The Church of the Palms is dedicated to sharing “God’s unconditional love, justice and extravagant welcome.” Members of the Social Justice Leadership Team are committed to finding ways to break down barriers that separate various segments of the population. This effort began with the commitment to be an “Open and Affirming” congregation and has expanded to include several social justice ministries. One of these ministries is that of addressing “Othering and Belonging.”
Vision Statement
Our vision is to be a faith community where every person is seen, valued, and embraced as a reflection of God’s image – a place where belonging is cultivated, acceptance is the norm, differences are honored, and no one is treated as “other”.
Mission Statement
To nurture a culture of belonging within our church by recognizing and dismantling patterns of othering; fostering understanding, compassion, and connection across differences; and encouraging practices that affirm the dignity, gifts, and humanity of every individual. Through non-judgement, education, dialogue, and intentional relationship building, we seek to create a community where all people experience welcome, acceptance, and spiritual wholeness.
Book Study
“Fat Church” by Anastasia E.B. Kidd
Join us for a two-session book study on the 2023 publication of this book which pushes back against body shaming. Sessions will be on Tuesdays, October 13 th and October 20 th from 10:00
to 11:30 at The Church of The Palms. Fatness is not a sin. Nor is it a failing of willpower or a moral evil. Fatness is simply a much maligned, naturally occurring body type that’s scapegoated in a society that values thin, white, and abled bodies over all others.Fat Church is a movement inviting Christians to examine their own biases against fatness, hold them to the light of the gospel of God’s freedom and abundance, and imagine a society where all bodies are liberated from anti-fat oppression. It is a movement for fat folks, not-so-fat folks, outright thin folks, and whomever else would like to join. If you are a person of faith and want to know how anti-fatness fits in with the other oppressions in our society (racism, white supremacy, homophobia, patriarchy), come on in. There’s plenty of room. Our chairs are ample, sturdy, and armless.
Whether your body is small or large, aged or young, disabled or abled, toned or soft, lithe or stiff—or somewhere in-between—anti-fatness affects us all, because it is intended to. Fat Church is a book that critiques anti-fat prejudice and the Christian church’s historic participation in it, calling for a fatphobic reckoning for the sake of God’s gospel of freedom.
United Church of Christ pastor and theological educator Anastasia Kidd reviews the history of medicalized diet culture, fat studies, beauty, body policing—and the white supremacist machinations underpinning them—in order to advocate for a society rooted in bodily liberation for all. Fat Church offers a disruption to social habits of shame and remembers the theology of
abundance that calls us all beloved by God.
The Othering and Belonging Ministry Team recently sponsored a workshop on “Unconscious Bias” presented by Reverend Lynette Turner. Lynette Is a life coach, motivational speaker, an expert in “positivity”, and a member of The Church of The Palms.
Watch for Lynette’s next workshop on “The 10 Be’s of Positivity – 10 Steps to a More Positive Way of Living”. Lynette will offer a presentation based on her book of the same title. Learn about the ten steps you can take to live a more fulfilled and happy life in this presentation. Once you are committed to the ten steps of being: honest, your authentic self, open-minded, a good listener, loving, grateful, spiritual, positive, forgiving, and present in the moment, your life will never be the same. In this gathering, you will gain insight and understanding of the application of these practices, which in turn can contribute to your happiness. Whether you are someone who already benefits by living a life of positivity or you strive to have more positivity in your life, this presentation will provide useful tools and guidance. Watch this space for more information.
If you are interested in becoming a member of a team to overcoming “Othering and Belonging” contact John Durbin at Socialjustice@thepalms.org