From Open to Affirming to Celebrating: A Congregational Journey
Skills for Flourishing Congregations
Please join us for an enlightening session From Open to Affirming to Celebrating: A Congregational Journey with nationally recognized speaker Rev. Dr. Katie Hays, founder and Lead Evangelist at Galileo Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Fort Worth, TX.
Webinar Description:
This important discussion will delve into the core principles of inclusivity, acceptance, and support within Christian communities. Rev. Hays will offer valuable insights and practical strategies on how congregations can become inclusive communities for their diverse members and neighbors by celebrating the LGBTQ+ rainbow, racial and ethnic difference, and neurodiversity. This event promises to inspire reflection and action towards embodying God’s embrace for all. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow together in understanding what it truly means to affirm and celebrate the richness of human diversity within our congregations.
Hosts: Dr. Francisco Lozada, Jr. – Vice President of Faculty Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, Professor of New Testament Studies at Christian Theological Seminary; Dr. David Mellott, President and Professor of Theological Formation at Christian Theological Seminary
Register for Free Below!
Rev. Dr. Katie Hays
Rev. Dr. Katie Hays, an ordained pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is the author of We Were Spiritual Refugees: A Story to Help You Believe in Church (Eerdmans, 2020). Educated for traditional ministry at esteemed institutions (Yale! Princeton!), she served small-steeple congregations for almost two decades. In 2013, Katie transitioned from her last “now church” pulpit to the spiritual-but-not-religious frontier, founding Galileo Church for spiritual refugees on the far edges of Fort Worth, Texas. As one iteration of “next church,” Galileo is thoroughly LGBTQ+ inclusive. Katie practices a form of theological rehabilitation that reclaims Christianity for a generation of stubborn seekers who may be disillusioned with the institutions their great-grandparents built but remain Jesus-curious and hungry for communities of belonging.
