Mapping Your Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Journey
Welcome to the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Journey
Every ministry setting begins this journey from its own unique context and ReconcilingWorks is here to help you create an authentic welcome journey that is customized to your community.
Here you will find resources to accompany your faith community no matter where it is on the RIC Journey.
RIC Journey Resources
Begin with the resources in the first column "Building the Foundation."
First watch the "Becoming a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Community" video workshop, followed by completing the Faith Community Assessment Survey. These first steps will outline an understanding of the work ahead and the pace best suited for your unique community.
Building the Foundation
Building the Foundation is key to having a well-planned and successful RIC Journey! These first steps and tools are here to help you learn more about your community, treat all folks engaging in this work as beloved children of God, and frame this work in a way that is exciting and engaging for folks.
Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Toolkit Steps and Tools:
- Tools 1-4
- Steps 1-4
Resources to Support Building the Foundation:
- "Becoming a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Community" Video Workshop
- Faith Community Assessment Survey
- Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Toolkit
- Reconciling in Christ Frequently Asked Questions
- "We're Already Welcoming, Why Do We Need to Say So?"
- Resources for Candidacy Committees in Supporting LGBTQIA+ Leaders
- Clunky Questions, Season Two: LGBTQ Lutheran Pastors
- Living the Journey - RIC Video Vignettes
Living the Journey
While Living the Journey, your ministry setting will be taking the information gathered during "Building the Foundation" and using that data to create educational forums, panels, and studies of scriptural engagement that best meet the unique needs of your faith community so that all of your folks feel seen, heard, and cared for.
Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Toolkit Steps and Tools
- Tools 5-6
- Steps 5-9
Resources to Support Living the Journey:
- Lutheran Introduction to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, & Gender Expression
- An Ally's Guide to Terminology
- Reconciling Scripture for Lutherans: On Sexuality & Gender Identity
- Sample Welcome Statements
- Guide to Welcome LGBTQIA+ Youth & Their Families
- Clunky Questions, Season One: LGBTQ Lutherans
- "One Body Many Members"
- "Becoming the Body of Christ: Condemning White Supremacy"
- "Troubling the Waters for Healing of the Church"
- "Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture"
- ELCA Social Message on Gender-based Violence
- ELCA Disability Ministries
- Request RIC Logos
Setting RIC Milestones
We use the language of "Journey" when referring to the RIC Program, because this holy work is more than just a check list of steps to make your way to becoming RIC; it is the understanding that there are always new ways we can be deepening and expanding this work to meet the diverse and intersectional experience of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) Toolkit Steps and Tools
- Steps 10-11+
Resources to Support Setting RIC Milestones:
Ready to Share Your RIC Information with ReconcilingWorks?
Click on the button below to submit your community's information to become an RIC Partner
or to update your Welcome Statement.
About the Reconciling in Christ Logo
ReconcilingWorks believes representation matters. So we are excited to have a NEW Reconciling in Christ (RIC) logo! Inspired by the Progressive Pride Flag design, these updates to the RIC logo include the colors blue, pink, and white to represent our transgender siblings, as well as a black and brown stripe, to represent the fullness our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Community brings to the queer community. This logo is used by RIC Partners to better communicate their commitment to the work of welcome, inclusion, celebration, and advocacy of God's Beloveds.
New RIC Partners and existing RIC Partners that meet the four 2021 updated RIC Partner Commitments receive access to the updated RIC Partner logo.
