Help Us Bring Back LOVEboldly's ED to Full-Time Ministry

A Message from the LOVEboldly Board

Dear Friends,

You’ve heard a lot from Ben about the struggles LOVEboldly has had with fundraising, but it’s important you hear from us too. Simply put, there’s a dynamic here which we know Ben would never discuss publicly, yet it needs to be said.

In the current climate of our country we have found it incredibly difficult to find funds to not only uplift the resources that you have all come to know and love, but to continue to support our Executive Director, the Rev. Dr. Ben Huelskamp. Ben has had to cut his hours from full-time to only 10 hours per week. We only have one staff person and a mostly new board currently and with these changes and the decrease in donations, partners, and grants we are not able to provide a full-time salary to Ben.

With the current cost increases of items and the decrease in employment, etc. we find that the first place that people cut costs are their donations and tithes. With these changes precious important resources like the ones LOVEboldly offers suffer.

We are asking that you not only help to support the mission and vision that we have but also help support our Executive Director, Ben, to be able to go back to his full-time status and continue to work and bring forth the faith and spiritual connection that we all need. Many people in our community think that they can’t be a person of faith and also be LGBTQIA+, LOVEboldly shows that you can be both and be loved exactly the way that you are. We are asking that you consider a monthly donation and/or a one-time donation and be the change that we all have needed one time or another.

But we can only do this work with your support.

Here’s how you can help right now:

Make a gift today. Every dollar gets us closer to our goal.

Set up a monthly gift. Recurring support helps us plan and sustain our work throughout the year. Even $10/month makes a difference.

Spread the word. Share this email with friends, post on social media, restack it, or text someone you know who cares about this work. Here's a QR code you can share with them.

Help us reach our goal. If you’ve been thinking about making a year-end gift, now is the time.

We have 11 hours. We need $7,605. And we need you.

Sincerely,

Cass Helm, LOVEboldly Board Treasurer

On Behalf of the LOVEboldly Board

P.S. If you’ve already given this year, thank you. If you can make an additional gift in these final days, we would be deeply grateful. If giving isn’t possible right now, sharing this message with your networks would mean the world to us.

A Contemplative New Year

Monday, January 5, 2026

Happy Monday and Happy New Year, my friends! When I was in college my friend, Lara (now the Rev. Lara Case Halsey) and I decided that we were going to found a retreat center. It would probably be out in the woods somewhere so we could offer an environment for peaceful reflection as well as respite from the world. Ever the pragmatist, Lara was already thinking of the business plan while idealist me was dreaming of founding a monastery and what the worship space would look like.

Needless to say, those plans have yet to come to fruition and, as you know, I struggle with contemplation. That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate contemplative practice, it’s just that the only times I can really slow down tend to be when I’m asleep. Though rest is both a restorative practice and an act of resistance, I still struggle with the more active and conscious act of contemplation. During the late summer and fall I had the opportunity to take a class on Howard Thurman. I was prepared for the Thurman of Jesus and the Disinherited (social justice forward and activism centered), but what I learned was that Thurman was deeply contemplative and examined the connection between the inner life of reflection and the outer life of the work for justice. He held that out of balance, one could not sustain their commitment to justice. At the same time, Blue Ocean Faith Columbus began exploring Living Buddha, Living Christ by the Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hahn during our bi-weekly book studies. Having not read this book in over ten years, I had forgotten how much space Nhat Hahn devotes in a short text to justice work as an obvious product of contemplation.

I loathe new year resolutions, but I’m setting aside that emotion this year because I want 2026 to be the year I give contemplation and contemplative action a greater chance. With all the hate and division in the world and how so much of it seems to be arriving at the doorstep of anyone committed to equity and affirmation, we need to make sure our inner life, whatever you call it, is balanced with the work we’re doing and the dreams we have for the world.

What place does contemplation have in your life? What intentions are you bringing into the new year?

Let us pray: God, some of us struggle to slow down and engage in building up our inner lives because we see so much suffering outside and beyond ourselves. We feel called to be “out there” rather than “inside” ourselves. We’ve been taught that caring for ourselves is a weakness, a luxury that ignores our marginalized siblings. Help us find comfort and power in our inner lives which propels us to act in the world. May 2026 be our year of contemplative action. We ask this in the name of Jesus who spent time alone so that he might better serve others. Amen.

Blessings on your weeks and your years, my friends. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Faithfully,

Ben +

Using Your Privilege

Sunday, January 4, 2026

NV Gay (they/she)

LGBTQIA+ Person of Faith

LOVEboldly Board Member

Quote

How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,

who brings good news,

who announces salvation,

who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

~Isaiah 52:7 (NRSVUE)

Devotion

Reflecting upon Isaiah 52:7, I am often drawn back to my youth—sitting in an evangelical church, hearing how we are to be “soldiers of Christ.” This verse was often used to rally evangelists, a banner of mission and purpose, highlighted again by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament.

So why did I choose this verse as the devotional today? I believe it is important to highlight these evangelical verses and reflect on the true intention behind the scripture. Yes, our Creator calls us to share the message of Christ; however, we were never meant to weaponize it in a holy effort to convert nonbelievers. This verse encourages us to see ourselves as the “messengers” with “beautiful feet,” who carry the message of peace, salvation, and happiness through faith in Jesus to a world in need. This means that in order to truly carry the message of Christ, we need to follow in his steps, going throughout the world uplifting and empowering all. All through the New Testament, we find that Christ constantly used his privilege and position to uplift those who were most marginalized, advocating for meaningful change and fighting back against the false teachings of religion.

Reflection

1. Are you serving others only to secure your own salvation or reward?

   
   

2. Or are you serving as Christ did—uplifting and aiding those in need, with no expectation of gain?

   
   

3. Who in your community is waiting for your compassion, your advocacy, your “beautiful feet”?

Action

Set aside some time this week to reflect on the privilege you hold. How can you use that privilege to support other people?