The Welcoming Congregation Certification Team has selected the LGBTQ+ charity — Housing Our Future, (which is part of the Montrose Center and a program dedicated to keeping LGBTQ+ youth off of the streets of Houston) for a significant financial contribution. This is part of living Tapestry's Mission and Vision.

It's been an exciting week for the WCC Team! In 6 days, Tapestry raised 1500+ dollars and has a commitment from the UU Tapestry Board to match $750 of that, bringing the monetary total raised to date to more than $2250. A very kind, loving and generous Mr. Jim Spears has pledged to match everything and double whatever we submit, meaning it could easily be $4,500.10+ raised to date. Contributions will be accepted through May 17th. At the conclusion of the campaign, a link will be provided from the Montrose Center for a watch party gala with live music, celebration, gifts and more!

The WCC Team and the LGBTQ+ Covenant Group will remain in contact with the Montrose Center Representatives Look for more info in future newsletters, or email wcc@uutapestry.org.

Our 8th principle also calls us towards: “journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” The 8th Principle of Unitarian Universalism (8thprincipleuu.org).

We have a legacy of “deeds not creeds.” Our work for a better world calls us to unexpected places as we harness love’s power to stop oppression. From grassroots community organizing to interfaith state, national, and corporate advocacy; in protest marches, prayer vigils, and press conferences; in homeless shelters and in prisons, Unitarian Universalists put our faith into action.

Our justice efforts are grounded in our congregationally-driven social justice statements and our call to break down divisions, heal isolation, and honor the interconnectedness of all life and all justice issues. We model these commitments by creating just, welcoming, and inclusive congregations. We act in partnership with groups and communities most impacted by injustice on local, state, national, and international levels. (see more @ Justice & Inclusion | UUA.org) Other organizations can be found here NEST: Collaborative to Prevent LGBTQ Youth Homelessness - the Montrose Center.

Today, Dawn reviewed many short LGBTQ type videos for the upcoming welcoming congregation church webinar.

James worked on actions items and completed action items for WCC Team. James converted pdf images to ppt images and created a slide show, uploaded to Tapestry repository, created scripts in the presentation and in word documents to be read along with the presentation for "Aren't we welcoming already? and for History of the UUA welcoming church congregation + UU Tapestry history put in presentation.

James put announcements on public / private UU Tapestry facebook pages, and uploaded, modified the website community / welcoming LGBTQ and church calendars ( 3? wow ) 

Dawn worked on the slide and worked on getting info to newsletter. James also put in notifications for upcoming services about the workshop (3 upcoming) prior to Oct 10. James announced the workshop on various medias. Emails were returned to other churches about building alliances and supporting local charity or LGBTQ organizations like Montrose Center.

Yet to come is to get the word out to various UU churches in the area. Northwoods has been notified, and a link needs to be generated and put on calendar, shared to others in a way that gets those interested able to connect.  9/17 there was a WCC meeting with Randy, Dawn, Geoff, Dave, Raven and James in attendance - we came up with a workable plan to make the workshop happen

Earlier in the week, the WCC team was at program council sharing what could be shared in a tight time allotment, more to be discussed in future to keep meeting short.

Additional work for the WCC objective: James G reached out to various Houston leaders of UU churches to discuss the Welcoming Church Congregation process and new changes towards annual and perpetual, permanent increased expansion, inclusion, outreach, volunteer and virtual work needed to build and sustain beloved community. Various documents were created and uploaded to a google doc shared drive as part of the ongoing work done by the WCC Team. Organizations that were extended an invite to collaborate: BAUUC, Emerson U, NWUU, First UU, Galveston UU and more.