Tuesday Eve Service - Zoom Only

Wanting to attend a real, safe, accessible, open and affirming church in the Twin Cities or remotely from afar?

Here’s how to attend and what to expect on a typical Sunday at Living Table.

View from the Tech Deck at Living Table that makes hybrid interactive worship possible.

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Who are we?

Living Table is a church born from the merger of Spirit of the Lakes and Minnehaha UCC. We have a legacy of radical inclusion and hospitality and we plan to live into it as we live into 2023 and beyond. We are on a spiritual journey, as a community with very open doors. We seek to follow the radical teachings of Jesus that focus on liberation and justice for all peoples. Read more on the history of Living Table.

What do we believe?

We have a diversity of perspectives on who Jesus is and was, and we welcome your perspective to join ours, because together we are committed to embodying the love Jesus taught: love of neighbor and self that is unconditional. We are a group of believers, seekers, followers, and skeptics. We firmly believe that all people have a place at God’s table. Therefore, each Sunday we celebrate that Christ is the host, Christ sets the table, and Christ welcomes all.

Sunday morning space?

Church is so much more than Sundays, but Sunday mornings are the entry point. If you are in the room, please wear whatever clothing is comfortable for you. Some people dress up a bit, in churchy clothes at Living Table, and others will always wear a hoodie and jeans. It’s all good.

Whether you are cisgender, trans, gender-queer or something different, please wear the clothing you want to wear. You really are welcome here. If you are in recovery and want to know that you are around many others in various stages of recovery as well, who are there to support you, please join us. We know that the historical church has caused harm, because many of us have experienced it. Therefore we are really good at nonjudgmental welcome, and we value making reparations.

Accessibility?

Accessibility is very important to us. If anything on this website or in our building is not accessible to you, please let us know what you need in order to participate. You can submit this accessibility report form to communicate about access needs.

Children?

If you have young children in your care, they are welcome to be with you. We don’t hear the noises they make as distruptions. Bring them with you. Our sanctuary space has a prominently-placed child engagement area they can enjoy if they want, and you can sit with them in full-sized seats behind their smaller ones.

Holidays?

We gather 52 weeks a year for Sunday worship, but the various Holy Days, or holidays, can be some of the most memorable. Please browse the Holidays Posts on the blog for a sense of how Living Table interacts with the liturgical year.

Virtual/Zoom attendance rules?

If you are attending via Zoom, you can turn your camera on and be seen, or leave it off, as you wish. Our interactive setup means that you will see people in the room, and they will see you *if you want*. If you’re not feeling like you want to be seen, please feel free to leave your camera off. There is no pressure. You can also participate remotely, to the extent that you want to, whether your camera is on or off.

Some people highly participate via Zoom, even helping to lead the service remotely. Others attend via Zoom, leaving their camera off, and never unmuting, attending in full stealth mode. All participation is optional. Nobody will ever “call on you.” This isn’t high school.

How long are services?

Services at Living Table run about 90 minutes, and what makes things go longer than the normal hour is our prayer time, which is important to us. We also have communion every week, also valued.

About Communion?

If you are joining us in the room for communion, we serve juice, not alcohol, and our bread is made free of most common allergens (no grains at all, no soy, no dairy), for accessibility, because we intend to invite everyone to the table. If you are joining us via zoom, please have something for communion. For example, you could bring a piece of bread and some juice if you’d like to participate with everyone.

Is there a catch?

Nope. You are welcome to come one time, twice, or whenever you’d like. Your dropping in does not create any sort of obligation, no worries. You can stay after worship for kinship time, make an appointment to talk to the pastor if you want, or do both or neither. You can also attend a service once and leave at the end of it.

We hope this overview gives a better sense of who we are, what you can expect attending Living Table for the first time. And we hope that it’s apparent that you really are welcome here. If you have any questions or access needs, please contact us. If you want to attend virtually, get the Zoom password from below. Links to everything you need are under Sundays in the menu on top of every page on the website. We hope to meet you soon!

Interested in what’s going on? Check out the latest Living Table blog posts.

light shines through
Photo of original artwork by Rachael Keefe ©2024 depicting an oil on canvas painting of ocean waves at night, with light coming from a lighthouse.

Pastoral Notes

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From Fear to Hope: From Grief to Wholeness

Fear-bound people don’t act in the world. Without our actions the world does not change.

light shines through
Photo of original artwork by Rachael Keefe ©2024 depicting an oil on canvas painting of ocean waves at night, with light coming from a lighthouse.

