As an Affirming Ministry, we work towards an intentional welcome that recognizes the goodness of God as found in the variations of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, racial background, ethnicity, culture, family configuration, economic circumstances, ability, gender, beliefs, personality, and appearances. We celebrate diversity and honour differences as we work towards continually understanding what it means to be an inclusive community. For 11 years, we have enjoyed our current location on Doan Drive after many years as a Mission Congregation in east Regina. Eastside draws from the geographic areas surrounding it and from the larger city and surrounding communities, such as Pilot Butte and White City. Our demographic is largely professional and many members have post-secondary education, mobility and spending power. We are also diverse. We are married, divorced, separated, widowed, single, living together, and friends-sharing-homes. We have young children, grown children, grandchildren and no children. We are healthy and some of us live with chronic pain or physical challenges. Some of us have survived cancer and others of us have lost family members to cancer. We are alcoholic and sober; we struggle with weight, depression, anxiety and broken relationships within our families. We worry about our parents and we worry about our teenagers. We are straight and gay. We come from many religious backgrounds. We come to church because we like the people; we come because we want to learn about God; we come because it lifts our spirits. Sometimes we come just to sit and be. In May 2008, we decided to become more intentional about our welcome to gay and lesbian folks and so we began the Affirming Ministries process. Worship matters to us. We value meaningful sermons and moving music and we like it when people tell their faith stories on Sunday. We also like it when 50 kids come for Sunday School, and when drum, guitar, flute, trumpet or violin complement our piano.
