Filtering by: “Affirming”

Pride Prep Party
Aug
1

Pride Prep Party

  • Henshaw Lane Vancouver, British Columbia Canada (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

An afternoon of crafting and creativity to prepare the United Church Pride Cluster to walk in Vancouver’s Pride Parade. From setting up our float to crafting blessing cards, there’s something for everyone. All ages and skillsets welcome! 

Where? St. Andrew’s Welsley UC ‘Salons’ (off Nelson St.)

Please register at lgbtq@standrewswesley.com

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Joshua in the Shadows of Genocide: A Decolonizing Reading Group
Dec
7

Joshua in the Shadows of Genocide: A Decolonizing Reading Group

Join us for a collaborative, community-rooted exploration of the Book of Joshua through a decolonizing, gender-aware, and non-conquering lens. This interfaith reading group critically examines how conquest narratives have been used to justify violence and colonialism, while opening space for liberatory interpretations of sacred text.

Sunday, Dec. 7, from 1:00-3:00 PM, is at St. Margaret Cedar Cottage (1530 East 22nd Avenue). Each session deepens our engagement with the PARDES+ framework while rotating through different cultural and theological perspectives. Read more about 2026 schedule in the COMMUNITY INFORMATION below.

Register

WHO IS THIS FOR

Everyone is welcome! This group is designed for:

  • People from Jewish and Christian backgrounds seeking critical engagement with scripture

  • Those interested in interfaith, multicultural perspectives

  • Anyone wrestling with violent texts and their contemporary implications

  • Community members committed to anti-colonial solidarity

  • Individuals seeking redemptive approaches to sacred literature

No prior biblical knowledge required - bring your questions and curiosity

OUR GOALS

  • Address how conquest narratives have been used and abused across faiths and ideologies

  • Bring the wrestling and the ongoing questions as our pedagogy

  • Challenge the isolation that comes from questioning sacred violence

  • Synthesize reflection into action for liberation

  • Build apartheid-free, interfaith community models

QUESTIONS WE CARRY

What does it mean to be a member of a faith community which perpetuates violences rooted in these types of texts?

  • How do we wrestle with violent texts without minimizing the violence?

  • Can we invite people to share their stories and starting points?

  • How do we assume folx like us were there - witnessing, carrying, grieving?

  • How do we make sense of this in the context of Sacred Scripture?

  • How do we acknowledge the evangelical/observant trauma in our spiritual journeys?

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Click on + to expand the text.

Event Breakdown

1:00 Arrival and Food
1:30 Introductions and recap
2:00 Highlight one Voice
2:20 Group Discussion
2:50 Embodied Closing

Our Visual Explained

Who are the organizers

Like Banksy's dove wearing a bulletproof vest, we are faith leaders from three apartheid-free communities who carry both the symbols of peace and the protective commitment necessary to challenge how our sacred texts have been weaponized for violence. Some of us identify as anti-Zionist Jews and Christians, working within our traditions to reclaim liberatory interpretations.

We are affirming and reconciling communities of faith, recognizing that our work for Palestinian liberation exists within a web of interconnected justice concerns. Our commitment to being apartheid-free is aspirational—a pledge to continual growth and action rather than a finished achievement.

Our Apartheid-Free pledge acknowledges that Palestinian liberation is intrinsically linked to Indigenous sovereignty, inclusive community for all marginalized groups, climate justice, and economic equity. As we stand against Israeli apartheid, we humbly recognize our own complicity in systems that have harmed Indigenous peoples in Canada and excluded many others based on their identities.

We see profound connections between Palestinian struggles and the experiences of Indigenous peoples, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized people, and those facing economic injustice. The systems that oppress Palestinians share roots with those that discriminate against marginalized communities everywhere. Our prophetic witness against one system of injustice strengthens our ability to recognize and resist others.

We move forward with both humility and determination, knowing that freedom and justice for all peoples are inseparable. Like that armored dove, we embody the commitment to work for peace while acknowledging the protection required to do this sacred work of liberation.

View Event →
Joshua in the Shadows of Genocide: A Decolonizing Reading Group
Nov
2

Joshua in the Shadows of Genocide: A Decolonizing Reading Group

Join us for a collaborative, community-rooted exploration of the Book of Joshua through a decolonizing, gender-aware, and non-conquering lens. This interfaith reading group critically examines how conquest narratives have been used to justify violence and colonialism, while opening space for liberatory interpretations of sacred text.

Fall Intensive Series
September 7, Oct 5, Nov2

Our foundational three-month journey meets on first Sundays from 1:00-3:00 PM, building momentum through consistent monthly gatherings. Each session deepens our engagement with the PARDES+ framework while rotating through different cultural and theological perspectives. Read more about 2026 schedule in the COMMUNITY INFORMATION below.

