Google Maps image of England and Wales with an Open Table logo marking the locations of our communities.
TODAY our communities in Birmingham, Cambridge, Kendal, Lincoln, Liverpool, London - West Hampstead & Salford are gathering. FFI: opentable.lgbt/our-communities
#ComeAsYouAre #MoreThanWelcome #FaithfullyLGBT #PlaceToBelong #RoomAtTheTable
Close-up of several people raising orange and yellow voting cards, suggesting a formal vote or decision-making process in a meeting or assembly.
BREAKING NEWS: #ChurchInWales votes to make permanent provision for blessing of same-sex relationships in its churches.
We celebrate this hopeful step towards a more #InclusiveChurch where LGBTQIA+ people can belong, worship, and flourish in God’s love. 🌈🙏
READ MORE: bit.ly/WalesBlessings
Interior of a church with stained glass windows and a wooden altar. A screen displays 'Come As You Are – You’re more than welcome here' with St Luke’s Prestonville and Open Table logos. A small table with a flipchart and pens sits in the foreground. On the flipchart is a heart shape containing the question 'What experience do we want to create?'
Church interior with stained glass windows and altar. A screen shows 'Food for thought…' with discussion prompts about welcome and inclusion in faith communities. A lectern and flipchart are set up at the front. On the flipchart is a heart shape containing the question 'What experience do we want to create?'
AWESOME consultation meeting last month in #Brighton #EastSussex with Kieran our Director, exploring the need for an Open Table community there, and what kind of experience they want to create. Watch this space: stlukesonline.co.uk #FaithfullyLGBT
Archbishop Cherry Vann and 'Songs of Praise' presenter Pam Rhodes stand side-by-side, smiling warmly for the camera. Cherry, on the left, wears a purple clerical shirt with a silver pectoral cross and a multicolored, textured knitted jacket. Pam, on the right, wears a light blue turtleneck under a dark blue patterned blazer. They are inside a church, positioned in front of a large piece of abstract art featuring swirls of grey, white, and red.
FAITH & HOSPITALITY: Don't miss Archbishop of Wales Cherry Vann on this week's #SongsOfPraise!
As a patron of the Open Table Network, she shares her moving story of welcome as an English priest in a civil partnership. An inspiring watch. 🕊️✨
WATCH HERE: bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002v3yt
Google Maps image of England and Wales with an Open Table logo marking the locations of our communities.
TODAY our communities in Canterbury, Chester, Colchester, Fareham, Haverfordwest, Horsham, Leyland, London: Bromley, Wanstead & Waterloo, Sefton, Taunton, Warrington, Widnes & Wirral: New Brighton gather PLUS Bath, Bristol & London - Bow & Bethnal Green from last week: opentable.lgbt/our-communities
A communion table set with small pieces of bread, trays, and lit tealight candles, with an Open Table rainbow runner and cards. A white lantern with rainbow-coloured panels sits at the centre, symbolising inclusive worship.
TONIGHT 7.30pm our Open Table Guildford community meets at Guildford United Reformed Church, GU2 7BS for a simple communion service and Easter celebration.
You're #MoreThanWelcome to #ComeAsYouAre guildfordurc.org.uk
A group of adults gathered in a church hall sit around small tables chatting and smiling, with drinks and an open Bible visible, creating a warm, informal community atmosphere.
TONIGHT 7.30pm Open Table #Northallerton #Yorkshire: Safe space of friendship, worship & sharing of bread & wine for LGBTQIA+ people, friends, family & anyone who wants to belong in an accepting, loving community. You're #MoreThanWelcome to #ComeAsYouAre: facebook.com/NorthallertonOpenTable
A graphic with the Open Table logo and a large wooden cross set against a rainbow background. Text reads: 'Love one another, as God has loved us.'
✝️ Happy Easter from the Open Table Network! 🌈
TODAY our communities in Exeter, Liverpool, Reading (online), Runcorn & Weymouth meet.
