You’ve decided that you want to stay in the church. And you’ve decided that you will live fully as a queer person. (And you can have it all!) Here are eight tips to care for yourself in the church:
- Know your limits, know your boundaries, and stick to them.
- Make community with other queer people.
- Prioritize agency over all else.
- Take breaks when you need to.
- Seek therapy or pastoral care or friendships. One is not a good substitute for another. And in a perfect world you would have all three of those things at the same time.
- Journal. Perhaps you may find yourself coming back to one idea that is healing and transformative. But whatever it is, write yourself free.
- Dance.
- Leave. You should not stay anywhere that you are being harmed. And leaving that church does not mean that you’re leaving the Church as a whole. It just means that you’re looking for other ways to be faithful.
- What else can queer people do to care for themselves in the church?
- Which of these tips have you found to be most helpful? Why?
View the complete Queer + Christian series by Parity.
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// CREDITS //
Written & Spoken by John Russell Stanger & Candace Simpson
Music by Melodysheep
Footage by Parity
Edited by Jim Kast-Keat
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