The Rev. Kelly Demo By The Rev. Kelly Demo St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church Overland Park, Kansas For several years the leader of the Pride Alliance group at our church has been bugging me about getting teens to volunteer at our welcome booths at local Pride festivals. But our youth are super busy! Supportive as they are of their LGBTQ siblings, my teens find it hard to volunteer for yet another thing in their schedules. However, this year there were two young people

How listening to people's stories transforms congregations into truly welcoming spaces On September 17, 2026, Invite Welcome Connect hosted a webinar on storytelling and LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church. Four remarkable panelists—Liz Dyer (Real Mama Bears), Sara Cunningham (Free Mom Hugs), John Pfannes (St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church), and Maddy Bishop (Diocese of Kansas)—shared their experiences, insights, and practical guidance for congregations seeking to move from

By Steve Welch, Executive Director Creator God, Holy one, Maker of love and source of joy: We give you thanks for the infinite variety of your creation. We bless you that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that we are your beloved rainbow tribe. Grant us the courage to tell our truth, to honor ourselves, to love our neighbors, and to share your grace with a world aching for healing. We pray because of Jesus, who shows us the way. Amen. —From “Pride Sunday Prayers of t

Resources for LGBTQ+ Inclusion for Pride and Beyond By Steve Welch, Executive Director Invite Welcome Connect has added an LGBTQ+ Inclusion Resources page to its Toolkit for welcoming people into the church Creator God, Holy one, Maker of love and source of joy: We give you thanks for the infinite variety of your creation. We bless you that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that we are your beloved rainbow tribe. Grant us the courage to tell our truth, to honor our