On 11th February, we are running an event called 100 times as much – part 2. In this blog, Ryan reflects on part one of this event last June. If you weren’t able to go, this will catch you up, as well as help us to think and pray ahead of the next event.

In June last year, we ran an event that we called 100 times as much?. This first event was built around my story, as a same-sex attracted Christian, of coming to my settled conviction that all of the Bible’s teaching, including about singleness and celibacy, is good news for me.

Part 1 – starting the conversation with a testimony.

We started to think about what it looks like to care well for Christians who experience same-sex attraction, and we talked about what the church has done well and where it could improve.

That event was a big moment for me personally. It gave me an opportunity to mark the end of a years’ long journey full of tension and characterised by a hesitation to go all in on Jesus because I wasn’t sure that all of what he said was, in fact, good news for me.

It meant the world to me to see the event well-attended; despite it being the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, we had about 50 people there!

Sitting there, on a panel, with some of my best friends who’ve journeyed with me, the penny finally started to drop: they really wanted to walk with me, they were in it for the long haul, they weren’t just saying it, they genuinely care.

But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s a reflection from Micah, who attended the event in June:

I must admit I came to the event not quite knowing what to expect. I had spent some time with Ryan and discussed some of these things with him and others, but not in any great amount of detail.

It helped me to understand how best we can use the love we have for Ryan and others in church in practical ways, what church community means and helping us see needs in church that we maybe haven’t considered. It was also hugely encouraging for me, hearing Ryan’s testimony and also hearing him, and others, talk about God’s view on sexuality and what that means for us.

Essentially it was a great dive into understanding true discipleship and what it means (and costs) to follow Jesus. I realised, mostly through fault of my own, that I don’t discuss these things with my church family and the event was a good way to start those conversations. Ultimately, we all have a cross to bear and perhaps we don’t seek help in those things as we should – I certainly do not.

Overall, it pushed me more to Jesus and showed me my need for Him in my sin and in church community. I do believe these next discussions will help us to continue to flourish as a local church body, sharing our burdens and relying on Him for our daily strength.

Part 2 – continuing the conversation by talking about discipleship and family.

I had a real turning point in my faith in May 2021 about a year before that event. The only way to sum it up is that the Holy Spirit showed me that it was worth giving anything to be with Jesus. He enabled me to say, like Peter in John 6, ‘Lord you have the words of eternal life. Where else can I go?’

When you experience these breakthroughs, you are on a spiritual high. You can’t imagine not feeling totally on fire for Jesus. I certainly couldn’t.

When this high fades, what are we left with? Our hearts grow cold. Our eyes are drawn to other things, things over there that seem more exciting. Living all of life whole heartedly for Jesus has to be about more than an emotion, a feeling.

Last time we explored my journey to my settled conviction that hard teachings are good and that joyful obedience is not only possible, but the plan. We just began the conversation about how we, as the Globe Church, can care well for same-sex attracted Christians. We might intentionally care for same-sex attracted Christians differently because we want to walk alongside them and honour the struggle that had led them to that point. And that is right. Jesus didn’t have a one size fits all approach to people. We need to keep working at this together.

Last time we addressed the ‘what’ question. But there is another question we need to ask. Once we have chosen the path and come to our conclusion, how do we keep walking on that path and not turn back or turn off to the side? How do we keep following? In other words, how do we keep going as Christians, joyfully obeying Jesus in a culture of compromise? Do we have a role in helping each other joyfully obey and, if so, how?

But all Christians (same-sex attracted or not) are called to hold to Jesus’ teaching and abide with it so that we know the truth and are set free. This is discipleship.

While there are specific struggles for same sex attracted Christians, they are also no different in their need to be discipled. First and foremost, Jesus disciples us but we also have a role as brothers and sisters in discipling one another.

That’s why, on February 11th, we’ll explore exactly this. We will start by thinking about what Jesus has to say about discipleship and think about how we do that both individually and together. There’ll be plenty of time for Q&A afterwards over lunch. See you there!

We realise that some of the things Ryan has written about might raise hard issues for our readers. Although the ideals of church are great in theory we know that church does not always live out the realities of community and family in practice. For some people church has been a hard place to be. Please do reach out if that is your situation.

Feel free to contact Ryan or any of the pastors, elders or staff at the Globe Church if you would like, not that we have it sorted by any means, but it’s something we care deeply about and would love to help others thinking things through. Alternatively, you can find some really helpful resources at www.livingout.org.