Bradford, Bristol & London - Bow & Bethnal Green will meet NEXT SUNDAY.
Cardiff is celebrating with the local ministry area.
FFI: opentable.lgbt/our-communities
Graphic reading 'Out of Office' over a purple background with the Open Table logo of multicoloured figures. Text below reads: 'Friday 3rd – Tuesday 14th April 2026.'
OUT OF OFFICE: Kieran our Director will be back in the office on Wednesday 15th April vand will respond to any correspondence ASAP. Social media content until then has been scheduled in advance.
Painting of a Roman centurion seen from above, wearing armour and a red cloak, looking upward with an outstretched hand and a helmet held at his side, conveying a moment of appeal or faith.
'And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”' - Mark 15:39
#GoodFriday
Illustration of Jesus washing a disciple’s feet, reimagined with a modern figure seated and draped in a rainbow flag. The scene symbolises humility, service, and inclusive love, set against a simple neutral background.
TODAY is #MaundyThursday. The name comes from the Latin for 'command' as Jesus gave a new commandment: 'Love one another as I have loved you'.
Jesus washed his friends' feet. Here Jesus washes a #Pride #Protest participant's feet. See the series: bit.ly/SaltGoldFootwashing
#HolyWeek #FaithfullyLGBT
Grace, an older trans woman with short light hair, glasses and earrings smiling gently.
Imogen, a younger transe woman standing by a brick wall wearing a white top and a trans pride flag draped over her shoulders, smiling at the camera.
IT'S #TransDayOfVisibility - a day to show support for our #trans and #nonbinary siblings.
In #LGBTHistoryMonth 2022 we heard how Grace found the courage to come out as trans in later life after seeing a #visiblytrans woman at #Pride: bit.ly/FromTerrorToJoy
#TDOV #TDOV26
A devotional graphic showing a painting of the Transfiguration of Jesus, with Jesus radiant in light before three disciples on a hillside. Alongside is a prayer reading: “Lord of Becoming and Transformation, whose body was transfigured before the disciples, Peter, James and John, and whose face shone like lightning, cast aside all that might stand in the way of our true expression of your creation in us. Guide us and give us peace, so that Your image that You breathed into us in the beginning might shine from every part of our body like lightning. We ask this in the name of the God of Creating, Remaking, and Becoming. Amen.” Text notes this is a collect for Trans Day of Visibility, 31st March, by Revd Bingo Allison. The Open Table logo appears at the bottom.
A #TransDayOfVisibility prayer by #trans #nonbinary priest Rev Bingo Allison, inspired by the #Transfiguration of Jesus when he is transformed gloriously on a mountaintop [Luke 9:28-36] #FaithfullyLGBT #TDOV
Graphic with the trans pride flag colours (blue, pink and white) reading “March 31 – International Trans Day of Visibility” in bold text.
TODAY 31st March is TransDayOfVisibility - We commit to:
- weeping with our trans & non-binary members when they suffer,
- honouring them when they are disrespected, marginalised, or oppressed,
- rejoicing with them when they are honoured, celebrated, or recognised: bit.ly/TDOVallies #TDOV
A colourful collage of painted scenes reimagining the Stations of the Cross through LGBTQ+ experiences, including protest signs, diverse figures, and moments of suffering and solidarity. Text at the bottom reads: “We can only begin to understand the meaning of the crucifixion when we take away our polished and shiny crosses and try to locate the cross in our own time, in our own landscape.” – Mary Button. The piece is titled “Stations of the Cross: The Struggle for LGBT Equality.”
ON #PalmSunday in 2021 to begin #HolyWeek we published our worship video #StationsOfTheCross: The Struggle for #LGBT #Equality.
Video with #BSL & captions is still on our YouTube channel: youtu.be/CQhIVpnO5hM [47 mins] #Lent #Easter #FaithfullyLGBT #BSLchurch
Graffiti-style artwork on a brick wall reading “Clobbering the Clobber Verses” in bold rainbow lettering, surrounded by Christian symbols including a cross, dove, fish, Bible, halo and a heart with a cross, set against a rainbow background.
