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Sunday School
Glen Cairn United provides a Christian environment where children and youth are welcomed, heard, valued, nurtured and supported both personally and spiritually. Our Sunday School uses the “Seasons of the Spirit” curriculum. The children and youth study the same biblical texts and stories that are being used for congregational worship.
Usually children go into the sanctuary with their parents for the first part of the worship service. After a theme conversation with the minister or worship leader, the children go to the hall for a short Sunday School opening, including an offering. Then, the children go with their teachers to classes for stories, crafts and games. Currently, there are four classes for children and a class for youth.
On Sundays when there is communion, the children go immediately to the hall for their opening time followed by classes and then return to the sanctuary to join their parents for communion. Approximately five times during the year there are intergenerational church services where the children stay with their parents in the sanctuary for the entire service.
Sunday School runs from the first Sunday after Labour Day until the second Sunday of June. Special activities for children are provided from mid-June to Labour Day. Books and activity kits in baskets at the door of the sanctuary are available for children each week.
Contact: Celia Bodnar
BIBLE STUDY
Join us online Wednesday evening from 7:00 – 8:00 pm by Zoom
All are welcome. No experience necessary. No need to leave home as we go through Zoom.
For details contact the church office at office@gcuc.ca or Kevin McComas.
Affirming Reading Recommendations
The Affirm Committee has built a collection of books for our library. Below are reading recommendations from Rev. Elaine, for the Ottawa Public Library, and from a High School librarian.
Rev. Elaine’s Recommendations
Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians
Paperback – March 13 2018 by Austen Hartke (Author) $26.38
"Writing as a white, bisexual, transgender man who happens to be a committed Christian, Hartke nevertheless confesses that to this day he feels just a little bit nervous when he walks into any unfamiliar church building. And no wonder, for, as he will point out, many churches in America are less than welcoming to the 1.4 million transgender adults in their midst, a staggering 41 percent of whom will have attempted suicide. In this connection, he points out the importance of finding a supportive faith community. He writes movingly about his own search for such an environment but also offers the perspectives of a wide variety of other transgender people, whose stories he generously shares. Along the way, he writes about such practical matters as definitions of gender identities and what parts of our gender identities are socially constructed and what may be biologically set in stone. He poses manOttawa PubliC Library Recommendations
y questions about his subject, of course, and finds answers in the Bible, sometimes surprising ones, as his equation of contemporary transgender people with eunuchs, the gender-nonconforming people of the ancient world. He also discusses the corporeal nature of Jesus and extrapolates from that a discussion of embodied theology. But his leitmotif remains the search for a welcoming religious community. It's an informative and illuminating quest, supplemented by an extensive appended list of further reading and resources. This is an important book that fills an urgent need."
Transgender. Christian. Human.
Kindle Edition by Alex Clare-Young (Author) $26.99
Alex Clare-Young, the first out transgender minister in the United Reformed Church, says:
Transgender Christian Human is the story of my life as a transgender child and adult. Trans is an imperfect label, but labels are, to some extent, necessary – especially when we choose them for ourselves. For me, being trans means moving towards a gender that varies from my sex assigned at birth. It also means moving between genders and critiquing the rigidity of gendered systems.
I believe that we are called to live in relationship and continual, open conversation not only with those who mirror us but also with those who are other to us. As a trans person, I have experienced that call as both blessing and curse; both injury and cure. I have lived through the pain of feeling that there is no one quite like me and I have lived in the joy of sharing differences and similarities with those who are open to talk about their amazingly diverse life stories.
Parts of this book are incredibly sad. Others are full of joy. Some are even pretty funny. I hope that the result is an honest and authentic reflection of being transgender, Christian and human. I have included resources and activities at the end of each chapter to encourage individuals and groups to explore the subject. I hope the book helps you to understand yourself and your friends, colleagues and family a little better – and that it acts as a mirror to reflect a different way of being.
In Transgender Christian Human Alex Clare-Young achieves that rare thing: making space for a reader to encounter a story which is both intimate and theologically potent. This book is not only timely and necessary, it is potentially life-saving. Clare-Young’s voice is wise, generous and fresh. A must-read for anyone interested in the intersections between faith, gender and the possibility of hope.
