Work of the Welcoming Congregation committee
UCF’s Welcoming Congregation Statement: We, the Unitarian Coastal Fellowship, are an intentionally diverse community, welcoming of and enriched by people of varying cultures, economic and ethnic backgrounds; by people of varying sexual orientations, gender identities and family compositions; by people of all races, ages, and beliefs. (Adopted by the UCF congregation in 2006) To receive … Continue reading Welcoming Congregation
UCF’s Welcoming Congregation Renewal Team will be showing “You Belong Here” on Thursday, 10/3 at 6:30 PM. This is a film that was produced here in eastern NC and explores the stories of LGBTQ+ youth in our area as well as their families and allies. The film lasts for one hour and there will be … Continue reading Film: You Belong Here
On June 29th, UCF participated in Beachside Pride, a family-friendly, inclusive event which brought together people from all walks of life to “celebrate diversity, promote equality, and spread love and acceptance”. The event was held at Bar 1957 in Emerald Isle. Sarah Grenier and Rev. Micah set up a table to give out information about … Continue reading Beachside Pride
What is PRIDE all about? LGBTQ+ Pride Month is celebrated each year during the month of June to acknowledge and honor the Stonewall Uprising in New York. (As noted by the STONEWALL Veterans’ Association, the reference to these events as the Stonewall Riots was initially used by police to justify their use of force.) Unprovoked … Continue reading Happy Pride Month!
The Welcoming Congregation Team is thrilled that we were recently notified by UUA that UCF successfully completed the Five Practices of Welcome Renewal for 2023. Below is an excerpt of the letter from Rev. Michael J. Crumpler, UUA LGBTQ, and Multicultural Director Programs Director.“Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Five Practices of Welcome Renewal for … Continue reading Welcoming Congregation Team News – April 2024
UCF’s Welcoming Congregation Renewal (WCR) Committee started talking about hanging a Progress flag outside our church back in the spring of 2022. We felt it was important, in the face of the recent increase in anti-LGBTQ sentiment and legislation, to show our community that we are a safe and welcoming place for people of all … Continue reading Flying our Flags!
The Welcoming Congregation Team is excited and appreciative of the congregational support to install a nautical flag pole and fly the American flag, Progress flag and a rotating third flag that represents our UU values. Fifty-one members voted and 43 responses were either strongly agree, agree, or undecided for 84% of the vote. With undecided … Continue reading Pride Month Activities
By Amy Jones 2023 is the fourth consecutive year of record-breaking numbers of anti-trans bills. The 2023 legislative session already has seen more than 350 anti-trans bills introduced in 36 states. This is almost twice as many as were seen in 2022 and the vast majority are targeted at transgender young people. Many of these … Continue reading Anti-LGBTQ+ Issues in NC and Carteret County
UCF did it! We received our 2022 renewal as a Welcoming Congregation. Rev. Michael Crumpler, UUA LGBTQ and Multicultural Programs Director, acknowledged the powerful work UCF has done to ensure that we are meeting the needs of queer and trans congregants and in our wider community. The Welcoming Congregation team thanks UCF Members and Friends … Continue reading UCF Receives 2022 Welcoming Congregation Renewal from UUA
Over the past several months, the Welcoming Congregation Committee has shared Coastline articles on the meanings and significance of the Progress Flag and on October 9, a Congregational Conversation was held after the Worship service to discuss displaying the Progress Flag on the UCF campus. The Welcoming Congregation Committee wants to make sure all members, … Continue reading Progress Flag
A subcommittee of the Social Justice Committee has been working on renewing our Welcoming Congregation status with the UUA and expects to accomplish that goal by February 2023. However, our goals are much larger than just achieving the UUA Welcoming Congregation status – we want to be sure our congregation understands what it means to … Continue reading “Trans Inclusion In Congregations” Class
