Reading Scripture Across Trans-Queer Experience
Ministries Beyond Welcome offers workshops aimed at developing a theology of gender/sexuality-diverse welcome, affirmation, and accommodation that is trans/non-binary competent and compassionate. In these workshops, participants learn to read scripture in fresh innovative ways that excavate and discover insights for deepening welcome and spiritual accompaniment with gender-transcendent persons–and, ultimately, for all of us in community together.
As with all of our workshops, intersectional power analysis and understanding combine with rich and deeper readings of scripture to create expansive, welcoming, and accommodating spiritual community. Our workshops are team led, and therefore, provide a a diverse reading of Abrahamic scripture. Members of our team cover a range of religious affiliations and knowledge-ways, including Christian denominations, Unitarian Universalist, and Jewish traditions.
We offer these workshops in both half-day and full-day versions for faith groups, clergy, lay leaders, and any gatherings of people of faith. (In some cases, multi-session workshops are also available.) We also offer a range of fee packages to accommodate various groups.
Gender Diversity & the Ethic of Love
MBW offers various types of workshops focused on addressing transgender/gender justice through deep reflection on the practices of the ethic of love. We explore the position that love is an ethic, and therefore, emerges in a set of practices the demonstrate a set of values. Said another way, love is not a sentiment but a verb and we believe practicing love as an active and engaged ethic is the very thing that leads to achieving measurable justice for all of us.
These workshops are secular in nature, not religious, although the common religious views of love are often discussed as we frame love as more than emotional sentimentality.
Reflections on the Big Things
“Reflections on the Big Things” is a small phrase we use to frame facilitating courageous conversations around the big things–the things that matter:
What does it mean to be a human being? What is gender…what is sex? What is identity…how is identity manipulated to marginalize, disenfranchise, and oppress individuals and groups of people?
How can we learn from others in ways that expand our understanding of injustice, and therefore, justice?
What does it mean to love one another and live compassionately with others not like ourselves?
Generally, “the Big Things” are a way of framing and gathering around the most important questions facing us now and throughout human history. This frame work allows us to talk about sex-gender constructs, intersections with other constructs such as race and class, and begin deconstructing some of the myths employed to keep us divided.
Under this topic framing, MBW team members are available to do any, or all, of the following:
~ lead a workshop through courageous community conversation;
~ offer speeches/keynote addressed, etc. to civic groups, congregations, specialized conferences, or other type of group;
~ speak to/train: civic groups; schools; professional service groups; private companies; law enforcement/public service groups; etc.
Meeting at the Intersections: Gender, Sex, and Intersectional Justice
“Meeting at the Intersections” is a workshop designed to offer participants a deeper, more nuanced understanding of connections between gender-sex oppression and other layers of intersectional oppressions.
This is a higher-level, more in-depth look at trans/non-binary and intersex realities in the context of lived oppression. Participants will learn about more reality-based ways of viewing gender and sex, as well as gain tools for better understanding intersectional power, performing power analysis, uncovering the stratified layers of colonization and power, and begin vision-casting ways to decolonize and dismantle oppressive power.
As with all our workshops, this workshop can be done in half-day or full-day sessions. In some cases, where possible, the workshop can be done over several sessions.
Ministries Beyond Welcome can tailor any program to your needs, or we can create a custom program just for you. Contact us today to discuss all the possibilities available.
Ministries Beyond Welcome 