St. Mary’s Road church offering LGBTTQ+ friendly summer camp
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$1 per week for 24 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Winnipeg Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $0.00 a X percent off the regular rate.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/06/2019 (2281 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
What might be the city’s first LGBTTQ+ friendly Christian summer camp for kids is accepting registrations.
Called Camp Genesis, the camp for children ages seven to 12 is sponsored by St. Mary’s Road United Church. It runs from July 29 to Aug. 2.
Director Lilja Best said the idea for the camp grew out of the church’s stance as an affirming congregation; since 2014, it has been committed to being fully inclusive of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
The church is also committed to putting those words into action, so creating an inclusive summer camp “seemed like a good thing to do,” Best said, adding she isn’t aware of any other affirming churches in the city that have offered such a camp.
The goal of the camp to show “everyone is a unique and perfect child of God,” Best said.
At the camp, kids will be invited to celebrate and express their individuality through music, drama, games, art and Bible lessons about how God loves and welcomes everyone.
“We want to provide a safe space where they can be who they are and know they won’t be judged,” she said.
Best expects the camp will appeal to parents who want their children to be “taught a type of Christianity that doesn’t exclude people.”
“Religion shouldn’t be used as a tool to oppress others,” she explained, adding, “we don’t want to be too heavy (in the lessons). We just want to talk about being welcomed… we want to celebrate diversity and love.”
In addition to Best, a university student who is a lifelong member of St. Mary’s Road church, the camp will be staffed by other volunteers from the church.
“It’s going to be a really fun time of learning about love and acceptance,” she said.
The cost of the camp, which will be held at the church at 613 St. Mary’s Rd., is $150. Space is limited; to register, call 204)-254-2378 or visit stmarysroad.ca/camp-genesis by July 12.
faith@freepress.mb.ca
The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER
John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
The Free Press is committed to covering faith in Manitoba. If you appreciate that coverage, help us do more! Your contribution of $10, $25 or more will allow us to deepen our reporting about faith in the province. Thanks! BECOME A FAITH JOURNALISM SUPPORTER
John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Advertisement Advertise With Us
The Free Press acknowledges the financial support it receives from members of the city’s faith community, which makes our coverage of religion possible.