The United Church of Christ has such a welcome to it.

That's really kind of our hallmark is that we welcome all people, we welcome all ideas, and we want this to be a diverse family of God, where everyone feels like they have a place.

In the UCC.

We talk about being open and affirming, and that's kind of a designation that our churches get meaning they welcome, you know, LGBTQ people.

And I love that phrase, open and affirming, because to say that we're open means that we welcome LGBTQ people into our sanctuaries for worship.

But a lot of churches say that they're open and welcoming.

But once you get in the door, you find that, oh, you're requiring me to change or I can't take on leadership or, you know, I can't marry my partner here.

So, so being open is one thing, but being affirming is takes it to a whole nother level.

And that means that we believe that LGBTQ people are children of God, that they are loved as they are, that there's nothing wrong with their sexual orientation or their gender identity, and that we call them into leadership.

We call them into be a part of the full life of the congregation in.

In those five years when I had no affiliation to any church down here, there were times when I felt really, totally on my own because I had moved from up north down here, didn't know anyone and didn't have any connections.

And there were times when I really wondered if I had made a mistake, a big mistake of buying property here and doing the move, and then finding my way to this congregation very quickly gave me the element of connection.

Connection to people.

Connection to a religious faith that met my spiritual needs and an opportunity to participate.

Joining the choir was great fun and I think I sang with the choir for seven years.

It just added that anchor in my life that I was needing in a new community.

I've never looked back.

I've since that time.

I've never wondered why I had come to Florida or why I was doing what I was doing in terms of this church.

It felt right for me, and it always has.

I think that LGBTQ people have a story to tell, and we have a witness to make, especially LGBTQ Christians.

And so we really want the people who come here to feel, yeah, empowered and engaged and affirmed so that they can grow in their faith and so that they can, you know, change the world.

I think church send the message and the example and be the change is important.

And I'm the example.

You know, this church is very inclusive.

We provide and we change lives for other people.

And I feel in the love of God and the love of this church.

Arianna, center, started working here at our church through our previous pastor, Patrick Rodgers.

He had known Arianna from out in the community and knew the important work that she was doing.

You know, serving really in such an underserved community, you know, trans women of color and, and people who are, you know, in need of HIV Aids assistance.

I really do think that we, as a church, need to be a place where the work of the church is being done, where the work of building community and saving lives is being done.

And that's exactly what Arianna is doing.

As a transgender person, immigrant, you know, living in the South, openly living with HIV and Florida.

For me, I'm scared.

So this is for me, it's a sanctuary to have a church to take me under their wings and protect not just me, but the services I provide for my community.

For about 25 years, this congregation has been running a feeding program called Ruth Ministry.

Today, we see about 120 to 150 people per week.

We do a one day event on Thursdays and we have a hot meal.

We have clothing, we have shower bus, and we have Broward Health comes with their health bus as well.

I came to Ruth Ministries, UCC church in general, homeless.

I had been out on the street for a few years.

And someone saw me and I was actually eating out of the garbage can.

That was 18 months ago.

Now fast forward, because of the members, the volunteers, my life has turned around dramatically.

I'm no longer on the street.

I have a job.

I actually have two.

The time that I've spent here has changed my life, has changed my opinion on people, and it has changed my opinion on myself.

You know, this church loved me when I didn't love myself.

When you're coming from a situation where you don't have anything or anybody.

And you get that it's something that stays with you, that you could never walk away from.

My hope is that this place continues to be what we've been for 70 years now, which is a community of welcome and love and justice for not only ourselves, but for the wider community, for all of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County.

What I would say to people in the LGBTQ community is, you know.

I know that so many of you have been hurt by faith.

I was hurt by faith.

You know, I'm a testament to that.

And I'm also a testament to the fact that there are places where you can come, where you can be fed spiritually, where you can be loved by a community, and where you can really be empowered and embraced.

And I know that's true because I serve a church that does exactly that.

And I know it can be hard.

I know it can be stressful to walk into a new place, but truly, a church like UCC Fort Lauderdale does.

Welcome everyone, and we'd love to see you here.