Help ReconcilingWorks welcome a recent Reconciling in Christ (RIC) community:
St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Conestogo, Ontario.
Their welcome statement reads:
“St. Matthew’s is a community rooted in the grace of God and Holy Scriptures. In Scripture, we find these verses:
‘Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.’ Romans 15:7
‘If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.’ 1 Corinthians 12:26
We endeavour to live out our understanding of God’s grace in our welcome. We celebrate that Christ has made us one body with many members all sharing in God’s grace and unconditional love. We believe that we are all unique and worthy individuals created by God.
We love and accept all of God’s people regardless of age, race & culture, physical & mental abilities, family structure & economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity & gender expression. We are committed to continuing the journey of affirming our 2SLGBTQIA+ siblings, anti-racism, and reconciliation.
We love and accept you as you are, wherever you are in your spiritual journey. We joyfully welcome you to join us in worship, prayer, study, service and fellowship.
No matter what your life experience is or has been, you are a child of God and you are welcome here because all are welcome here.
Welcome Policy: St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church affirms the ELCIC Social Statement on Human Sexuality and upholds the understandings of family and marriage described therein. In keeping with both the ELCIC statement and our congregation’s welcome statement, St. Matthew’s commits to living out our welcome in all of our relationships and interactions. We will joyfully celebrate relationships, unions, and weddings as expressions of God’s love active in the world. We believe that all the baptized are called to serve God, each in their own way. As Paul says, ‘the gifts [God] gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12) We commit that in the event of a pastoral vacancy, St. Matthew’s will be open to calling all candidates, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.“
Learn more about St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran at: www.StMatthewsConestogo.ca