January 24 – 30: Hospitality and Inclusion

Each week of 30 Days of Love, there will be a weekly theme with a menu of do-it-yourself activities in the following categories:

  • Read: Articles, book excerpts, poems,

  • Watch: Videos, concerts and roundtables discussion

  • Participate: Artist workshops, writings and actions

  • Listen: Music, meditation, lectures, poetry

  • Worship: Worship moments - alone or together - to refuel

We have menus for our general, kids, youth, and multigenerational/family audiences. Use one or all of the menus, or pick and choose from each!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook for our livestreams, discussion posts, and other updates!

NOTE: Our General Participate events require pre-registration to participate. Most will also be livestreamed on the Side With Love Facebook page, but not all, depending on copyright and/or creator request.

GENERAL

WATCH: “everything is still on fire” by Rev. Theresa I. Soto

READ: “To Invoke Love” by Sean Parker Dennison

LISTEN: Finding Our Way, Ep 1 with Sonya Renee Taylor

WORSHIP: "God Calls Us To Love" offered by Rev. Summer Albayati

PARTICIPATE:

  • Jan 26 @ 7pm ET / 4pm PT: Conversation with Zach Norris, author of Defund Fear: Safety Without Policing, Prisons, and Punishment (Beacon Press). Zach Norris is the executive director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, which creates campaigns related to civic engagement, violence prevention, juvenile justice, and police brutality, with a goal of shifting economic resources away from prisons and punishment and towards economic opportunity. He is also the cofounder of Restore Oakland and Justice for Families, both of which focus on the power of community action.

  • Jan 28 @ 7pm ET / 4pm PT: What We’ve Lost: Writing About Grief in the Time of COVID (90 minutes). In this creative writing workshop, we will reflect on the deep emotions of 2020, writing through themes of grief and mourning experienced through the last year. Whether you lost a loved one or whether you feel a sense of mourning for the life you lived and the connections you had before the pandemic began, you will have the chance to write about these feelings of loss in a creative and supportive environment. Led by Willona Sloan, Strategic Storyteller & Literary Host - willonasloan.com.

    NOTE: This is an interactive Zoom workshop with a participation limit of 40 people. We will open the Zoom at two minutes before start. Once we hit capacity, you can participate via the livestream but will not experience the interactive element with the instructor.

KIDS

Theme: We all deserve to be accepted, included, and loved exactly as we are.

WATCH: Ian, a short film about playground inclusion (10 min)

READ: Julián Is a Mermaid with Drag Queen Story Hour (5 min)

LISTEN: The Imagine Neighborhood Podcast, “Macho is Cyberbullied" (21 min)

WORSHIP: 5-Minute LovingKindness Kids Meditation w/ Cory Muscara (5 min)

PARTICIPATE: Think of a time when someone was a good friend to you and helped you feel included. What did they do that was so kind? How did it make you feel? Write a letter to them to thank them and send it in the mail. Even if they don't remember, too, they will be happy to know they helped. (10-15 min)

YOUTH

Theme: We are learning how to widen our circles of inclusivity together.

WATCH: How to apologize when called out (8.5 min)

READ: Jillian Mercado on Her Runway Debut and Fighting For the Disabled Community (7 min)

LISTEN: “Is It Time To Say R.I.P. To 'POC'?” (38 min)

WORSHIP: Read this poem aloud. Spend a few minutes in silence, thinking about what you read. Now, read it again and notice anything new. “We Are Not Responsible” by Harryette Mullen (10 min)

PARTICIPATE: Journal, create art, or talk to a trusted friend about a time when you felt not only included and accepted, but that your presence mattered and was celebrated. What made the difference? How could you tell that you were valued exactly as you are? (10 min - 1 hr)

FAMILY / MULTIGENERATIONAL

Theme: There is room for everyone in the Beloved Community.

WATCH: The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi (20 min)

READ: Read along: Lupita Nyong'o reads her book Sulwe (11 min)

LISTEN: “What’s Your Name” with Alphabet Rockers | Anti-Racism Music for Kids & Families (2.5 min)

WORSHIP: Read or watch “Tiny the God” by Becky Brooks (5 min)

PARTICIPATE: What is the story and meaning of your name? Draw a poster that tells this story. Perhaps you'll want to write your name in big letters and think of a positive word that begins with each letter of your name. (10 min)