Register

WHO IS THIS FOR

Everyone is welcome! This group is designed for:

  • People from Jewish and Christian backgrounds seeking critical engagement with scripture

  • Those interested in interfaith, multicultural perspectives

  • Anyone wrestling with violent texts and their contemporary implications

  • Community members committed to anti-colonial solidarity

  • Individuals seeking redemptive approaches to sacred literature

No prior biblical knowledge required - bring your questions and curiosity

OUR GOALS

  • Address how conquest narratives have been used and abused across faiths and ideologies

  • Bring the wrestling and the ongoing questions as our pedagogy

  • Challenge the isolation that comes from questioning sacred violence

  • Synthesize reflection into action for liberation

  • Build apartheid-free, interfaith community models

QUESTIONS WE CARRY

What does it mean to be a member of a faith community which perpetuates violences rooted in these types of texts?

  • How do we wrestle with violent texts without minimizing the violence?

  • Can we invite people to share their stories and starting points?

  • How do we assume folx like us were there - witnessing, carrying, grieving?

  • How do we make sense of this in the context of Sacred Scripture?

  • How do we acknowledge the evangelical/observant trauma in our spiritual journeys?

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Click on + to expand the text.

Event Breakdown

1:00 Arrival and Food
1:30 Introductions and recap
2:00 Highlight one Voice
2:20 Group Discussion
2:50 Embodied Closing

Our Visual Explained

Who are the organizers

Like Banksy's dove wearing a bulletproof vest, we are faith leaders from three apartheid-free communities who carry both the symbols of peace and the protective commitment necessary to challenge how our sacred texts have been weaponized for violence. Some of us identify as anti-Zionist Jews and Christians, working within our traditions to reclaim liberatory interpretations.

We are affirming and reconciling communities of faith, recognizing that our work for Palestinian liberation exists within a web of interconnected justice concerns. Our commitment to being apartheid-free is aspirational—a pledge to continual growth and action rather than a finished achievement.

Our Apartheid-Free pledge acknowledges that Palestinian liberation is intrinsically linked to Indigenous sovereignty, inclusive community for all marginalized groups, climate justice, and economic equity. As we stand against Israeli apartheid, we humbly recognize our own complicity in systems that have harmed Indigenous peoples in Canada and excluded many others based on their identities.

We see profound connections between Palestinian struggles and the experiences of Indigenous peoples, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized people, and those facing economic injustice. The systems that oppress Palestinians share roots with those that discriminate against marginalized communities everywhere. Our prophetic witness against one system of injustice strengthens our ability to recognize and resist others.

We move forward with both humility and determination, knowing that freedom and justice for all peoples are inseparable. Like that armored dove, we embody the commitment to work for peace while acknowledging the protection required to do this sacred work of liberation.

View Event →
Joshua in the Shadows of Genocide: A Decolonizing Reading Group
Oct
5

Joshua in the Shadows of Genocide: A Decolonizing Reading Group

Join us for a collaborative, community-rooted exploration of the Book of Joshua through a decolonizing, gender-aware, and non-conquering lens. This interfaith reading group critically examines how conquest narratives have been used to justify violence and colonialism, while opening space for liberatory interpretations of sacred text.

Fall Intensive Series
September 7, Oct 5, Nov2

Our foundational three-month journey meets on first Sundays from 1:00-3:00 PM, building momentum through consistent monthly gatherings. Each session deepens our engagement with the PARDES+ framework while rotating through different cultural and theological perspectives. Read more about 2026 schedule in the COMMUNITY INFORMATION below.

Register

WHO IS THIS FOR

Everyone is welcome! This group is designed for:

  • People from Jewish and Christian backgrounds seeking critical engagement with scripture

  • Those interested in interfaith, multicultural perspectives

  • Anyone wrestling with violent texts and their contemporary implications

  • Community members committed to anti-colonial solidarity

  • Individuals seeking redemptive approaches to sacred literature

No prior biblical knowledge required - bring your questions and curiosity

OUR GOALS

  • Address how conquest narratives have been used and abused across faiths and ideologies

  • Bring the wrestling and the ongoing questions as our pedagogy

  • Challenge the isolation that comes from questioning sacred violence

  • Synthesize reflection into action for liberation

  • Build apartheid-free, interfaith community models

QUESTIONS WE CARRY

What does it mean to be a member of a faith community which perpetuates violences rooted in these types of texts?

  • How do we wrestle with violent texts without minimizing the violence?

  • Can we invite people to share their stories and starting points?

  • How do we assume folx like us were there - witnessing, carrying, grieving?

  • How do we make sense of this in the context of Sacred Scripture?

  • How do we acknowledge the evangelical/observant trauma in our spiritual journeys?

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Click on + to expand the text.

Event Breakdown

1:00 Arrival and Food
1:30 Introductions and recap
2:00 Highlight one Voice
2:20 Group Discussion
2:50 Embodied Closing

Our Visual Explained

Who are the organizers

Like Banksy's dove wearing a bulletproof vest, we are faith leaders from three apartheid-free communities who carry both the symbols of peace and the protective commitment necessary to challenge how our sacred texts have been weaponized for violence. Some of us identify as anti-Zionist Jews and Christians, working within our traditions to reclaim liberatory interpretations.

We are affirming and reconciling communities of faith, recognizing that our work for Palestinian liberation exists within a web of interconnected justice concerns. Our commitment to being apartheid-free is aspirational—a pledge to continual growth and action rather than a finished achievement.

