"LICF has become my home and a place where a true sense a family continues to evolve and grow naturally, spiritually and lovingly as God continues to shape and mold me. I am truly Blessed to be in the presence of this family." Our Journey
From humble beginnings, Long Island Community Fellowship (LICF) continues its growth as a pivotal force in the Long Island gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied community.
Sunday evening, February 24, 2002 saw a few people gather together with great uncertainty, as the first service was held in a small conference room in Hicksville, NY. Accompanied by a CD player, this group this group timidly sang praise to the Lord in the company of other GLBT people. For the first time, they heard the message of Jesus’ love for all, regardless of their sexual orientation. To some, it was a confirmation of what they already knew and to others it was the first time they felt truly accepted into Christ’s community of believers.
This journey of faith has continued to grow and blossom, both in the growing faith of longer term members as well as the attraction of new attendees, both homosexual and heterosexual. Our place of worship has also changed and grown – from our hopeful but humble beginnings in a small conference room, to our permanent home in Bay Shore, where we now have our Church offices, meeting rooms, and a beautiful Sanctuary, built by the hard work of our members. LICF continues to grow and expand in its mission to spread the message of Jesus’ love to ALL.
While “preaching and teaching” are important to LICF, living our message in every facet of our individual and organizational lives is fundamental to our existence. This is partially accomplished through both community building and social outreach. As an established GLBT organization, we continue to reach out to this community, providing assistance and support to other GLBT organizations throughout Long Island.
LICF has several programs to meet the needs of the Long Island Community. In 2004, LICF implemented a year round food pantry. This food pantry collects food from many different organizations across the island and distributes it to those in need. This project has fed many hungry homes and assisted some individuals through their darkest times. We also hold educational classes throughout the year to help individuals grow and improve their lives.
LICF leads the community in educating others about the needs of the community. LICF hosts symposiums on same-sex marriage, unity in the community services, and united faith programs. These programs attract hundreds of individuals who participate and support the efforts of the community building that is performed by LICF.
This support is not one-sided, as LICF experiences reciprocation from GLBT organizations that provide personal and financial support for activities. The community has shared, and continues to share, its talents, time, energy, and financial support as LICF becomes the Community’s Church. This support is a powerful measure of the importance of our community building efforts.
Our social outreach extends across a wide range of activities. Whether it’s through our participation in debate forums discussing current issues of importance to the GLBT community, interviews in the media, or participation in community events – we reach out to the whole Long Island community, making our presence felt and spreading the word that GLBT people are a vibrant component of the fabric of Long Island society.
In September 2004, LICF hosted a large gathering of community organizations to celebrate Unity in the Community. That night as the events were drawn to a close the impact LICF is having in the community was ever present and growing. Fire was set to the church offices that night. Individuals who saw the positive impact LICF was having on the Long Island Community wanted to stop LICF. Thousands of dollars in damage was perpetrated that night; however, the offices of Long Island Community Fellowship were spared.
In April 2005, LICF hosted the first joint service between the evangelical community (represented by the Nazarene Church) and the GLBT Community. This was a landmark event as two groups that have often been perceived as incompatible, set aside their differences to focus on the similarities that make each of them Christian. The Day of Solidarity was marked as a success as persons from both groups packed the sanctuary to see history in the making.
In June 2008, a three-stage vision was unveiled explaining the future growth and direction that LICF will take (Read more about the vision). Chartering a new sense of community and spirituality, the vision includes the purchase of additional property and the building one of the largest GLBTA Churches on the East Coast.
Long Island Community Fellowship continues to grow and become more of a pivotal force in the community as it spreads its message of God’s love for all humanity, our need to build a stronger community, and our duty to fight for justice.
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