GIFTS: LGBTQ+
GIFTS is a welcoming ministry at Marble Collegiate Church that celebrates and supports LGBTQ+ persons, their families, and their allies.
About
Since 1992, GIFTS (LGBTQ+ In Fellowship, Tradition, Service) has been a vibrant community at Marble Church and is spiritually committed to imagining a world in which people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are embraced as God’s beloved children – a world in which we are all assured that we are created in God’s image, each with our unique talents and gifts.
We welcome everybody into this extended Marble Church family, as we offer an array of programs and activities, as well as service, social, and education opportunities, both online and in person.
Programs
We host regular gatherings where we worship, share, and learn in a safe and nurturing space. We also team up with other groups, such as the Marble Women’s Ministry and Children, Youth & Families (CYF) Ministry, to create events and programs that are welcoming to all.
Small Groups
We offer groups in a more intimate setting where we study a text or focus on a theme, exploring our similarities and differences as we move forward as integral members of the Marble family.
Service
We frequently join with others from Marble to help meet the needs of New York City. Members of the GIFTS community have built houses for Habitat for Humanity, joined a re-building trip to St. Thomas after Hurricane Irma, and assembled back-to-school backpacks for students at P.S.30 in Manhattan. Read about outreach activities.
Education
GIFTS hosts events that educate and nurture both our LGBTQ+ community and our church family. In the past, we have explored LGBTQ+ themes in the Bible, adoption and fostering for LGBTQ+ people, and the need for LGBTQ+ welcoming housing.
PRIDE
During the month of June, Marble Collegiate Church whole-heartedly celebrates our LGBTQ+ community. We have led church-wide participation in the Heritage of Pride March, handed out water at the Dyke March on Fifth Avenue, hosted Pride breakfasts, and shared our stories during our annual Pride Sunday service. View PRIDE photos.
Facebook
Be sure to like our Facebook page to stay in touch with members of our vibrant community.
Same-Sex Marriage
Learn more about having your wedding at Marble Collegiate Church.
GIFTS History
Marble Collegiate Church has been welcoming and affirming LGBTQ+ people since 1992 when a small group of gay men who were a part of the Marble community formed GIFTS (Gays In Fellowship, Tradition, and Service).
Room for All
Compelled by the inclusive love of God revealed in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Spirit, Room for All is a community of Christ-followers in the Reformed Church in America (RCA). It is a non-profit organization founded in 2005, governed by a Board of Directors, and seeks to represent the full diversity and inclusion of LGBTQ+ members in the RCA.
In this moving Room for All video, "Room for Me?", members of our GIFTS community, and others, speak about their experiences as LGBTQ+ Christians in Reformed Church settings across the country. You can also download the accompanying discussion guide. For further resources, view the video series Body and Soul: We Belong, also at the Room for All website. This video resource invites viewers to explore the question of what it means to be LGBTQ+ and Christian through six themes central to the Reformed Church tradition, that are woven through the liturgies and confessional standards of the RCA. You can also download its accompanying discussion guide—we encourage you to make use of it as you view accompanying videos, pausing after each section to engage in reflection and conversation.
Watch Previously Recorded Events
America After Roe v. Wade: Where Do We Go From Here? with Gloria Steinem, Faye Wattleton & Kathryn Kolbert
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Questions & Information
For more information, please contact Programs@MarbleChurch.org (Please reference the GIFTS Fellowship in your email).