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RIC: More Info!

This page shares two key pieces of our Reconciling in Christ (RIC) journey:

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We invite you to explore, pray, and celebrate where the Spirit is leading Good Shepherd next!

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For an overview of the process, please check out our RIC page!

Why make a Meaningful Financial Commitment?

As our congregation discerns whether to vote to officially become a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) community, we want to be completely open and transparent about what this commitment means in practice.


Becoming an RIC congregation is more than passing a resolution or publishing a welcome statement on our website. It is an ongoing promise to walk in radical welcome, education, and partnership with LGBTQIA+ Lutherans. Part of that promise is a commitment to make a meaningful financial contribution to ReconcilingWorks to support their nationwide ministry.

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Please note that the financial contribution is in addition to the work we will continue to do through the Inclusive Grace and Social Ministry teams to support inclusivity, equity, justice, and mercy for all people in our community, and in the world!

Why a Financial Commitment is Essential

When we vote on becoming an RIC congregation, we are voting to join a network of hundreds of ELCA and ELCIC faith communities across North America. Making a regular financial contribution to ReconcilingWorks is a vital part of that partnership because:

  • It Puts Faith Into Action: A welcome statement tells people our doors are open, but financial support helps build a community of Christians where LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals are fully included and affirmed as members of the church.

  • It Supports Ministry: ReconcilingWorks provides essential guidance, conflict resolution, training, and pastoral support to congregations, seminarians, and leaders across the country, including our own!​

Giving financially is a tangible expression of our values, a way to share our resources so that God's grace and hospitality can reach far beyond our own building!

What Does a "Meaningful Contribution" Mean?

A common question when considering an RIC vote is: Does this mean taking on a heavy financial burden or a rigid budget mandate?

The short answer is no! ReconcilingWorks does not set a mandatory fee or fixed percentage. Instead, they ask congregations to make a contribution that is meaningful to them.

  • It is based on intention, not a price tag: A contribution is "meaningful" because it is a deliberate, prayerful decision made by our community to support justice and inclusion.

  • It honors our financial reality: Regardless of the amount we give, what makes it meaningful is that it represents an honest, heartfelt effort relative to our congregation's ability to give from year to year.

  • Every amount counts: Small congregations and larger communities alike play an equal role. There is no minimum threshold required to make a difference!

An Annual June Special Offering

If our congregation votes to become an RIC community, we propose fulfilling this commitment through a Special Donation every June.

  1. No Pressure on the General Budget: Rather than taking funds out of our everyday operating budget, we will designate a special offering each June specifically for ReconcilingWorks.

  2. Voluntary Participation: Members and friends will be invited to give a special gift above and beyond their regular pledge if they feel called to do so.

  3. Collective Impact: 100% of the funds raised during this annual June drive will be sent directly to ReconcilingWorks.

This model allows every member to participate according to their heart and means, while ensuring our congregation as a whole faithfully honors its commitment to ReconcilingWorks year after year!

Why do we need to update the Welcome Statement?

As part of our vote to become a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation, we are proposing an update to our congregational Welcome Statement.

 

A welcome statement is more than text on a page, it is the front door of our church and a public declaration of how we embody Christ's love!

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To read information from Reconciling Works regarding the "Why", please check out "We're Already Welcoming, Why Do We Need to Say So?"

The Proposed Welcome Statement

​​Welcome to Christians from every tradition, people new to faith, believers and doubters, and to doubting believers.

Welcome to people of every ability and challenge, and all ages, including the joyful noise of children.

Welcome to people of every race and ethnicity, as we join the good work of loving our neighbors through racial equity and justice for all.

Welcome to people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, every socioeconomic station, relationship status, and political viewpoint.

Welcome to everyone who has ever felt left out or marginalized.

Here you are invited to worship, pray, mourn, play, be baptized, get married, and celebrate Holy Communion.

Join us in a grace-filled community where all are welcome and wanted; Jesus loves you no matter what!

Why Update Our Current Statement?

Our existing welcome statement has served us well, but as we grow in faith and understanding, we want our welcome to be clearer, more intentional, and easier to read.

  • Streamlined & More Readable: Our current statement includes 19 separate descriptions. We restructured the text to make it flow better while narrowing the list down to 17.

  • Invitation to Sacraments & Community Life: Instead of general terms like "pray and praise," the proposed version explicitly names the sacred milestones everyone is invited to share with us: worshiping, mourning, playing, being baptized, getting married, and celebrating Holy Communion.

  • Honoring All Families: We added explicit welcome for "the joyful noise of children," affirming that families and young ones are a vital part of our worshipping body.

  • Reaching the Excluded: We specifically added a welcome to "everyone who has ever felt left out or marginalized," ensuring that anyone who has been left out or kicked out from chruches and communities can see that they belong here!

Summary of Changes

  • Removes redundant phrasing like "long-time Lutherans" (who are already "Christians from every tradition").

  • Invites our community to join in the active work of racial equity and justice.

  • Affirms that all people are welcome to experience all rites and sacraments of the church, including baptism, marriage, and communion.

  • Concludes with the most important thing we know: Jesus loves you no matter what!

Addressing Some Questions

Why do we need to be so specific? Isn’t "All Are Welcome" enough?

Because churches rarely advertise who they don't allow into full participation, visitors often cannot know if "all" truly includes them. Many people, especially LGBTQIA+ individuals and people of color, have experienced conditional welcome in church settings.

Specific welcome lets visitors know that our congregation has prayerfully considered what it means to love our neighbors as Christ loved us!

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Aren't we using "labels" or targeting "special interest groups"?

This statement is not a recruitment campaign or an attempt to label people. It is an ongoing effort to be more like Jesus!

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus did not simply say "everyone is blessed." He specifically named those who were struggling, excluded, and persecuted so they would know they were individually seen, valued, and loved in God's kingdom. Specificity is a biblical practice of inclusion!

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