reconciling statement and possible affiliation with Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN). This is an important step in our congregation’s discernment process. It is not an official vote, but rather a way for our team to hear from you as we plan our next steps.
The straw poll ballot asked congregants to read a “reconciling statement” and then choose a number 1 through 5 to indicate current disagreement or support. We also included space for comments and questions for the team. Of the 73 ballots submitted, 66 ballots indicated support for the statement and affiliation with RMN. There were many important questions raised, and the RM team wants to be intentional about addressing your concerns so everyone in our church feels informed.
Most of the questions we received revolved around the impact of affiliating with RMN. While there’s no way to know exactly how affiliating with RMN will impact our unique congregation, we can look for some resources and words of wisdom from other churches who have done this already. Our team is currently reaching out to other local churches who have been through the process, and we are hoping to put together a panel of church leaders to help answer some of your questions. We also want to offer you more space for questions and conversations with our team. The RM team will be hosting a drop-in time during fellowship hour some weeks after worship service. Please be on the lookout for additional details about this!
The IH team and RM Task Force are always looking for new folks to join us. If you feel called to lend your voice to these important ministries, we invite you to join us at our next team zoom meeting.
Please contact Lynne (lynneonishi@gmail.com) or any of the other team members for more information. Lynne Onishi serves as the director for the Blaine Youth Group and is the Innovation Hub and Reconciling Ministries Convener.
Read our latest issue of the Beacon!
The July edition of the Beacon features stories from our church in celebration of Summer! Download the PDF!
July 2023 Calendar
