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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

AS NATIONAL Christian traditions continue to argue over their stance on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people, the Student Christian Movement (SCM) and OneBodyOneFaith have joined together to publish a resource for churches who want to grow not only as allies to LGBTQ+ people but also in their own faith too.