Regional council members invited the community to join them in song on the rainbow steps of Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church.
What do these songs from More Voices have in common?
- “Let Us Build a House” (MV 1)
- “Spirit, Open My Heart” (MV 79)
- “My Love Colours Outside the Lines” (MV 138)
- “Draw the Circle Wide” (MV 145)
- “Open Our Hearts” (MV 21)
Well, they’re songs that express the spirit of inclusion. If you attended the East Central Ontario Regional Council meeting in Brighton on Saturday, Nov. 16, you’ll also know that these songs were sung from the rainbow steps at Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church, an Affirming congregation that actively supports the Rainbow Youth Centre in town with funding and volunteers.
“They say that singing is the equivalent of praying twice,” says Stephen Coles, Speaker of the Council of Elders, who leads the regional council. “So, we gather our voices in song to denounce hatred and exclusion. We sing our prayer of making the world a stronger, more inclusive place.”
Targeted by vandalism last autumn, the church’s painted steps are a symbol of the congregation’s commitment to love, care, and safety.
The regional council, which is also Affirming, held its fall business meeting in Brighton this past weekend, and invited the community to join them in singing songs on the front steps of the church. The songs were also simultaneously interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL).
“Often when the regional council comes to a particular town, we’ve realized that local residents who are not connected to the church have no idea that we were there,” says Éric Hébert-Daly, Regional Council Executive Minister. “In demonstration of our support for the LGBTQ programming offered at Trinity-St. Andrew’s United Church, we hope it will make a bold public statement about our discipleship and daring justice.”