Friday, April 3, 2009

We've Done It!!

“Bridging the Gap: Conversations on Befriending Our Gay Neighbours” the DVD is now available! Click here to purchase.

The purpose of the Bridging the Gap DVD resource is: To better equip Christ-followers to share the love of Christ, through relationship, with our gay neighbours.

• Four segment video for small groups
• On-screen discussion questions
• Includes 40-page facilitator’s discussion guide
• FREE reproducible study guide
• Total running time: 3 hours

Participant Goals

Session 1: Gay People Are Our Neighbours
• Have an awareness of some of the real lives behind the issue of homosexuality
• Have an opportunity to assess heart attitudes
• Think more deeply about some personal steps to take to be more intentionally and relationally involved with those for whom diverse sexual identity is a reality

Session 2: The Journey of Loving Same-Gender Attracted People
• Consider core spiritual issues for someone who is same-gender attracted
• Reflect on the homophobia that continues to exist in the Christian community and consider practical steps to address this in a Christ-like manner
• Think more deeply about how to be an encouragement and support to someone who is same-gender attracted and seeking to follow Jesus

Session 3: Loving Each Other Through Difference and Disagreement
• Be confronted with the reality that Christians come to different perspectives on gay issues
• Engage a model of true friendship despite disagreement and hear the ways Christ continues to be honoured and revealed through such friendship
• Think more deeply about how to engage in a Christ-like manner with someone who holds a different perspective

Session 4: Creating a Safe Place in the Christian Community
• Understand the underlying values and attitudes that will be necessary to be a welcoming place for our gay neighbors
• Have an awareness of the potential barriers to a gay neighbor feeling safe and comfortable to explore belonging and faith in the church
• Think more deeply about some personal steps to take to be a safe presence for a gay neighbor seeking to explore who Jesus is

Check it out & spread the word!
Posted by wendy at 6:18 PM
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6 comments:

Jason said...

I have a suggestion: when refering to people who are gay, say just that, "people who are gay" and not "gay people." If it is the person you are meaning to value, then put the person first. Same goes for "Loving same-gender attracted people" ; should read "Loving people attracted to same-gender." Is it not the person we all should love as opposed to "same-genders"?

April 3, 2009 at 7:43 PM
Anonymous said...

Wendy,

Congratulations! Looks AMAZING!! Love Brian and Tony and Justin- Interviewed them to and spent time. The project looks amazing. I would love to get a copy of it asap.

Hope you are well, would love to catch up sometime soon.

Love,

Lisa

April 4, 2009 at 11:14 AM
seithman said...

As a writer and a wordsmith, I never really got that whole "people who are gay" thing. The phrase "gay people" means the exact same thing and communicates the idea with two less words. Expressing what you mean in as few words as possible is actually an important skill in effective writing and communication in general.

Also, I'll note that no one talks about "cars that are blue." People talk about "blue cars" without having the fact of the cars' blueness overshadow the fact that they're cars. That seems to only be an issue when the adjective in question has a certain amount of potential stigma associated with it, such as "gay." However, I maintain that in such a case, the stigma will be there and equally strong whether the adjective appears immediately before the noun or three words after it.

But like I said, I'm a writer and a bit of a stickler about such things. ;)

On the topic of the video, I like the description you've given of it, Wendy. It sounds quite interesting, and I'd be inclined to take a look at it if the opportunity to do so ever presents itself.

Ultimately though, I admit that I"m a bit curious how effective such a video will be. After all, there can be quite a chasm between talking about being a good neighbor to gay people and actually going through with it. In some ways, I hope some small groups would not only watch and talk about this video, but invite gay people to join them in doing so. To me, it strikes me as one of the best ways to guarantee that the dialogue about reall does transition into a dialogue with.

April 6, 2009 at 10:19 AM
wendy said...

Seithman,
Thanks for your comments on wording and language. It can become quite daunting when different people have different perceptions, preferences, and expectations in that regard. You can hear completely opposite suggestions from two different people.
I absolutely agree - the resource may be of very little use if it is not actualized in relationship. We try to stress that throughout the DVD. Ultimately, our prayer and hope is that this is an experience that becomes "with" not "about". The impetus for the resource was encountering so many relatively good hearted people who just felt unsure about how to be a good friend to their gay colleague, family member, neighbour etc. Our hope is that the DVD will encourage them to simply take that next step in relationship.

April 6, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Joe said...

I got my copy today. Thank you Wendy and everyone else at ND. It’s a SUPERB resource

I will be doing my best to ensure that every conservative church or ministry in London has a copy of this DVD - as the first resource they turn to when a member of their congregation comes forward and says, “My son/sister/friend has just told me they are gay. What do I do now? What do I say to them?”

April 11, 2009 at 6:12 AM
wendy said...

Thanks so much Joe .... we are hoping that BTG will have a "shack-like" effect - that as people see it and tell others that it really is a great help to the church.

April 11, 2009 at 1:25 PM

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