Canon Rachel Mann, Author of Dazzling Darkness
Shameless: A Sexual Reformation Hardcover – Jan. 29 2019
by Nadia Bolz-Weber (Author) $22.47
"Nothing gives church folk anxiety quite like the subject of sex. And that's why in Shameless, Pastor Nadia sets out to reclaim the conversation for a new generation. In the spirit of Martin Luther, Bolz-Weber calls for a reformation of the way believers understand and express their sexuality. To make her case, Bolz-Weber draws on experiences from her own life as well as her parishioners', then puts them side by side with biblical narrative and theology to explore what the church has taught and about sex, and the harm that has often come as a result. Along the way, Bolz-Weber reexamines patriarchy, gender, and sexual orientation with candor but also with hope--because, as she writes, "I believe that the Gospel can heal the pain that even the church has caused." As with her previous books, Bolz-Weber offers an honest, affirming and intellectually robust experience on the pages that speak to skeptic and believer alike"—Goodreads
Queer Redemption: How queerness changes everything we thought we knew about Christianity Kindle Edition
by Charlie Bell (Author) $29.95
Vividly discerns a future where the margins truly define the centre, where queerness is truly liberative for the whole church
’A clarion call to kindness. A thoughtful and well-argued piece which should be read by those with faith or without’ – Sandi Toksvig
Explores human flourishing relating to LGBT people, drawing on scientific and experiential knowledge - a living tradition - ignored by other Christian theological works.
Charlie Bell has a growing reputation as a writer and advocate on issues of faith, sexuality, theology and medicine
What might happen, asks Charlie Bell, author of the acclaimed Queer Holiness, if what we know about queer lives, loves and relationships was taken as read, rather than treated as a matter of debate? From this starting point, how might we do and think things differently in Christian life, our theology, and in the Church as an institution? Following the apologetics approach of Queer Holiness, Queer Redemption looks to a future when the margins truly define the centre, where queerness is truly liberative for the whole church.
Ottawa PubliC Library Recommendations
Gender: Your Guide, 2nd Edition: The Gender-Friendly Primer on What to Know, What to Say, and What to Do in the New Gender Culture
Paperback – June 4 2024 by Lee Airton PhD (Author) $20.04. OPL Rating 4.5/5
Gender is now a global conversation, and one that is constantly evolving. More people than ever before are openly living their lives as transgender men or women, and many transgender people are coming out as neither men nor women, instead living outside the binary. Gender is changing, and this change is gaining momentum.
From the differences among gender identity, gender expression, and sex, to the use of gender-neutral pronouns like singular they/them to thinking about your own participation in gender, Gender: Your Guide, 2nd Edition serves as a complete primer to all things gender. Guided by professor and gender diversity advocate Lee Airton, PhD, learn how gender works in everyday life; how to use accurate terminology to refer to transgender, nonbinary, and/or gender nonconforming individuals; and how to ask when you aren’t sure what to do or say. It provides you with the information you need to talk confidently and compassionately about gender diversity, whether simply having a conversation or going to bat as an advocate. In this updated edition, Dr. Airton explores updated definitions of intersex people, conversion therapy bans, transgender students in sports, online and social community discussions, updated pop culture references, and much more.
Just like gender itself, being gender-friendly is a process for all of us. Gender: Your Guide, 2nd Edition invites everyone on board to make gender more flexible and less constricting: a source of more joy, and less harm, for everyone.
A Kids Book About Gender
Hardcover – Dec 5, 2023 by Dale Mueller (Author) $26.99 OPL Rating 4/5
This is a kids book about gender. This book isn’t meant to answer all the questions or tell you how you identify. It’s meant to help kids and grownups understand gender and create an open and safe environment for kids to question, experiment, and discover their authentic selves.
This book helps to start discussions about gender with kids aged 5-9 and form nderstandings about identity. Gender can be difficult to define, but it’s something that's a part of all of us and who we are. The A Kids Book About series are best used when read together. Helping to kickstart challenging, empowering, and important conversations for kids and their grownups through beautiful and thought-provoking pages. The series supports an incredible and diverse group of authors, who are either experts in their field, or have first-hand experience on the topic.
Gender Explained: A New Understanding of Identity in a Gender Creative World
by Diane Ehrensaft and Michelle Jurkiewicz $31.13 OPL Rating 4/5
Gender is everywhere. Politicians argue over it, educational systems struggle to define it, and our friends, neighbors, and children explore it. More than ever before, young people are questioning their gender identities and redefining the role of gender in their lives. How should our society—and we as individuals (parents, teachers, friends)—respond?
In Gender Explained, Diane Ehrensaft, PhD, and Michelle Jurkiewicz, PsyD, separate medical fact from fear-mongering falsehoods and answer these questions: What should parents do when their child starts experiencing gender dysphoria? Which sports teams should transgender youth play on? How should schools teach young people about gender? And most important: What is gender-affirming care, and when should an individual have access to it?
With clear, expert guidance, this book is a safeguard against political vitriol, and it offers urgent protection for those among us who are transgender and/or nonbinary. Far more than an introduction to gender creativity, it is an invitation to develop compassion for everyone along the gender continuum.
Gender Identity for Kids: A Book About Finding Yourself, Understanding Others, and Respecting Everybody!
by Andy Passchier | Jun 6, 2023, $20.58 OPL Rating 5/5
What is gender and what does it mean to you? What are ways people express their gender? What if you don’t feel like the gender everyone says you are? This new resource is here to help kids make sense of who they are and how they feel.
