Reconciling in Christ at Grace
In November 2016, Grace Lutheran Church voted to become a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation after working with Reconciling Works. This means that we wholeheartedly believe in Jesus’ radical welcome to all. As an RIC congregation, we see, name, celebrate, and advocate for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. We strive to be anti-racist in our communal life and believe that authentic racial, sexual, gender, and ethnic diversity allows us to more fully experience God’s creativity and goodness. We acknowledge that the church has caused much hurt and pain for those in the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities; being an RIC church reflects our commitments to repair, to lament, and to work toward justice and equity for all God’s children.
We adopted our RIC statement in 2016, and updated and affirmed it in 2021:
We at Grace Lutheran Church are committed to being an affirming, loving, and welcoming community of faith for all people. We believe the gospel is God’s gift to be shared unconditionally regardless of age, ethnicity, race, national origin, family configuration or relationship status, physical or mental ability, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
Although our world can often be an unloving and alienating place, we rejoice in the diversity that has nurtured, enriched, and challenged the life and ministry we share.
We are committed to equality and inclusion, to the work of anti-racism, and advocating for marginalized groups and peoples.
All are welcome to participate fully in the community of Grace Lutheran Church. Following the example of Christ, this congregation welcomes you exactly as you are.
Some of the practical ways we live out these beliefs:
Whether it’s your first time worshipping with us, or you’ve been at Grace since you were a newborn, we invite you to fill out a name tag that has the name and pronouns* you’d like used in this space.
We use expansive and inclusive language for God during worship. While our worship is traditional in style, we use a diverse range of worship resources.
Our building has both all-gender and gendered bathrooms, which are ADA compliant.
We joyfully celebrate, support, and perform marriages for same-gender and queer couples.
LGBTQIA+ folks serve in all levels of leadership, from worship to serving on committees to paid employment.
If you have any questions about our commitments to welcome and hospitality, please reach out to Pr. Reed at r.fowler@graceofav.org.
*Using someone’s correct pronouns is a way to show respect and increate an inclusive environment, just like using someone’s name! Pronouns are how we are referred to in the third person – you might use she/her, he/him, they/them, ze/zir, a combination, a different set, or prefer to just be called by your name. In English, we often assume someone’s gender and pronouns based on how they look, what haircut they have, or what their voice sounds like. These assumptions aren’t always correct, accurate, or kind, so it’s always better to ask! And if you make a mistake and use the wrong pronoun for someone, simply apologize once, correct yourself, and move on with the conversation. To learn more about LGBTQIA+ identities and pronouns, check out the resources put out by UCSF!
