Policies

Hello and Welcome!

We ask that you do read this message in its entirety 
as there is important information for you to know here.  We know it can be 
a lot to read and a pain to read.  After all, we read it too as it is also 
sent out once a month to help remind people of the rules etc. of the group.  
Some of the stuff in here will be from the main page of the group, but please 
make sure to read it also as there could be added information included as the 
main page is only abbreviated for space.

We hope that you find this site uplifting and affirming. We are a community 
of faith for all people and we invite you to worship with us soon!

We are more than a gay church. Well, we are not a church yet.  
Just a group on yahoo and now a website.  
 
But we are an accepting church started by gay minister who understands what 
you are going through in life.  Check us out! We're still very small, so you 
can be sure we will welcome you.

We plan to speak out the truth where lies and distortion have covered the 
meaning of Christ's words "Come unto me, ALL ye that labor, and are 
heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

We plan to bring clarity to the lives of GLBT Christians who have been 
living in the shadows, wondering how to reconcile their faith and sexuality. 
As well, we plan to bring clarity to reading Scripture illuminating the 
meaning of what is written.

I am a gay Minister in Sioux Falls, SD. I have been ordained by the 
Universal Life Church out of Modesto, CA. This is going to be a group where 
"anyone" can join. Gay, Straight, Bi, Transgender, etc. are all welcome. 
Any denomination is also welcome. I myself am Lutheran, which is a Christian 
religion, so most of the stuff I talk about is Lutheran, just so you know. 
When complete, this will be a spot where I will post sermons, general 
discussion, etc. 

Members are also welcome to post. If a member wants a blessing or prayer 
for someone they know or themselves, they are welcome to make a post and 
I will be happy to bless or pray for them. If they have a problem, they can 
post that as well. If they want to discuss something (like thoughts on 
homosexuality and the bible, thoughts on religion, etc. are all welcome), 
they can post that as well. This is not to be abused though. 

Personal attacks/rudeness to a member or the group will not be tolerated! 
It will get you banned from the group, permanently! 

This is to be a group of peace. If someone says something you don't like, 
do not be rude. We also hope to someday, when there are enough people 
and it is warranted to form a church and have weekly congregation, just 
the same as other churches. but that will come when the calling for it 
is right. when we have all the people needed to run a church like a 
secretary, etc. 

The other main purpose of this group is to have a place where gay, lesbian, 
bi, transgender, gay friendly people can go as many churches are not accepting 
of these people. I hope you enjoy being a member of this group.

MEMBERS OF UNIVERSAL HOPE GROUP USE THIS GROUP AT THEIR OWN RISK.  
By joining, you agree to hold neither the list owner(s) and moderator(s), 
nor anyone affiliated with Universal Hope responsible or liable for 
any circumstances resulting from this group.  

PLEASE, take reasonable measures to protect your safety and privacy when 
posting to the group.

Keep your posts appropriate for all ages and legal.  NO services and 
NO trades/barter/money.  Also, NO posting yourself or your kids.  
This also includes no fire arms, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or otherwise 
(this includes any prescription medications as well.).

Spam and commercial posts will not be allowed.  

Also, no personal attacks/rudeness.  This includes to the group or personally.

Be safe!  It is up to you as an individual to know what is safe to 
post and what is not.  Universal Hope assumes no responsibility for this risk.

Please do not use long signatures or tag lines and or footers containing 
business information, addresses, or phone numbers.  These will be edited 
at the moderator(s) discretion.

NEVER contact another member to be rude or judgmental.  If you have an 
opinion about what someone posts or says, please be mature and keep it to 
yourself.  It could get you banned.  We WILL NOT TOLERATE personal attacks.

Moderators have the right to edit or delete any post if they see fit.

Don't write your messages entirely in capital letters.  This is considered 
shouting in internet etiquette.  If you must post in all caps because of a 
medical condition, please let us moderators know.  We will work with you on it.  
Posts in all caps will either be returned to you for editing or edited by 
a moderator before posting.

After you have made enough posts and we are sure you know the rules of 
posting and can tell that you are following them, it is possible that we may 
change your status from moderated to un-moderated so your posts do not need 
approval to be posted to the group!


The rules above are strictly enforced!

This Universal Hope group is devoted to good, simple Common Sense and 
"Doing That Which Is Right".  Everyone has the right to seek truth and 
meaning for themselves. The fundamental tools for doing this are your own 
life experience, your reflection upon it, your intuitive understanding and 
the promptings of your own conscience. 

The best setting for this is a community that welcomes you for who you are, 
complete with your beliefs, doubts and questions. 

This is a Church for religious 'Liberals': 

'Religious' because we unite to celebrate and affirm values that embrace 
and reflect a greater reality than self. 

'Liberal' because we claim no exclusive revelation or status for ourselves; 
because we afford respect and toleration to those who follow different paths of 
faith.

If you decide to unsubscribe from Universal Hope, please keep in mind that 
Yahoo can take days or even weeks to update after a change is made.  
This means you may still receive mail after leaving a group and there is 
nothing we can do about it. Also, mail that is already in the pipeline will be 
delivered by your ISP and there is nothing we can do about that either.  
It might help to switch to no mail first, then after the mail completely stops, 
then unsubscribe.

I know this seam like a lot of rules, but they are all mostly common since and 
with everyone following them, we can make this a wonderful group!

To unsubscribe send an e-mail to the unsubscribe address listed at the 
bottom of each post or on the main page.

Rev. Knutson
                      ~"The one who comes to me, 
                      I will certainly not cast out." ~John 6:37