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Freddie Mercury LGBT History Month October 26, 2014

I’m beginning to catch up with things at work and home after a fantastic ten days attending Kinship’s Women & Children First weekend and Kampmeeting in Pomona, California. Not only did we have lots of brand new faces attending this year, but some of our long-time members came back to connect with their Kinship family, perform in the Sabbath morning music program, and close Kampmeeting with the much-anticipated talent show on Saturday night! Joc, Rob, and Jesse really outdid themselves this year; and I hope they don’t wait too long before gracing us with their presence again! I’ve been truly blessed by each attendee at Kampmeeting, and I’m already anticipating next year!

We’ll announce the details when the contract is signed; for now I can share that our next Kampmeeting will likely be on the east coast just outside of Baltimore, Maryland. Our appointed Kampmeeting coordinator, Kristina Burgos, and her indispensable and invaluable Kampmeeting committee are already working on ways to make next year’s experience truly unforgettable. I know I don’t want to miss it.

My very first Kampmeeting had such a profound effect on me that I’ve never wanted to miss another, and I haven’t since 1995. There’s something life-changing about being in such a safe and welcoming space with a diverse group of people who get along, love, and affirm each other. I particularly love when our allies attend and share how their Kampmeeting experience also changes them and is like nothing they’ve ever experienced before. I wish we could bottle that experience and share it at the average Adventist camp meeting so that everyone could know what open and honest fellowship can feel like!

I also wish we could bottle the International Kampmeeting and European Kinship Meeting (EKM) experiences and share them with all our members around the globe, too! It’s personally experiencing these meetings that helps members to understand why we encourage more of our members to attend. Kinship is like a huge family, and Kampmeeting and EKM are like our family reunions. Sometimes, Kinship is better than some family dynamics, and sometimes it’s similar! Nevertheless, we can hold each other up when our families sometimes cannot or won’t. It’s priceless to be able to count on that.

So that more of you can attend Kampmeeting in the U.S., the European Kinship Meetings (the next event is coming up very soon), and regional mini-kampmeetings, we will offer a number of options over the next few weeks! I hope you will take advantage of one of these options so that, next year, you can join the fun, build rich friendships, and enjoy the encouragement of our Kinship family!

If you and others in your region would like to organize a meeting in your country, the Member Services team can provide you with advice. Reply to me so we can add you to our information list and let you know when training is next available.

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