Lived Experience

Conci is a high school student who found herself unexpectedly transformed through her experiences with The Open Table Connection, where her mom, Rhonda, is the Pastor.

Before participating at The Open Table, Conci carried a complicated understanding of faith, shaped by conflicting messages about who belongs. “For a long time,” she explains, “I was taught by some people that God does not like gay people and by others that God is love.” These concepts quietly shaped how she saw both the church and the world.

Everything began to shift when she attended her first Pride Parade with The Open Table Connection. “I was expecting floats and candy,” she laughs, “but it felt a lot less like celebrating a holiday and more like celebrating people.” Standing on the sidelines, she recalls, “I felt a lot more connected, like, ‘hey, we’re here for each other.’” The following year, riding on the float changed things even more, “you get to see how ginormous your community is,” she says, “and everyone’s just so happy you’re there.” What surprised her most was the authenticity of it all. “It wasn’t like prying eyes,” she explains, “it was like, ‘we’re so happy to see you here!’” That joy became overwhelming in the best way, “you’re just so hyped and happy,” she says, “it’s so much love and acceptance.”

That experience reshaped her understanding of faith in profound ways. Conci’s image of God transformed. “I have heard that God is love before, but God feels a lot more like love now,” she explains. Looking ahead, Conci carries that shift with her, “it gave me the understanding that there are lots of different kinds of people and beliefs out there. I don’t have to pick just one.” she says thoughtfully. “When I go to college, I could probably find community in places like that,” she says with hope.