Help ReconcilingWorks welcome a recent Reconciling in Christ (RIC) community:
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Their welcome statement reads:
” ‘There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.’ – Galatians 3:28 (NRSV)
‘I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.’ – John 13:34 (NRSV)
We welcome and invite ALL to be part of God’s inclusive and beloved family. God has called Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (ELCA) to the ministry of reconciliation, to carry out God’s mission of grace and inclusion and to become an even more welcoming and inclusive congregation. As we continue to meet and know our neighbors in Christ, we rejoice as we recognize the diversity in our community and our world as a gift that allows us to nurture, love, embrace and support one another as we bear witness to God’s everlasting grace, acceptance and love.
Our congregation affirms that we are created in God’s image, and as beloved children of God, all are worthy of God’s love and grace. We embrace all who desire to be whom God made and intends them to be, especially those who have known the pain of exclusion or discrimination by the Church, specifically those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual/aromantic and additional sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQIA+), and their families. We celebrate and wish to expand our invitation to the entirety of the human family. This invitation includes all God’s children, and is enhanced by our diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, mental health, family configuration, economic circumstances, physical/cognitive abilities, and more!
As we proceed with our work as a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation, we commit ourselves to making racial equity, justice and inclusivity a reality in this congregation and in the world, relying upon Christ’s love and grace to be our help and guide. This ongoing process of inclusivity has no end. We will proclaim God’s welcome to all in the life and ministries of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church: to worship with us, to join in fellowship, to share the joys and challenges of life, and to celebrate the Grace of God. We welcome you to walk with us on this faith journey, as we discover how God’s everlasting love guides us to open our doors and hearts to those who desire to belong to a community of Christian believers.
We remain committed to continuously learning how to be a more inclusive and welcoming community of faith, and to putting that knowledge into practice, working to extend God’s grace, love, justice and dignity inside and outside our walls.“
Learn more about Prince of Peace Lutheran at: www.popAppleton.org