Hope, peace, joy and love can be clouded by despair or apathy, fear, conflict, turmoil, war. Heartache or heartbreak, grief. Loneliness, isolation, unwelcome. Inequity.
Life’s storms don’t cease for holidays and holy days. And still there’s a Holy Darkness. Every body is invited to AllianceQ’s Rainblue Christmas where we will co-navigate a stormy holiday season.
What is clouding this holiday season for you? What has helped you weather the storms? Do you feel unsupported or uncertain how to navigate the storms?
A Rainblue Christmas will feature a brief program with music, liturgy, spiritual practices, communion, and reflection. With intentional space for conversation during and following the program, you are invited to participate in some or all of the gathering in whatever way is meaningful to you. Fellowship and community care with chaplains will be available after the program. Sign up for this queer winter solstice-longest night-blue Christmas event. Free and open to every body.
Bring an object, something significant to or symbolic of a storm or rainbow in your journey. Also plan to bring a candle and matches/lighter, blank paper and something to write/draw with, and communion elements. None of this is required — you are the most important.
Honor the Holy Darkness throughout the season. “Hope in color” and use our unique coloring pages. Download a PDF of our coloring pages here. Coloring pages? Coloring pages!
Register for the December 19 virtual event now.
Can’t join us but want to support us? Donate now to fund this event and support the ministries of AllianceQ. Hold your queer siblings and this gathering in the light all season long.
https://tinyurl.com/SupportAllianceQ
Your Hosts + Program Leaders
Cheryl Breiner (she/her) Denver, Colorado
Co-Pastor of Fireside Christian Church in Denver, CO. I am grateful for the beloved community found in a truly O+A church. I am still longing for the company of my amazing late wife Doretta. Missing her is an ongoing storm to navigate.
Melissa Guthrie (she/her) Greensboro, North Carolina
Executive Director + Minister with AllianceQ. I’m grieving the ending of my 11-year marriage while caring for two little girls who have experienced a lot of change. I couldn’t unpack the boxes of ornaments and decor that were gifts between me and this person. I spent too much money on new ornaments but have a beautiful rainbow tree that is queering this holiday!
Charles Stanley (he/him) Memphis, Tennessee
Minister of Worship Arts and Youth Music at Lindenwood Christian Church, Commissioned Minister with the Tennessee Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and a Master of Divinity student at Phillips Theological Seminary. His present journey, centered around the untimely loss of his life partner Chris, includes focus on how the Church and holy faith communities attend to those Divinely-created who trek the light and darkness of grief. For those, who mourn the loss of life and other entities of the Divine’s creation, Charles seeks to usher in the fullness of life of Sister Spirit. As those (and that) which we grieve rest in the arms of the Holy, may the Holy guide us and the Spirit comfort us as we learn to live into the fullness of her shalom.
Ashley Quinn (he/him) Springfield, Missouri
Out queer and trans man seminarian, ministering through tech and justice at National Avenue Christian Church in the Ozarks, and pursuing ordination. I’m two years into foster parenting and this holiday season I’m really missing the trans teen who lived with me for most of that time, and having a hard time with anti-trans violence including suicide in our community.
About AllianceQ
We are turning tables of injustice and spreading love.
AllianceQ supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender-diverse people of faith. We educate and equip faith communities for understanding, affirming, and including LGBTQ+ persons, and we collaborate with ecumenical partners and LGBTQ+ organizations for intersectional justice work. There’s a place for you – for every body – at the Table.