Easter is a season of proclaiming the Good News and welcoming all people to new life in God through Christ. We believe we are called by Jesus to love God and one another, to practice radical hospitality, and to serve all without stipulations. In other words, everyone is welcome here – no exceptions! The question is, how do we share this good news with everyone in our community?
We are embarking this year on a journey of learning to be a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation. Our spring initiative is to hold two (2) workshops open to our congregation:
Both will be held at 7:00 PM. You can attend in person at the church or by Zoom. The content of the workshops is most appropriate for the age of high school students and older. Please sign up on the tall bulletin on Sunday so we can plan attendance. A Zoom link will be sent to those who sign up to attend remotely.
We invite you to join us as we embrace the diversity of God’s creation and celebrate our oneness in Christ. You’re welcome if you’re straight or gay, male or female, or just not part of the binary. You’re welcome if you love your neighbor or if you know think that’s not always easy. You’re welcome if you have questions or if you just want to listen quietly. You’re welcome if you’re curious about what this is about or if you feel a little confused. That’s what “welcoming through graceful engagement” is about.
Reconciling in Christ is a program of ReconcilingWorks, an organization of laypeople, pastors, and congregations from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC). Established in 1974, their focus on welcome is to the LGBTQIA community and to people of all races and ethnicities. The approach they model is one of becoming “a more welcoming place through graceful engagement.”