Covenant Conversation: Cascades
When Did We See You?
Recognizing God’s Image in All God’s People
In Matthew 25, we are challenged with one of scripture’s most piercing questions when Jesus is asked: When did we see you? The disciples had walked right past the hungry, the stranger, the imprisoned — and missed seeing Christ in their faces. That question feels just as alive today, as LGBTQIA+ people continue to seek full belonging in our congregations, our communities, and our common life. Covenant Conversation: Cascades is an invitation to look more closely — at scripture, at the stories around us, and at ourselves — and to grow in our ability to recognize the image of God in all God's people. Through worship, conversation, and a range of workshops, we'll explore what the Bible and our faith tradition have to say about inclusion, support church leaders navigating hard conversations, and ask together what it means to be faithful witnesses in a time when LGBTQIA+ rights and dignity are under real pressure. Whether you're just beginning this journey or have been walking it for years, you belong in this conversation.
Registration is $25 and includes lunch. Groups of three or more from the same congregation receive a $5 discount per person (using discount code: GROUP). Registration is free for all students and anyone with financial need (using discount code: FREE).
This event is presented by the Covenant Network of Presbyterians in partnership with leaders and congregations of Cascades Presbytery and the Synod of the Pacific.
Tentative Schedule:
9:30 - Registration opens
10:00 - Welcome & Introductions
10:15 - Plenary: Panel Discussion
11:30- Workshop #1
12:30 – Lunch
1:15 - Workshop #2
2:30 - Coming Back Together
2:45 - Closing Worship
3:30- Go in Peace
Workshops offered at the event may include:
- LGBTQIA+ 101: Understanding Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
- Public Issues: A Faithful Response to Anti-LGBTQIA+ Legislation and Court Rulings
- Expanding Our Language: How we talk about queerness in church and culture
- How Welcoming Are We: The Presbyterian Church's journey toward inclusion
- Steering the Ship Through Choppy Waters: How church leaders navigate difficult conversations from controversy to progress to action around inclusion
- Joining Our Mind and Heart: Biblical and Theological Foundations for Inclusion
- Third Ways: Building bridges toward LGBTQ inclusion in less supportive spaces
- Allyship with Queer Children, Youth and Families