This is part two of two episodes about our church experiences. In this episode, we start by briefly touching on two elements of our church adolescence we didn’t get to in the first episode (and even as April types this, she can think of so many more memories she didn’t get to; but they’re bound to come up in other episodes)--experiences around the themes of missionary and martyrdom aspirations. We then go into how our feelings re: church shifted as we started to doubt the faith we had been taught growing up, our meandering church searches as we tried to find belonging in the midst of pain and disillusionment, and the joy and love we have experienced in the various new ways we’ve found church (baptism, liturgy, confirmation, affirming church ladies, and online community).
I feel like we mention QCF (Q Christian Fellowship) every episode, but here’s their website if you want to check it out. They facilitate online community groups, provide affirming resources, and host conferences (Anna will be at their conference in January!):https://www.qchristian.org/ If you want to search for an affirming church in your area (or find one to stream online) good places to start are https://www.churchclarity.org/ and https://www.gaychurch.org/
Did you know that we launched merch? Get your Bible Dyke Energy Tee or mug here: https://reclaiming-the-garden.creator-spring.com/
Our social media: @reclaimingthegarden on Insta, @RtGardenPodcast on Twitter, and Reclaiming the Garden on Facebook. Our personal accounts: @thatpunchabletheaternerd, @April_TheWriter (April is on Twitter and Insta). Also, our podcast account follows a bunch of awesome folks + podcasts in the exvangelical/deconstruction world and progressive Christian world, so if you’re looking for more resources, that’s a great place to start!