Our Apartheid-Free pledge acknowledges that Palestinian liberation is intrinsically linked to Indigenous sovereignty, inclusive community for all marginalized groups, climate justice, and economic equity. As we stand against Israeli apartheid, we humbly recognize our own complicity in systems that have harmed Indigenous peoples in Canada and excluded many others based on their identities.

We see profound connections between Palestinian struggles and the experiences of Indigenous peoples, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized people, and those facing economic injustice. The systems that oppress Palestinians share roots with those that discriminate against marginalized communities everywhere. Our prophetic witness against one system of injustice strengthens our ability to recognize and resist others.

We move forward with both humility and determination, knowing that freedom and justice for all peoples are inseparable. Like that armored dove, we embody the commitment to work for peace while acknowledging the protection required to do this sacred work of liberation.

View Event →
Joshua in the Shadows of Genocide: A Decolonizing Reading Group
Sep
7

Joshua in the Shadows of Genocide: A Decolonizing Reading Group

Join us for a collaborative, community-rooted exploration of the Book of Joshua through a decolonizing, gender-aware, and non-conquering lens. This interfaith reading group critically examines how conquest narratives have been used to justify violence and colonialism, while opening space for liberatory interpretations of sacred text.

Fall Intensive Series
September 7, Oct 5, Nov2

Our foundational three-month journey meets on first Sundays from 1:00-3:00 PM, building momentum through consistent monthly gatherings. Each session deepens our engagement with the PARDES+ framework while rotating through different cultural and theological perspectives. Read more about 2026 schedule in the COMMUNITY INFORMATION below.

Register

WHO IS THIS FOR

Everyone is welcome! This group is designed for:

  • People from Jewish and Christian backgrounds seeking critical engagement with scripture

  • Those interested in interfaith, multicultural perspectives

  • Anyone wrestling with violent texts and their contemporary implications

  • Community members committed to anti-colonial solidarity

  • Individuals seeking redemptive approaches to sacred literature

No prior biblical knowledge required - bring your questions and curiosity

OUR GOALS

  • Address how conquest narratives have been used and abused across faiths and ideologies

  • Bring the wrestling and the ongoing questions as our pedagogy

  • Challenge the isolation that comes from questioning sacred violence

  • Synthesize reflection into action for liberation

  • Build apartheid-free, interfaith community models

QUESTIONS WE CARRY

What does it mean to be a member of a faith community which perpetuates violences rooted in these types of texts?

  • How do we wrestle with violent texts without minimizing the violence?

  • Can we invite people to share their stories and starting points?

  • How do we assume folx like us were there - witnessing, carrying, grieving?

  • How do we make sense of this in the context of Sacred Scripture?

  • How do we acknowledge the evangelical/observant trauma in our spiritual journeys?

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Click on + to expand the text.

Event Breakdown

1:00 Arrival and Food
1:30 Introductions and recap
2:00 Highlight one Voice
2:20 Group Discussion
2:50 Embodied Closing

Our Visual Explained

Who are the organizers

Like Banksy's dove wearing a bulletproof vest, we are faith leaders from three apartheid-free communities who carry both the symbols of peace and the protective commitment necessary to challenge how our sacred texts have been weaponized for violence. Some of us identify as anti-Zionist Jews and Christians, working within our traditions to reclaim liberatory interpretations.

We are affirming and reconciling communities of faith, recognizing that our work for Palestinian liberation exists within a web of interconnected justice concerns. Our commitment to being apartheid-free is aspirational—a pledge to continual growth and action rather than a finished achievement.

Our Apartheid-Free pledge acknowledges that Palestinian liberation is intrinsically linked to Indigenous sovereignty, inclusive community for all marginalized groups, climate justice, and economic equity. As we stand against Israeli apartheid, we humbly recognize our own complicity in systems that have harmed Indigenous peoples in Canada and excluded many others based on their identities.

We see profound connections between Palestinian struggles and the experiences of Indigenous peoples, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized people, and those facing economic injustice. The systems that oppress Palestinians share roots with those that discriminate against marginalized communities everywhere. Our prophetic witness against one system of injustice strengthens our ability to recognize and resist others.

We move forward with both humility and determination, knowing that freedom and justice for all peoples are inseparable. Like that armored dove, we embody the commitment to work for peace while acknowledging the protection required to do this sacred work of liberation.

View Event →
Vancouver Pride Parade
Aug
3

Vancouver Pride Parade

Join the UCC Cluster of Affirming Churches in the 2025 Pride Parade!

The Meeting Place for marchers is at Concord Pacific parking lot. We are in the "Trailblazers" section and are number #110.

Please note that the window for arrival begins at 11:30am and we can arrive no later than 12:30pm. The parade is scheduled to start at 1pm.

Some folks will be meeting at the Stadium-Chinatown skytrain (lower Pacific Blvd. exit) at 11:45 to walk to the Meeting Place together.

For detailed information about what to expect and where to meet, click here.

Note: There will not be a regular Worship Service at Trinity-Grace this Sunday. Join us at the Parade!

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