Ways to get involved in LGBTQ+ Heritage Season
LGBTQ+ Heritage Season is a three-week time period that offers congregations a flexible window to plan worship honoring and celebrating LGBTQ+ individuals in the Church, collect and amplify stories of LGBTQ+ individuals and more.
Gather & Celebrate
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Include LGBTQ+ themes, scripture, music, prayers, and testimony in a regular scheduled worship service.
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Host a special worship service focuses on celebrating LGBTQ+ full inclusion and honoring their stories. (Hint: Hosting a specific service on National Coming Out Day is a great idea).
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Highlight real-time reflections, live-streamed services, and shared liturgies to unify the broader connection.
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Feature present and past LGBTQ+ Methodists in already planned celebrations and activities for All Saints Day, National Hispanic Month or LGBTQ+ Clergy Month.
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Promote a special offering or donations to support LGBTQ+ ministries, scholarships, or the Center for LGBTQ+ United Methodist Heritage.
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Encourage congregations to host story-sharing circles, devotionals, or book clubs focused on queer theology or memoirs of LGBTQ+ faith leaders.
Coming soon: Congregations will receive a Toolkit with sample liturgy, sermon starters, hymn ideas, bulletin inserts, and prayers, as well as digital Assets: social media graphics, event templates, shareable quotes, customizable posters.
Listen & Amplify - Youth & Young Adult Engagement
This effort fosters connection across generations and ensures that LGBTQ+ stories are heard, uplifted and amplified. If you would like to contribute to this effort or help shape the program, send an email to [email protected].
Support The Story Archive Drive
One of the core goals of LGBTQ+ Heritage Season is to ensure that LGBTQ+ Methodist stories are preserved, not lost. We invite all congregations and individuals to take part in our Story Archive Drive, contributing to a living, growing archive of LGBTQ+ experience in the UMC. Submissions will help build the Center for LGBTQ+ United Methodist Heritage archive, so future generations can learn, remember, and continue the work.
Stories may include:
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Testimonies of LGBTQ+ individuals and allies
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Historical narratives from affirming congregations
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Reflections from clergy, both active and retired
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Artifacts, photos, or letters related to LGBTQ+ individuals in Methodist church
How to participate:
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Record video or written stories (guidelines provided)
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Use our submission portal or mailing address
Share stories publicly during worship, or privately for archival use. To record stories using GCAH's United Methodist Stories app, go to the link for directions.
This content was published on July 22, 2025. Contact is Crystal Caviness.