Feeling Safe

I am SO PROUD of my hometown and my home church.

I grew up in a town of around 4,000 people in central Minnesota.  I attended the First Congregational United Church of Christ.  When I was confirmed I think there were 5 of us and that was a large class.  It seems like in my home town the majority of people were Catholic or Lutheran.

I grew up in a church that was always very accepting.  I grew up knowing that God loved us all, no matter what.  That was taught to me at church and even more so at home by my parents.

I just read on facebook tonight that my home church is have the first ever Rainbow Youth Gathering next weekend and will have this youth gathering one Sunday a month.

What is a Rainbow Youth Gathering you may ask?  It is a Safe Place for High School Youth in the LBGTQ community to hang out.

What makes me even more excited and proud, this group is being spearheaded by students who want to be a support for EVERYONE in school with them.  They are inviting youth from the nearby communities as well.

I'm excited to know that the adults in the church are being super supportive as well.  They see a need, they see a way to serve and they are grasping it and running with it.

  That is the logo for The Welcoming Project.  Thus why my home church is calling it the Rainbow Youth Gathering.

And I especially like the words... ALL are welcome!



A very important part of  the LBGTQ community are the Allies.  An Ally is an individual who is supportive of the LBGTQ community.  These people in my home church are taking on the role of Ally and I applaud them.

Growing up and high school is one of the hardest things we go through in life.  Kids ridicule and belittle anyone they can, just to point out they are different.  We are all so insecure at that age, if we can point out a difference in someone else, maybe they won't make fun of us?!

I was talking with some people last week about how awful the high school years can be.  And we were laughing because you always hear about people saying they would love to relive those years.  The other adults and I agreed - they were some of the worst years, who would truly want to relive those years where people made fun of others simply for breathing.

I became a teacher for two reasons - one, because I love teaching and music and what teaching music to students can give them for the rest of their lives.  Second because there were some teachers in high school who made me feel okay for who I was, who I am, just the way I am.  Those teachers helped me survive high school and ultimately helped me see that teaching is what I wanted to do.

I've probably said this before, but something I often say is that if I can help ONE person through the hell we call high school, I will feel like I have accomplished something.  I have been fortunate to have students come back and tell me later in life that I was their safe person, I was someone who they knew was there for them and would listen.

Sometimes I think my job is more being a safe adult for kids than teaching curriculum.  Yes, what I teach is important and I do make sure that I teach what I need to teach and cover my curriculum.  But it's the out of class relationships with students that provide them that safe place that feeling of acceptance.  I spend almost every morning and every afternoon in the entryway of the school greeting the students as the enter and leave for the day.  I want to be that smile that every student should have to start their day.  I want to be that smile that every student should remember when they leave school.  I want my students to know that they truly matter to me and I care about what happens to them.

My home church is giving students in the LGBTQ community that safe place, a place where they can feel accepted, where they can feel like they matter.  EVERYONE deserves to feel like they matter.  EVERYONE deserves to be accepted for who they are.  NO ONE should be told that they are not okay for who they are, for who God made them.

Are you a safe person for children who feel different in some way?  Some students feel different because they wear glasses, or they are super skinny, or they are heavy, or they don't have a lot of money, or they don't live with 2 parents, or..., or..., the list goes on and on and on.  EVERY child needs a safe place a safe person.  Every child needs to feel accepted for who they are and like who they are is important and it is okay to be different.  We are ALL different, really, if you think about it.  No two of us are the same, we are all people but that's where it ends.  After that, we are all different, we are all unique.

All of our children want to be accepted for who they are for their uniqueness.  It is our job to make them feel safe, to feel loved JUST THE WAY THEY ARE.  Bless you First Congregational UCC church in Wadena for being that safe place.