What is RIC?
The Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program is for congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries, and other Lutheran organizations and ministry communities who have made a public commitment to welcome, include and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people. By having a statement affirming this welcome that specifically names either, "LGBTQIA+ people" or "people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions" in their statement, these faith communities are accepted into the Reconciling in Christ partnership with ReconcilingWorks. There are now around 886 RIC Partners throughout the United States and Canada.
Clunky Questions video: Why can’t church just say all are welcome and leave it at that?
https://youtu.be/KeJ8_umyMc0
RIC at Community of Christ Church
We have been meeting monthly for almost 2 years and we became a formal ChristChurch Team approved by the council on January 9, 2019. We have attended trainings and workshops on how to become a welcoming Reconciling In Christ (RIC) sanctioned church. A big part of the work of our exploratory team is to put forth a welcoming statement to the congregation for your consideration as we move forward on our journey and as we continue to learn how to open our doors and our hearts to all people.
Why are we doing a welcoming statement?
It is important to develop a Welcoming Statement to show others that your faith community has publicly committed to living as a Welcoming faith community on a lifelong journey. This statement becomes a great tool to show visitors as well as members what you believe and how you intend to live it out. Each faith community will develop a statement that fits their community. Every faith community’s Welcome Statement is as diverse as they are.
Please read the statement below after watching the Clunky Questions video.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome Statement for Community of ChristChurch-July 2020
Community of ChristChurch is an open and affirming Christian community who lives in God’s love and grace. We strive to welcome and include all people because we believe God loves and welcomes all people. Regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, physical or mental ability, political stance or theological perspective or anything else that might divide us, you are welcome here.
What this means is:
No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here:
If you are young or old, you are welcome
If you have brown skin, black skin, white skin, or any color of skin, you are welcome
If you are an immigrant or refugee, you are welcome here.
If you are married or single or partnered, separated or divorced, you are welcome
If you are gay or straight or queer, you are welcome
If you are transgender, you are welcome
If you are a man or a woman or non-binary, you are welcome
If you cannot hear or see or speak, you are welcome
If you are sick or well, you are welcome
If you are happy or sad, you are welcome
If you are rich or poor, powerful or weak, you are welcome
If you believe in God some of the time or none of the time or all of the time, you are welcome
You are welcome here.
Come with your gifts, your pain, your hope, your fears
Come with the traditions that have helped you and hurt you
Come with your experiences that have made you and broken you
Come with a mind ready to engage, and a heart open to discern
Come and listen for the Sacred Spirit that calls you to love your neighbor wholeheartedly, seek justice, create peace and practice compassion
You are welcome here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After reading the statement, please click on this link to participate in a non-binding, anonymous, straw poll regarding the proposed Welcoming Statement. The poll will not ask for your email address. The poll will show the welcome statement and five options.
Select which option you agree with and click the purple submit button (screenshot is below). If you have any issues with the poll please contact Admin@comchristchurch.org.
This is not an official congregational vote to approve or disapprove the statement. This will simply help our team to take the temperature of the congregation at this moment in time. With this information we can determine where we are in our process and what steps we will take moving forward.
This Sunday (July 26th) we invite everyone to stick around after worship to hear the statement read and to ask questions about the RIC process. The poll will close on Thursday, July 30th. We thank you in advance for your willingness to participate.
| 
JULY 14 UPDATE FROM ELSA:
