REFLECTIONS from Open Table members and friends have come third in the FeedSpot 5 Best Queer Bible Podcasts ‘ranked by traffic, social media followers and freshness’. Do you have a story to share?

MOVING TRIBUTES to the Right Revd Dr Alan Wilson, Bishop of Buckingham in the Church of England Diocese of Oxford, have been published following the announcement of his sudden death on Saturday. Bishop Alan actively advocated for LGBTQIA+ people and survivors of abuse for more than 20 years.

This year the Methodist Church in Britain has shared a prayer for this month by Pam Gold, coordinator of the Methodist LGBT+ Solidarity Circle. Pam was the former Co-Convenor of the Evangelical Fellowship of Lesbian & Gay Christians and founder of two Open Table communities.

BISHOPS are like buses: we wait ages for one then two come at once! On Sunday 21st January two Open Table communities are hosting their local Church of England leaders.

THANKS to 46 generous donors our Advent & Christmas Crowdfunder appeal raised more than £2,000! This was almost 82% of our £2,500 target. With these gifts, OTN can offer the #PromiseOfJoy to even more LGBTQIA+ people in 2024.

CHRISTMAS can be a difficult time for LGBTQ+ folk, let alone queer Christians. This Christmas Eve, PinkNews has shared ‘a special queer-inclusive Christmas message for LGBTQ+ people’ from Revd Sarah Jones, vicar at St John The Baptist church in Cardiff, the first person transgender person to be ordained in the Church of England.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND House of Bishops has approved the trial of a selection of readings and prayers of thanksgiving, dedication and asking for God's blessing for same-sex couples this week. The resources, known as Prayers of Love and Faith [PLF], can now be used in Church of England services for the first time from Sunday 17th December 2023.

28th NOVEMBER is Giving Tuesday - a day that inspires millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. As Advent approaches, we are excited to launch 'The Promise of Joy', which seeks to love, encourage, and support members of the LGBTQIA+ community here in the UK, through the Open Table Network [OTN].

AS GENERAL SYNOD, the Church of England's governing body, met for an extraordinary meeting this month, representatives of 18 inclusive Christian organisations have released a statement welcome Synod’s decision to back a trial of special services asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples.

KIERAN BOHAN is now Director of the Open Table Network (OTN). This is a change to how his role was previously described. Kieran became full-time coordinator of OTN in October 2020 and has been a key part of Open Table since its inception in 2008.

‘This is my story’ is an occasional series of short devotions, based around the Bible, the experiences of Open Table members, reflection and prayer. This month, Alan Harbottle reflects on his search for Christian perfection and how he has learned to trust that he is good enough.

ON SUNDAY 3rd March, Bishop of Bradford Rt Revd Toby Howarth led a special celebration of Communion to mark the first birthday of the Open Table Bradford community, the first to meet outside a church as no suitable church venue could be found.

Peter, one of our trustees, recently visited the ‘Open to All’ art exhibition by Elizabeth Gray-King. The exhibition, in association with the Open Table Network, is on a national tour of cathedrals and city centre churches in England and Wales until 21st July 2024.

ON SUNDAY 4th February 2024, Open Table Cambridge hosted a celebratory service to mark the start of LGBT+ History Month. OTN Patron Ven Dr Rachel Mann, Archdeacon of Bolton and Salford in the Church of England Diocese of Manchester shared this powerful message inspired by Mark 1:29-39.

LAST MONTH the Open Table community in Blackheath, south London celebrated six years and met for the last time. Revd Anne Bennett, vicar of the church which hosted the community, and Open Table Network trustee, shares her reflection on the journey.

‘This is my story’ is an occasional series of short devotions, based around the Bible, the experiences of Open Table members, reflection and prayer. This month we hear from OTN Co-Chair Sarah Hobbs, on what it means to be truly authentic with God.

ON SUNDAY 21st January 2024 Right Reverend Doctor John Perumbalath, Bishop of Liverpool led a celebration of communion at the first Open Table community in the city. He reflected on the story of the first reported miracle of Jesus in John’s gospel [John 2:1-11]

IT'S THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY. We recall how Jesus prayed for all who believe in him: 'May they all be one' [John 17:21]. We thank God he didn't say 'one and the same'! We're called to unity not uniformity, so we celebrate our diversity. OTN Trustee Neil Rees reflects on why he believes what he believes.

AT A CAROL SERVICE hosted by the Open Table Salford community, Kieran the OTN Director shared this reflection inspired by the Open To All exhibition, which Sacred Trinity Church, Salford, is hosting throughout December 2023. In particular, he focused on the largest painting in the collection by Revd Elizabeth Gray King, called Nativity.

WHAT DO YOU DO when you can’t find a suitable poem for an Open Table carol service? Why not write one? That’s what Jo Miller, leader of our new Open Table Colchester community did, with her wife Georgina.

GENERAL SYNOD, the Church of England's governing body, met for an extraordinary meeting last month, which largely focused on Living in Love and Faith (LLF), its long running project looking at identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage. Nic Tall, a founding member of our Open Table Taunton community, explains what this means, especially for same-sex couples.

What does it mean to be a prophet? What image does that word conjure up for you?  At a celebration of the first birthday of our Open Table Nantwich community on Sunday 26th November, Warren Hartley from Open Table Liverpool asked these questions, inspired by the story of John the Baptist [John 1:6-8, 1:19-28] which we hear during the season of Advent.