Pastoral Notes

4 comments

From Fear to Hope: From Uncertainty to Trust

How much do we really believe that God’s love is unwavering and truly endures forever?

light shines through
Photo of original artwork by Rachael Keefe ©2024 depicting an oil on canvas painting of ocean waves at night, with light coming from a lighthouse.

Pastoral Notes

2 comments

From Fear to Hope: From Alienation to Acceptance

Lent is the perfect time to invite God into our fears and ask for the courage to confront them.

Senior Artist
Woman with white hair, pink blouse, and black and white hat sits before an easel. Gray-haired woman in the background appears to be instructing the white-haired woman on how to paint. Image licensed from Envato Elements.

Art Night March 21, 2024

Art Night is the perfect opportunity to create your Easter Bonnet. Bring a hat and get creative!

Fear with a lot of hope showing through
Close up of a large square banner with the word FEAR is at the center. The words are all different fears, painted in dark colors. Five cut outs show a few words in brighter colors underneath. Image courtesy of Rachael Keefe.

Silent Observances: A Poem for the Fifth Week in Lent

Silent Observances by Rachael Keefe is from her book, Negotiating the Shadows.

Living Table Easter Altar
Living Table altar covered in pastel clothes with large vases of cut flowers.

LTUCC Choir – Rehearsals for Easter 2024

Easter is quickly approaching and we need to start working on our song for Easter Morning Celebration.

Giving coins from one to another
A jar of coins is between two sets of palm-up hands. Image licensed from Envato Elements.

March is One Great Hour of Sharing Month

Please support this UCC offering as much as you are able.

Stacks of Books
A stack of books next to a group of books on a shelf. Image licensed from Envato Elements.

New Book for Discussion Starting Soon

Join with the Land Acknowledgment and Beyond Group for a new book study.

17 thoughts on “Wondering whether real, safe, QT-affirming church is a thing?”

  1. I’m Amy, and a rabbi . . . so not looking for a church so much. 🙂 However, if I were, I’d definitely be looking for one like this one. (And not just because you have an awesome and accessible website.) Also, I like the set the cookie, don’t set the cookie message. I live in Saint Paul with my wife and our two dogs.

    Reply
    • Hi, Rabbi Amy and Neighbor, Thanks for leaving a comment. Thanks also for noticing some accessibility features. They are so important, and I was glad to be making a website for a church that values access. I had a little fun with some of it too, such as the cookie checkbox text. 🙂

      Reply
  2. What a thoughtful website. I appreciate the information shared. When I visited in person many years ago I remember finding the space for children to be so refreshing. It is one thing to say you are a welcoming community, and it is another to see that love in action.

    Reply
    • Thanks, Robyn. I’m so glad you were able to witness our authenticity in this way. And we’re in a renovated space now in the shared campus at New Branches, so the children’s space got an upgrade! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Since I’m a member, I’m rather biased. I’m a “cradle” congregationalist and have never strayed far from what is now the United Church of Christ. It’s where as an out gay man I’ve always found true welcome, and my gifts for ministry are embraced. In particular, Living Table holds my heart and nurtures me. When we sing occasionally Marty Haugen’s powerful hymn, “All Are Welcome,” I’m always moved to tears; I’ve found a place where that is true.

    Reply
    • Thanks, Doug. Living Table is what it is because of the people, like you, who are here and live out an “All are Welcome” kind of faith.

      Reply
  4. As a former web developer, I’m in awe and appreciative of the accessibility/usability of this website. It is no easy task to make a website that reflects the valuing of every unique individual that is so core to the life and mission of Living Table.

    Reply
    • Living Table prioritizes accessibility. I think this is one of many aspects of Living Table that really makes the community exemplary – I wish all churches valued increasing access and removing barriers.

      Reply
  5. I like the vibe of your site and your church! As a fellow inclusive minister, I send you blessings in gathering and feeding the flock of the Christ. 🙏❤️🕊
    Rt Rev Mary Francis Drake, Founder of Sacred Balance Community

    Reply
  6. I found this church in 1999 on the recommendation of Harriet, a Jew who was friends with the pastor at the time, Nancy Anderson. I figured if the pastor was friends with a Jew, I had to check it out! It has been my church home ever since.

    Reply
    • I wholeheartedly agree! My partner introduced me to Living Table when they met in the other church. I was moved to tears with the prayers of the people. I had never experienced such a thing!

      Reply

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