RECOGNIZING OPPORTUNITIES

I pray all is well with you and that you are busy with the things that matter to you. I love that I can be busy with establishing programs through RCCares and find that the ground work is simply exhilarating and often times sheer joy! I look forward to our next phone conference Board Meeting November 1, 2011. Meanwhile, the visions that we have talked about continue to take shape toward reality as earlier this month Andy sent in the paper work required in order to establish our church as a nonprofit charity. We are continuing our search for liability insurance for the board and professional liability insurance for me. I hope to volunteer as a chaplain after I have that in place. And just for the fun of it, check the web site www.rccares.org to see how we look on line. Please remember to email any info you want shared on the site as well as suggestions, concerns & additions.

Since last we spoke, I have continued to work on completing the online Grant Writing Course I am taking from UNC. To my great pleasure, I have found a niche for my desire to be a writer in grant writing!?! I have been volunteering with Equality North Carolina ( www.equalitync.org )  and find that, now that the proposition to change the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman will come to a popular vote in May, there is more need than ever for advocacy for the LBGTQ community for equality and justice. I am glad that we are here. Two weeks ago I attended a Harm Reduction Conference in Durham, NC ( www.nchrc.net ) . I have volunteered with this state group since July and had worked with the National Coalition in different venues including presenting at the 8^th Annual International Conference last winter.  The third organization that I have been concentrating on building collaboration with is the LGBT Center of Raleigh ( www.lgbtcenterofraleigh.com ) to continue with faith based organizing while volunteering on the OutRaleigh Festival planned for next May.

Last week I was in Atlanta, Georgia at the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association National Conference (www. glma.org )  to participate in the discussion about current concerns and advocacy needs for establishing accessible health care and human services. On the last day of the conference we joined two other organizations, Southern Comfort (www.sccatl.org/index.php ) and WPATH (www.wpath.org/)  and what a convergence of energy that was.  Next month I will participate in the Church Within A Church ( www.cwac.us ) National Conference in Tucson, Arizona.

Community Ministry takes physical form as our actions respond to the needs for equality and justice!