TONIGHT 5-7pm our Open Table Nottingham community is gathering to reflect together on 'Clobbering the Clobber Verses' - the ways the Bible can so often be used incorrectly against LGBTQIA+ Christians. FFI: facebook.com/opentablenottingham
A welcoming graphic reading “Come As You Are – You’re more than welcome here” at St Luke’s Church, Prestonville, Brighton. The image includes the St Luke’s logo and the Open Table logo with multicoloured figures in a circle.
TODAY 28th March 2-4pm: Open consultation in #Brighton #EastSussex to explore the need for an Open Table community there, and what kind of experience they want to create. You're #MoreThanWelcome to join us: bit.ly/OTconsultBrighton
#ComeAsYouAre #FaithfullyLGBT
From left: Wendy Diamond; Archbishop Vann; Angelina Stelmach Blundell, a junior warden and Rainbow Ministry leader; Tim Buffet, a Rainbow Ministry leader; and Kim Powell, the cathedral’s senior warden, in Newport cathedral’s courtyard. CREDIT: LYNETTE WILSON/ENS
'I HAD TO HIDE sexuality in Church of England', says Archbishop of Wales.
OTN Patron Cherry Vann says she and her partner have found ‘the freedom of being able to live openly’: churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2026/27-march/news/world/i-had-to-hide-sexuality-in-church-of-england-says-archbishop-of-wales
Gemini said An image with a clean, white background featuring text on the left and a colorful graphic on the right. Text: On the left side, the question "What challenges is your community facing this year?" is written in a bold, purple, sans-serif font. Graphic: On the right side, there is a vibrant, circular illustration of stylized human figures with their arms raised. The figures are arranged in a ring, overlapping one another, and feature a rainbow gradient of colors including red, orange, yellow, green, and blue. The graphic is a detail of the Open Table Network logo.
WHAT CHALLENGES is your community facing this year?
Last March we held an event for our Patrons. This is the third compilation video from our communities to show our Patrons the difference our communities across the UK are making: youtu.be/Qevrvm7qKXE [5.5mins]
A simple graphic with the question “What are you most proud of in the past year?” alongside part of the Open Table logo with multicoloured figures.
WHAT ARE YOU most proud of in the past year?
Last March we held an event for our Patrons. To show them the difference our communities are making, we asked community members, volunteers and leaders to record videos in response to three questions. This is the second: youtu.be/YrkWn9jw6ts [5.5mins]
A slide with purple text on a white background that reads, 'What do you value most about Open Table?' To the right is a vibrant, multi-coloured graphic of stylized people holding hands in a circular formation, an extract of the Open Table logo.
WHAT DO YOU value most about Open Table?
Last March we held an event for our Patrons. To show them the difference our communities are making, we asked community members, volunteers and leaders to record videos in response to three questions. This is the first: youtu.be/bxyq2n1F9Aw [7.5mins]
A welcoming graphic reading “Come As You Are – You’re more than welcome here” at St Luke’s Church, Prestonville, Brighton. The image includes the St Luke’s logo and the Open Table logo with multicoloured figures in a circle.
THIS SATURDAY 28th March 2-4pm: Open consultation in #Brighton #EastSussex to explore the need for an Open Table community there, and what kind of experience they want to create. You're #MoreThanWelcome to join us: bit.ly/OTconsultBrighton
#ComeAsYouAre #FaithfullyLGBT
Bishop Paul Bayes (centre) in purple vestments with a silver pectoral cross, standing in a brightly lit church. On the left stands OTN Director Kieran Bohan wearing a three piece grey suit and a striped tie, with his hands behind his back. On the right is Open Table Liverpool community leader Warren Bohan wearing a white woll jumper with his hands clasped in front.
