YLGC Frequently Asked Questions

What is YLGC?

YLGC is a group of young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Christians.

Who can be a member of Young LGBT Christians (YLGC)?

If you are 16-30, a Christian or connected to the Christian faith and gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered, then you are welcome to join YLGC. Group members are mainly based in the UK and Ireland. As a group we believe that it is compatible with the Christian faith to be gay and be a Christian, without having to be celibate. We appreciate that many people are still working through these issues or have been previously hurt by the Church or by other Christians. Members of YLGC support each other as a group and are asked to respect the views and confidentiality of other people in the group.

What does YLGC do?

As an e-mail discussion group we share opinions and prayer requests, support each other, plan meetings and get to know each other. YLGC also has meetings, arranges socials, participates in campaigns and writes letters.

How often are meetings held and what happens there?

YLGC has 4 main meetings a year, so far these meetings have either been in London or Birmingham with about 10-30 people coming along. People bring lunch to eat together then the meeting opens in prayer and there is usually a guest speaker or a group discussion, a short business section, and some worship before closing the meeting and going for a drink or a meal out together. Previous speakers have included Roy Clements, Elizabeth Stuart and Amnesty International's LGBT representative. Past discussion themes have included how we understand the Bible and relationship with church.

What about social events?

Other meetings and socials take place often throughout the year. These take place throughout the country wherever someone can organise them. Group members often use the e-mail list for organising social events. Sometimes YLGC members meet up at Pride, Greenbelt or other events. Keep an eye on the list and on www.ylgc.org.uk for notices of social events being organised.

What other organisations is YLGC connected to?

YLGC is the under 30s' network of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM). LGCM is a membership organisation which campaigns in the media and the Church for lesbian and gay rights. It also has conferences, denominational groups, a women's group and a counselling helpline. No one has to be a member of LGCM to be part of YLGC, however people are encouraged to join LGCM if they can and want to. More information and how to join LGCM can be found on www.lgcm.org.uk. Some YLGC members are also involved with other organisations, like Courage or Changing Attitude.

How much does it cost to join?

Nothing! YLGC does not charge anything for membership, although people can join LGCM (see question above) to help further their aims. As YLGC is free to join, we do not have a budget and have to rely on members' time, energy and occasional financial contributions to hold meetings and publicise the group.

Who makes the decisions in YLGC?

The whole group has an input into any decisions that need to be made through the e-mail list, and final decisions tend to be made by those who can attend the quarterly main meetings. Sometimes this involves voting, more often discussion leads to a consensus being reached. Several members of the group form the `team'. The team volunteer their time to look after different aspects of what YLGC does and encourage other members to get involved. Having a core group of people to form an team helps to ensure the decisions made by the whole group get acted on to help the list thrive. The `team' is decided on at the AGM in November/December.

Who is on the team and what are their roles?

• Welcoming and moderation team:
  Tom, Naomi & John

• Prayer: Emily

• Welcoming new people: Alex & Rachel

• Regions/Outreach: Matt

• Website: Jim

• Meetings coordination/outreach: Sarah

Any suggestions and offers to get involved are always welcome! Email the team on ylgc_group@yahoo.co.uk

How do I join or leave the YLGC e-mail list?

If you want to join YLGC, e-mail Tom, Naomi or John on ylgc_group@yahoo.co.uk. We will ask you a bit about yourself, whereabouts in the country you are and your age, then will be able to add you to the e-mail list. Also let us know if you want to leave the group, or at the bottom of every message are directions about how to unsubscribe from the list.

How do I send a message to the whole list?

Once you have joined YLGC, you will be able to send messages to the whole list by e-mailing ylgc@yahoogroups.com or by replying to any YLGC message you receive. The list is just for making announcements - if you want to ask questions and participate in discussions, you need also join the 'forum' - see below.

What is the forum?

The ylgc forum is at http://www.ylgcforum.co.uk/.

It is a place to ask questions, find out about other members and join in on discussions. See the 'Who are we?' topic in the forum for details of joining. It is only open to YLGC members.

How do I set up a Yahoo ID?

Go to www.yahoo.co.uk and click on the links to `sign in and sign up'. Then follow the steps to set up your new Yahoo ID. You will need to do this to be able to access the advanced features of yahoogroups, such as the files section, photo albums and polls.

How do I link my YLGC membership to my Yahoo ID?

Because the moderators can add new members to the group, you may need to manually link your Yahoo ID to the e-mail address you provided when you e-mailed ylgc_group@yahoo.co.uk for the first time. Once you are logged in with your Yahoo ID, click on `My Groups', then on the `Don't see all your groups?' link. Enter your original e-mail address into the box, and Yahoo should perform a piece of technical wizardry and link all your accounts together.

Still have questions?

If you have any other questions about the group that are not answered here, you can contact ylgc_group@yahoo.co.uk and the moderators will do their best to answer them.