2016 Year
in Review
Project Sanctuary
Imagine being told that who you are is sinful. That your life is inherently wrong in God’s eye. What pain must come from the cold, unwelcomed arms or eyes that look with disdain from behind biblical misinterpretation and abuse. Enter Project Sanctuary.
Project Sanctuary is spiritual healing made accessible to marginal communities; highlighting and bolstering queer/LGBTQIA+ folx, B.I.P.O.C., and people who have been outcasted by religious, institutional, and social organizations. These spaces are led by two queer trauma informed healers of many categories (sound,breath, reiki etc.), who have both experienced first hand the harm of spiritually institutionalized spaces and the barriers they imply toward healing and connecting with our own sovereignty when it comes to connecting with Spirit/Creator/God/All That Is.
One of the main principles of Project Sanctuary is that healing does not happen in isolation. We acknowledge that we are deeply interconnected through the web of Life and Being. Meaning, the intersection of our identities and many kinds of belongings hold important space in how we are able to show up for ourselves and each other. Even more deeply, we hold to be true that there is Divinity in all expression, identity, and Bodies.
These community spaces are intentionally curated as radical spaces for deep release and connection. Through Breathwork, amplified by Sound healing, individuals will be guided on a journey into their inner world. Each space will center a different theme for emotional regulation and spiritual healing. In the past there have been spaces centering vocal empowerment, touching on themes of taking up space with one's voice, and granting full Body permission to be expressive and authentic with our voice’s: especially for folx who have had their voices taken away from them by institutions of power. We have also curated spaces for Griefwork, and grounding into the presence of our Bodies, to name a few.
These healing spaces are held at Gethsemane Lutheran Church. Often, folx find a lot of comfort and healing being in a church space that challenges and transforms their previous conceptions about sanctuaries.
The atmosphere is laid back, fluid and expansive.
With marginalization in mind, we recognize that many spiritual spaces are not financially accessible to all. All of our spaces we hold out of Gethsemane church are donation based, with no expectation of currency exchange. Though they are gratefully appreciated, and help us to continue our work together, we really mean it when we say we want anyone who feels drawn to these spaces to come.
Additionally, if there are any barriers you face you are welcome to email us suggestions, or privately message and we can put our heads together and see what feels best.
UPCOMING DATES:
Sept. 30 8pm-10pm
October 21 8pm-10pm
for more information contact projectsanctuarystl@gmail . com
Project Sanctuary facilitators:


We will leave you with the Gethsemane welcome statement to further sediment our assurance of safety and inclusion within these sacred spaces we are curating together, as a community:
We at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Saint Louis embrace…people of any race or ethnicity, who are male, female, transgender, or any other gender identity, of any age, wherever they are, or wherever they have been, on their faith journey, who are single, married, widowed, divorced, separated or partnered, who are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or any other sexual orientation, with a variety of political perspectives, who have, or had, addictions, phobias, abortions, or a criminal record, who are homeowners, renters, living with parents, or homeless, who are fully-abled, disabled, or of differing abilities, of differing educational backgrounds, of any socio-economic condition, and people not mentioned above, all of whom are created and loved by God!