SCM 'AFFIRM' APPEAL

At present there isn’t a ‘Christian Basics’ course which caters specifically for progressive, LGBT+ Affirming Christians or seekers. This means that some church communities use courses such as Alpha which sit uneasily because the style and the doctrine do not match with their own ethos. Other churches either struggle to create their own or do not offer such a course. The Church of England’s Pilgrim course is denominationally specific and yet also has to be broad enough for all Anglicans to use. Young people are statistically far more likely to be LGBTQ+ affirming than former generations, therefore it is a starting point rather than a debate for many of them. Even when they feel the pull towards God the reputation of the church as a place hostile to LGBTQ+ people is off putting for them. However, many churches hold to affirming theology and practice but struggle to make this known What is needed is a course which begins from the basis of affirming LGBTQ+ people and their allies and a course which looks at the key theologies which non evangelical Christians see as the starting point of their faith.

SCM is in a unique place to offer an answer to this problem by creating such a course. We are the only national progressive Christian charity working specifically with young Christians. We have a legacy of deep theological thinking especially in relation to social change. We have members who are growing as young theologians who could contribute.

It falls within our purposes as a movement because we want to see churches able to welcome the young people we encounter who struggle to fit in to a church. We want to support churches that want to nurture progressively minded young people so that there are moving into more mature years ready to worship, serve and lead in these churches.