Help ReconcilingWorks welcome the newest Reconciling in Christ (RIC) community: Holy Cross Lutheran Church (Bellevue, WA).
Their welcome statement reads:
“Holy Cross Lutheran Church is rooted in the cross of Jesus Christ—the purest example of God’s reconciling love, the tree of life bearing fruit for the healing of creation. Therefore, we joyfully accept Christ’s call to make this congregation a beacon of God’s reconciling love and to partner with God for the life and healing of our community. We believe that each person is made in God’s divine image and that diversity helps us to better see God’s beauty. We believe that Christ has destroyed all barriers that would divide us and is uniting all people through God’s abundant love and grace. Liberated by that grace and inspired by that love, we strive to embody Christ’s radical inclusivity as we welcome all people—with all their questions, doubts, and complexities—to journey with us on the way of faith and discipleship. We acknowledge the Church’s past and ongoing failures in inclusivity and welcome—particularly toward our LGBTQIA+ siblings. We repent of our own intentional and unintentional exclusionary practices and, following Christ’s example, we wholeheartedly welcome people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. Christ calls us to welcome everyone—and that means everyone. No matter what you look like, feel, believe, think, or do, there is nothing that could separate you from God’s love. Whoever you are, you are welcome to be your authentic, God-given self and fully engage in the life and mission of this congregation. There is a place for you here in the orchard.”
Learn more about Holy Cross Lutheran Church at: http://www.hclutheran.net/