Obviously this photo is a little humorous, not particularly serious, but it is important. Why? Because I am sick and tired of people telling me that it is not ok to be trans because ‘the body is a temple’, writes OTN Co-Chair Alex Clare-Young.

‘This is my story’ is an occasional series of short devotions, based around the Bible, the experiences of Open Table members, reflection and prayer. This month we hear from OTN trustee Neil Rees, on revisiting Scripture to find its message of radical inclusion.

LAST MONTH, the Open Table Bradford community hosted an away day addressing challenges that people face about ‘what the Bible says…’ about LGBT+ people. Dr Diana Tremayne, a member of the Church of England’s governing body General Synod, shares how this day helped her prepare for this month’s extraordinary meeting in London to debate blessings of same-gender relationships.

‘This is my story’ is an occasional series of short devotions, based around the Bible, the experiences of Open Table members, reflection and prayer. This month we hear from OTN trustee Peter Jones, on the barriers we face, and how we can come together to make a difference.

TODAY, 11th October, is marked around the world as ‘Coming Out Day’. On Sunday 8th October, Warren Hartley from Open Table Liverpool preached at the Open Table Warrington community on the theme of ‘coming out’, inspired by the song of Mary, known as the Magnificat [Luke 1:46-55].

TODAY, 11th October, is marked around the world as ‘Coming Out Day’, based on the belief that prejudice against LGBTQIA+ people thrives in an atmosphere of silence and ignorance, and that once people know that they have loved ones who are LGBTQIA+, they are far less likely to maintain prejudiced or oppressive views. Wendy Young shares her coming out story.

BILLED AS ‘the nice people’s pop festival’ when it began in 1974, Greenbelt is more subversive than it first appeared 50 years ago. The annual celebration of art, activism and belief describes itself as ‘a festival that’s inclusive, open-minded, participatory and generous in spirit’. Gail from Open Table Warrington reflects on her first visit this year.

AT OTN’S NATIONAL GATHERING in June, Lauren McCombie Smith from Frontier Youth Trust led a breakout group to introduce Open Table members to Diversity Dice, a resource created by a Christian youth charity and an LGBT+ youth group. Lauren explains, and movingly shares why this really matters to her.

OTN TRUSTEE Augustine Tanner-Ihm, who found the first Open Table community to be ‘a safe space in a dangerous time’ when he lived in Liverpool ten years ago, has stepped down from the OTN board after three years. Here he explains what’s next for his ministry with the LGBTQIA+ community in Manchester.

AT THE FIRST Open Table community in Liverpool this month, the communion service was led by Revd Poppy Thorpe, Vicar of All Saints and St Frideswyde, Crosby, home of the Open Table Sefton community. This is Poppy’s reflection on these two questions, based on Matthew 16.13-20.

AT OTN’S NATIONAL GATHERING in June, we heard the extraordinary story of a new six-week course for Christians seeking Bible-based support for their churches to be more inclusive and affirming. Co-author Peter Russell explains.

HAVE YOU EVER been utterly annoyed or dismayed over a particular issue and had no way that felt helpful or adequate to express that? Craftivism is about getting those feelings out in a way that has potential impact - externalising and change-making, writes OTN Co-Chair Alex Clare-Young.

‘This is my story’ is an occasional series of short devotions, based around the Bible, the experiences of Open Table members, reflection and prayer. This month we hear from Wendy Young, who came out as a lesbian 30 years ago, yet only walked in her first Pride march just last month.

FOR MANCHESTER PRIDE festival weekend last month, the city’s Anglican cathedral hosted an Open Table Eucharist, gathering more than 180 people in a service of celebration and hope for LGBTQIA+ people and our allies. Revd Alexa McDonnell gave this reflection, on Matthew 13:31-35.

THIS YEAR Greenbelt, an inclusive, affirming Christian festival of artistry, activism and belief, celebrated 50 years. Last Sunday morning, Jo Clare-Young, and OTN Co-Chairs Alex Clare-Young and Sarah Hobbs, led a Quiet Communion service as an alternative to the main celebration on the main stage. Here is an extract of the service they hosted.

FOR ME, Open Table has been like the good soil in a parable of the sower - I’ve not just found community, I’ve found somewhere I have been able to grow both in my faith and as a person.

‘It’s hard to express our deep gratitude for Open Table’s sustained welcome and hospitality, and your acceptance of all of us, with all the diversity we bring to the table.’

‘The phrase ‘Come as you are’ resonates loudly in our monthly worship. I needed to hear it and experience it for myself.’

‘As soon as the service ended, I was surrounded by happy, welcoming faces, and warm hearts, wonderful people who shared so many similar experiences.’

‘There were parts of the LGBTQIA+ community that I didn't realize that were there. Like, I didn't realize that I was asexual until I started talking to all the members in Open Table and I thought: “That sounds like me!” So I discovered another part of my identity; and that gave me more self-confidence.’

‘…we are so glad to have been able to celebrate our love and commitment with our church community and, in some small way, provide a witness to the love of God.’

‘It was like a refreshing spiritual awakening to a life that I never knew could exist. Through Christian spiritual counselling, and in the safety of Open Table, I came to see the scriptures in a new, true light.’

‘I was brought up as a Jehovah’s Witness since the day I was born. I found the religion tough and strict. Some of the rules I was not happy about. One rule was we were never allowed to like the same sex. This is my experience of coming out as bisexual.’

‘I get enough hate and judgement in the rest of my life. At Open Table I get unquestionable, God-given, love. It is that simple.’