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Dear friend,
Next month we release We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor — a collection of prayers, songs, and ceremonies born out of our worship and struggle together. As we prepare for its launch, we continue the work that shaped it: lifting up the stories, scripture, and movements that empire has tried to erase with a resource kit for trans affirmation as well as resources from Black August with the Freedom Church of the Poor. Together, these resources as well as We Pray Freedom can help our communities worship, organize, and fight for liberation.
We cry justice,
We pray freedom,
The Kairos Team
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Cultural Offering: “Nat Turner“
by Arnaé Batson—SSING Network
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Black August is a holy season of resistance, reflection, and rededication to a revolutionary love ethic that compels us to struggle with and for each other. During Freedom Church of the Poor’s opening service, Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and song leader, Arnaé Batson, offered up this powerful version of "Nat Turner." Our Black August season calls us to spiritual clarity, deep connection, political competency, and steadfast commitment to liberation for all who are oppressed.
Join Freedom Church of the Poor every Wednesday and Sunday evening during this Black August. Gratitude to our season partners: the SSING Network, New Disabled South, Highlander Center, and The Black Joy Experience with Black Youth Project 100.
Let Black August be our altar. Let struggle be our prayer. Let collective liberation be our destiny.
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Freedom Church of the Poor Sunday Services
Sundays | August 3 – August 31
6:00PM ET / 5:00PM CT / 3:00PM PT
Bible Study (Zoom only)
Wednesdays | July 30 – August 27
6:00PM ET / 5:00PM CT / 3:00PM PT
RSVP here ([link removed])
** Trans Affirmation Resources
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Freedom Church of the Poor has assembled a resource kit for trans affirming faith. Below is the planning team’s opening statement regarding the kit.
“For our 2025 Pride Season, the Freedom Church of the Poor dedicated the season to examining “texts of terrors” that have long plagued the queer and trans community, attempting to erase and strip us of our dignity. Though it is difficult to study these texts, we did it because it is necessary.From this powerful season, we have created this resource kit which has pulled specific parts of the season to highlight different elements. We hope this will be useful for individuals, study groups, and congregations. This season and resource kit was not attempting to make excuses for the way that people and institutions have abused us as queer and trans people, or trying to twist people’s arms into reclaiming any texts. Instead, we did this work because we – the poor and dispossessed and queer and trans people – have a moral right, a moral responsibility, and a moral authority to study and teach about scripture. The Bible is a library of ancient poor people's movements, and we as contemporary poor
people’s movements are in a better position than anyone else to interpret these texts – not any politician, political party, or specific church leader. We read these texts through the lens of our lives, our struggles, our conditions, and our movement in order to find the solutions we are looking for. The leaders who contributed to this season are on the forefront of organizing churches, communities, and organizations across the country, fighting for healthcare, disability rights, queer and trans rights, and more.”
Resource Kit ([link removed])
YouTube playlist ([link removed])
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** Help us launch We Pray Freedom
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We Pray Freedom: Liturgies and Rituals from the Freedom Church of the Poor will be released on September 9th! You can help us share its message by letting your communities know they can preorder today. Below is a link to our social media toolkit, filled with ready-to-use resources—graphics, song videos, sample text, and more—to help spread the word!
** Digital Toolkit + Pre-Order Link
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Get the Social Media Toolkit ([link removed])
Pre-Order We Pray Freedom ([link removed] )
** Social Media Graphics
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** #WePrayFreedom
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We Pray Freedom Pre-Order [Square Graphic] ([link removed])
We Pray Freedom Pre-Order [4:5 Graphic] ([link removed])
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Kairos Center is fiscally sponsored by Tides Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gift may be tax deductible pursuant to §170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. Please visit www.tides.org/state-nonprofit-disclosures ([link removed]) for additional information.
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