The Affirming program is both a process and recognition for ministries who strive to celebrate Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ people publicly, intentionally, and explicitly. Any ministry of any kind can become Affirming! Within our Regional Council there are many such ministries, with lots of room for growth. Keep scrolling down this page for more resources, and for the latest news and Affirming opportunities.
Our key commitments
Photos from our Regional Affirming celebration, 1 June 2024. Thank you to all the beautiful people who made this service of worship and praise a sacred time.
In May 2023, Living Skies Regional Council voted to become Affirming, after a three year process. As part of this commitment, we offer you this Affirming statement (video version). Click here for the text version of our Vision Statement, which represents our overall commitments. And click here for the Living Skies Affirming Action Plan (2024, PDF), which will guide how the Regional Council will live into being and becoming Affirming in its work, ministry, and structures.
Being Affirming builds on past commitments, when the former SK Conference and one of its presbyteries were Affirming. And it reflects the need to revisit and renew those commitments. Guided by a permanent committee, and by Affirming and supportive ministries, people, and partners throughout SK, the Regional Council and its members will discern how we live into the spirit and practice of being Affirming.
Committee members
As of June 2024, we moved from a task group which guided the process to a permanent Affirming committee.
Committee members (we welcome more!): Rev Sarah Giles, Rev Shelly Manley-Tannis, Allison Sarauer, Charlotte Snyder, Rev Jackie Van’t Voort, Owen Wright.
Past task group members: Rev Joy Cowan, Bob Hayes, Rev Shelly Manley-Tannis, Allison Sarauer, Yoonjoo Shin, Rev Tony Thompson, Rev Jackie Van’t Voort.
Have a look for Affirming ministries in Living Skies Regional Council: On the AUSE site; and on The United Church of Canada ministry locator (check under SK communities for both.) Many others are currently in the Affirming process. We welcome conversation and cooperation! Please get in touch with the committee through the Regional office, at livingskies@united-church.ca
Resources and info: Affirming partners
Affirm United/ S’affirmer Ensemble
Affirm United/ S’affirmer Ensemble (AUSE)
AUSE private Facebook group
Affirming PIE Day (14 March annually)
Affirming Connections
Resources and info: United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada: resources
Celebrating Gender Identity Toolkit
Resource: Moving Toward Full Inclusion-Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the United Church of Canada
Affirming news
PIE Day 2022 resources and events
Why PIE? PIE = Public. Intentional. Explicit. Those are the standards we hold ourselves to when we seek to live into being Affirming people and communities by, for, and with Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+...
First United in Swift Current featured in the news
Congratulations to our friends at First United Swift Current for a local story featuring their thorough and creative Affirming process! Knowing that the journey to this point has already sent a...
An introduction to Living Skies Affirming Task Group
In John 13:34 Jesus states “and now I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another”. As children of God through our thoughts and actions each of us...
Conversion therapy ban petition to the SK government
The Affirming committee of Grosvenor Park United Church in Saskatoon, Treaty Six, invites the people of Living Skies Regional Council to share in its call to the provincial government to outright...
Call for a provincial ban on conversion therapy
Click here for a PDF version of this letter. From: Living Skies Regional Council of The United Church of Canada, Rev Tricia Gerhard, chairperson. To: Hon Scott Moe, Premier; Hon Paul Merriman,...
Actions against conversion therapy in SK
There are lots of updates to share: Congratulations to communities of faith in Saskatoon who were part of the successful push to create a city bylaw banning the practice of “conversion” or...
Solidarity with Rev Lee Dong-hwan, Methodist Church in Korea
The United Church of Canada has many rich and long-standing partnerships with Christian denominations in South Korea. Here in Canada, we are blessed by many Korean and Korean-Canadian ministers, lay...
Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is internationally recognized on November 20th every year. This day raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people; it is a day to publicly...
Banning Conversion Therapy in Saskatchewan
Any community of faith or member of the Regional Council can submit a proposal to the annual meeting of the Regional Council or the Executive. This year, Grosvenor Park United Church has submitted...
Background on Remit 1 and voting on it
Remit 1 proposes a simple but very important gender-inclusive change to the language describing who is eligible to be a minister. Please find here a short resource to help voting delegates and the...
