Help ReconcilingWorks welcome the newest Reconciling in Christ (RIC) community: Abiding Peace Lutheran Church (Budd Lake, NJ).
Their welcome statement reads:
“ALL ARE WELCOME IN THIS PLACE!
At Abiding Peace Lutheran Church,
whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on your journey of faith, know that you are most welcome here, to receive God’s goodness, mercy, and love.
When we say that you are welcome, we really mean it:
We extend a loving welcome to those who are single, married, divorced or widowed; those of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions; those who are rich, comfortable, or experiencing financial hardship. We welcome wailing babies and excited toddlers. We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or quietly hum. We welcome those of all ethnicities, races, immigration status, and primary languages and we affirm our commitment to racial equity. We welcome you if you are more Christian than Martin Luther, haven’t been to church since Confirmation, or have never before entered a church. We welcome those who are questioning their faith, have not participated in organized religion, grew up in another tradition or religion, or are just looking to sit a while.
We welcome, with open arms, those who are over 60 but not yet grown up and teenagers who are growing up way too fast. We welcome those who are inked, pierced, both, or neither. We welcome veterans, those in active service, and draft-dodgers. We welcome people of all political affiliations and encourage you to join in our loving dialogues on difference. We embrace those who are in recovery (grape juice is offered at communion), or still addicted. We welcome you if you are having problems, are down in the dumps, or don’t like organized religion.
We offer a smiling welcome to those who work too hard, don’t work, are recently unemployed, can’t spell, or are just here because Grandma made them come. We welcome those who are vision or hearing impaired. We welcome those with physical and mental health conditions, and children, youth, and adults with special needs.
We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved upon them as kids, or simply took the wrong road and ended up here by mistake! We welcome those who wish to be welcomed with an extended hand and listening ear, as well as folks who want to sit silently in a pew. We welcome pilgrims, tourists, seekers, doubters, those who are hurting and those who are celebrating.
We welcome you if something we said above bothers you. We are open to talking about it. We can be community even when we disagree.
Whoever you are, we welcome YOU, because we all need this same welcome, and we want to share the welcome we have received. Welcome to Abiding Peace!“
Learn more about Abiding Peace Lutheran Church at: http://www.abidingpeacechurch.org/