As you grow up, you receive lots of messages about gender. Most kids start to define their own gender identity as early as age four! But what if the messages you receive don’t seem to describe you? What if the things you like don’t match who people say you are? What if you don’t even know what gender you are?
From the illustrator behind What Are Your Words? and other books on gender and personal identity, comes a resource for all kids, of any gender. This fun, heavily illustrated chapter book explains the basics of gender identity—what it is, what it means, and how to support yourself and others no matter who you are.
The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory
by Abigail Favale | Jul 11, 2022, $24.94 OPL Rating 5/5
The question of gender--who we are as men and women--has never been more pressing, or more misunderstood.
Weaving personal experience with expert knowledge, Dr. Abigail Favale provides an in-depth yet accessible account of the gender paradigm: a framework for understanding reality and identity that has recently risen to prominence. Favale traces the genealogy of gender to its origins in feminism and postmodern thought, describing how gender has come to eclipse sex, and how that shift is reshaping language, law, medicine, sexuality, and our own self-perceptions.
With substance, clarity, and compassion, Favale teases out the hidden assumptions of the gender paradigm and exposes its effects. Yet this book is not merely an exposé--it is also a powerful, moving articulation of a Christian understanding of reality: a holistic paradigm that proclaims the dignity of the body, the sacramental meaning of sexual difference, and the interconnectedness of all creation. The Genesis of Gender is a vital, timely resource for anyone seeking to better understand the gender paradigm--and how to live beyond it.
My Culture, My Gender, Me
by Cassandra Jules Corrigan | Sep 21, 2023, $26.95
Gender diversity knows no borders...
Exploring identities that span the Indigenous Two Spirit people, the hijras of the Indian subcontinent, the mahu people of Hawaii, the female husbands of the Igbo tribe and many more, Cassandra Corrigan beautifully demonstrates that gender identities beyond the binary are a world-wide phenomenon.
This lovingly illustrated guide is an important testament that genders other than male and female have always existed - around the globe - and comes with additional materials to help children uncover the gender identities from their own cultures.
Perfect for parents, children, educators and professionals who work with gender-diverse children.
Gender & Sexuality for Beginners
by Jaimee Garbacik and Jeffrey Lewis | Jun 11, 2013, $23.99 OPL Rating 5/5
What does sexual orientation mean if the very categories of gender are in question? How do we measure equality when our society's definitions of "male" and "female" leave out much of the population? There is no consensus on what a "real" man or woman is, where one's sex begins and ends, or what purpose the categories of masculine and feminine traits serve. While significant strides have been made in recent years on behalf of women's, gay and lesbian rights, there is still a large division between the law and day-to-day reality for LGBTQIA and female-identified individuals in American society. The practices, media outlets and institutions that privilege heterosexuality and traditional gender roles as "natural" need a closer examination.
Gender & Sexuality For Beginners considers the uses and limitations of biology in defining gender. Questioning gender and sex as both categories and forms of compulsory identification, it critically examines the issues in the historical and contemporary construction, meaning and perpetuation of gender roles. Gender & Sexuality For Beginners interweaves neurobiology, psychology, feminist, queer and trans theory, as well as historical gay and lesbian activism to offer new perspectives on gender inequality, ultimately pointing to the clear inadequacy of gender categories and the ways in which the sex-gender system oppresses us all.
Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader
by Alice Sullivan and Selina Todd | Aug 25 2023 $57.38 OPL Rating 4/5
Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader is a much-needed exploration of the relationship between sex, gender and gender identity. Its multidisciplinary approach provides fascinating perspectives from the sciences, social sciences and humanities, as well as biology, neuroscience, medicine, law, sociology and English literature. The 15 chapters are original contributions, authored by scholars who are leaders in their respective fields.
This thought-provoking collection offers significant methodological, theoretical and empirical insights into one of the most fraught debates in contemporary politics and academia. It provides a broad-ranging introduction to the issues central to questions about how and why sex matters from a range of disciplinary perspectives, drawing out the social, political and legal implications.
Questions addressed include:
• Is sex binary?
• What is a woman?
• Why do we need data on sex?
Also discussed are topics widely debated today such as sports, feminism, sex and inequality, sex-based rights, puberty suppression, criminal justice and gender dysphoria.
Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader is a timely introduction to contemporary debates on sex and gender. It is an accessible text for both general readers and for students of gender issues across a wide range of disciplines including sociology, education, history, philosophy and gender studies.
Your Gender Book: Helping You Be You!
by Ben Pechey | Nov 21, 2023, $20.77 OPL Rating 4.5/5
This book is here to hold your hand; to answer your questions; soothe your soul; help you understand yourself in new ways. The best place to start is at the beginning. The best time is now! So, turn the page and let's explore who you are!'
If you are at the start of your journey with gender identity, or looking to help someone who is, this insightful guide offers a safe space to celebrate you becoming your true - and most joyful - self. With fun activities, resources and LGBTQ+ role models throughout, this book sheds light on everything from gender identity, sex, pronouns and expression, to barriers, mental health, allyship and finding happiness.
Written in Ben Pechey's trademark witty, upbeat and vibrant style, this empowering tool will help you engage with your gender creatively and become your most authentic self.
Homosexuality in the Bible: Verse-by-Verse Exposition of the "Gay Verses"
Paperback – Feb. 2 2024 $13.95 OPL Rating 5/5
Homosexuality was well known in biblical times and the ancient world long before Christ was born, yet Jesus never said a word about or against it. He never condemned homosexuals nor taught against them. Yet, somehow, this has become one of the most central topics in modern-day conservative Christianity, which often points to a few verses—taken out of context—to justify hostility toward homosexuals.
This concise "micro-book" offers an accessible, verse-by-verse exposition of the "homosexual verses" in the Bible. The book is designed to be straightforward and easy to read, providing an unbiased exploration free from the influence of preconceived religious doctrines.
Readable in just two hours, this short book is an ideal resource for anyone seeking a quick yet comprehensive understanding of these biblical passages, devoid of the traditional theological complexities often associated with conservative religious interpretations.
The author, a Jewish-Christian scholar with advanced degrees in Bible and theology, is uniquely positioned to tackle this subject. As a native Hebrew speaker and a seasoned Bible scholar, he melds his Jewish heritage with his extensive Christian education and faith. This fusion enables him to provide a guide that explores what the Bible says about homosexuality from a non-fundamentalist perspective, offering insights that are deeply rooted in the text while refreshingly liberating.
The author has decided to remain anonymous for the time being.
High School Librarian Recommendations
Gender Queer: A Memoir
In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears.
Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.
Outside the Lines: How Embracing Queerness Will Transform Your Faith
Paperback – July 1, 2018, by Mihee Kim-Kort $24.63
Mihee Kim-Kort is a wife, a mom, and a Presbyterian minister. And she's queer. As she became aware of her queer sexuality, Mihee wondered what that meant for her spirituality. But instead of pushing her away from God, her queerness has brought her closer to Jesus and taught her how to love better.
In Outside the Lines, Mihee shows us how God, in Jesus, is oriented toward us in a queer and radical way. Through the life, work, and witness of Jesus, we see a God who loves us with a queer love. And our faith in that God becomes a queer spirituality -- a spirituality that crashes through definitions and moves us outside of the categories of our making. Whenever we love ourselves and our neighbors with the boundary-breaking love of God, we live out this queer spirituality in the world.
With a captivating mix of personal story and biblical analysis, Outside the Lines shows us how each of our bodies fits into the body of Christ. Outside the lines and without exceptions.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Paperback – April 1 2014 by Benjamin Alire Sáenz $19.99 OPL Rating 4.5/5
This Printz Honor Book is a “tender, honest exploration of identity” (Publishers Weekly) that distills lyrical truths about family and friendship.
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
Making the Case: 2SLGBTQ+ Rights and Religion in Schools
Paperback – Nov. 15, 2021, by Donn Short, Bruce MacDougall, Paul T. Clarke $29.95
A principal forbids same-sex prom dates. A community group tries to prohibit gender-neutral bathrooms. Despite growing acceptance of 2SLGBTQ+ rights, Canadian schools regularly become battlegrounds in clashes between students wishing to express their sexuality or gender identity and those who perceive this as a threat to their values.
Making the Case clearly shows how Canadian law responds to “competing” human rights claims, when there is a clash between people asserting sexual minority rights and those asserting religious rights. The authors call on related court cases to explain the position of Canadian law. They demonstrate that Canadians have rights to religion and rights to gender expression or sexual orientation; and that supporting sexual minority rights does not undermine other people’s rights to religious freedom.
This accessible book is an important tool for anyone working to create an inclusive school environment or needing to respond to a rights-based conflict within their school.
Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle
Paperback – Illustrated, March 24, 2020 by Robin Stevenson, $28.95
Like the original version, this new edition of Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle celebrates the LGBTQ+ community's diversity and the incredible victories of the past 50 years―but it also has a larger focus on activism, the need to keep fighting for equality and freedom around the world and the important role that young people are playing. The new edition has been updated and expanded to include many new Proud Moments and Queer Facts as well as a profile of LGBTQ+ refugees from Indonesia, a story about a Pride celebration in a refugee camp in Kenya and profiles of young activists, including teens from a Gender and Sexuality Alliance organizing Pride in Inuvik and a trans girl from Vancouver fighting for inclusion and support in schools. There is also a section on being an ally, a profile of a family with two gay dads (one of them trans) and much, much more!