HELP FINDING….
TO OUR LGBTQ+ BROTHERS & SISTERS
Here are some resources that you might find helpful on your journey. We welcome your feedback if these can be improved.
FINDING A COUNSELOR OR PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Recently, the question came to us, “Can you help me find a therapist who is gay-affirming?” We thought about attempting to compile of list of individual practitioners and counseling centers, but realized that could quickly become outdated and our resources would limit that list to West Michigan only. We determined we could better serve our community by providing a tool that can be used to help screen a prospective therapist or counselor with some thoughtful questions that might help you determine if a particular therapist would be a good fit for you. Those question are located in this document:
FINDING A CHURCH HOME
If it's hard to determine if a church celebrates and affirms LQBTQ people, they probably don't celebrate and affirm LGBTQ people. - Liz Dyer
Finding a community of faith that celebrates LGBTQ+ people can be a scary thing for many LGBTQ+ people. So many factors contribute to a congregation becoming a home for any person or family, even more so for those of us who have been wounded by the church! If you are looking for a church home within the Christian Reformed denomination where you might feel at home, here are some congregations that you might consider. Each of these has taken concrete steps toward welcoming queer persons into the life of the congregation, including those persons in same-sex relationships.
- Church of the Servant CRC – Grand Rapids, MI
- Eastern Avenue CRC – Grand Rapids, MI
- Fellowship CRC – Edmonton, AB
- First CRC – Grand Rapids, MI
- First CRC – Toronto, ON
- Grace CRC – Grand Rapids, MI
- Loop CRC – Chicago, IL
- Meadowvale CRC – Mississauga, ON
- Neland Avenue CRC – Grand Rapids, MI
- Oakdale Park CRC – Grand Rapids, MI
- Sherman Street CRC – Grand Rapids, MI
- The Road Church – Calgary, AB
- Washington DC CRC – Washington, DC
You can find their public statements about the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ in this document.