'MY ENCOURAGEMENT to you is that the Open Table Network... is growing [and] therefore your voice does... count within the counsels of the Church' - Right Revd Paul Bayes, former Bishop of Liverpool, who recorded this message for our Patrons' gathering last March: youtu.be/Oj-nU6B_YS8 [5 mins]
Revd Dr Barbara Glasson, ajn older woman with white hair and glasses, speaking into a microphone at a wooden lectern. She wears a black clerical shirt with a white collar and a vibrant, patterned stole with blue, yellow, and green circular designs. To her left, a large bisexual pride flag (pink, purple, and blue stripes) is draped over a wooden pulpit. In the foreground, white candles sit on a white altar cloth, each supported by a base in a different bright color of the rainbow. The setting is the interior of a church with warm wooden paneling in the background.
'I HAVE a bit of an allergy to the word #inclusion because I think it's not big enough. It still has the power somewhere else' - OTN Patron Revd Dr Barbara Glasson, former President of the Methodist Church, recorded this message for our Patrons' gathering last March: youtu.be/PAbXKTG3oLY [7.5 mins]
Google Maps image of England and Wales with an Open Table logo marking the locations of our communities.
TODAY our communities in Nantwich, Nottingham, Wigan and Wirral - Heswall gather.
Check out our communities page for details: opentable.lgbt/our-communities
#ComeAsYouAre #MoreThanWelcome #PlaceToBelong #RoomAtTheTable #Christian #Church
A purple promotional graphic reading “Meet OTN’s Patrons” with details of a free Zoom webinar Q&A on Saturday 15th March 2025. Headshots of seven patrons are shown: Alex Clare-Young, Barbara Glasson, Cherry Vann, John Bell, John Bradbury and Paul Bayes.
LAST MARCH we hosted a Q&A webinar with our Patrons - If you missed it, or want to watch again, the recording is still on our YouTube channel: youtu.be/R0vH2FMtq6U [58.5 mins]
An abstract illustration of overlapping, brightly coloured envelopes scattered across the image. Each envelope is labelled 'newsletter' in handwritten-style text, suggesting email communications, updates, or mailing lists. The colours include green, purple, blue, orange, yellow and pink, creating a lively, layered design.
OUT NOW: Our March e-news featuring our 5-year milestone as a charity, a chance to make a difference as a trustee, reflections on belonging, hospitality & freedom, messages from our Patrons, & news from our network including a consultation & a relaunch.
READ MORE: bit.ly/OTNenews0326
A group of joyful children are huddled close together outdoors under a bright, clear blue sky. They are smiling broadly and laughing, with many reaching their hands toward the camera in playful gestures and waves. The children are wearing casual, everyday clothing like sweaters and t-shirts in various colors. The background shows a natural setting with green foliage and dry grass, bathed in bright, warm sunlight.
WHAT ARE YOU happy about today?
It's International #DayOfHappiness, a United Nations campaign calling for 'a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the #happiness and #wellbeing of all peoples': un.org/en/observances/happiness-day
A large, diverse group of people standing together in a church sanctuary, gathered behind an altar draped in a Pride flag. The altar holds lit candles and a celebratory cake. At the bottom of the image, a purple banner features the Open Table logo and a quote: ‘At its heart, Open Table is about wholeness - about people being able to bring all of who they are into a space of faith.’
FIVE YEARS ON from saying 'yes' to charity status, Open Table Network has more than doubled - growing from 18 to 39 communities across England & Wales. Every community is a place of belonging, welcome, and hope. Here’s to what’s next. 🌈
👉 READ MORE: bit.ly/OTN5YearsOn
THIS IS #NeurodiversityCelebrationWeek which challenges stereotypes about neurological differences: neurodiversityweek.com
We know from our communities that higher numbers of neurodivergent people are LGBTQIA+. This article from the #BrainCharity explains why: bit.ly/NeurodivergentLGBTQ