Your Church is Reconciling in Christ: Now What?

• Use a bulletin announcement with the RIC logo and/or other welcoming statement. For example: “We welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. __________________(name of church) is a Reconciling in Christ congregation.”

• Place a similar notice in the local gay, secular, and/or church press.

• List your congregation as a referral for worship services or pastoral care with the local gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) hot line.

• Celebrate RIC Sunday in your worship during January of each year. LC/NA prepares and mails suggested worship materials for this celebration. Alert your pastor that such materials will be mailed each year.

• Include the RIC program of LC/NA is your annual budget to promote growth of the RIC program. Contributions may be made to LC/NA, Attn. Treasurer, P.O. Box 1922, Indianapolis, IN 46206-1922. Please note the RIC Program in the memo line of the check.

• Show the “Inclusive Faith” video to all new member classes to explain the need for the affirmation of welcome you passed. This video was produced by LC/NA and is available for order through the website, www.lcna.org.

• Periodically hold a six-week series of adult education classes using the LC/NA discussion resource called, “Shared Congregational Conversation Around Homosexuality.” This resource is also available for order through the website, www.lcna.org.

• Sponsor an adult forum Bible Study using the “Claiming the Promise” curriculum for 6 to 8 weeks. This study is available for order through the website, www.lcna.org.

• Have a visible presence at annual GLBT pride events:
              Organize a group of Lutherans to march in the parade.
              Organize a group to give water and a greeting to marchers along the parade route.
              Staff an information table on your congregation at the pride festival.

• Have a pastor or lay representative speak to GLBT community or business groups.

• Have the pastor mention GLBT people in sermons in a positive context. This is probably the single most important action your congregation can take to make people of all sexual orientations and gender identities feel welcome.

• Include openly GLBT people in visible worship roles.

• Sponsor a resolution at your Synod Assembly to adopt and affirmation of welcome. There are now 21 RIC Synods in the ELCA. E-mail ric "at" lcna.org to request a sample resolution.

• Look for opportunities to display the rainbow flag or pink triangle symbols at your church. The rainbow flag or pink triangle will communicate welcome to GLBT visitors. Some congregations display an RIC banner or post their RIC certificate in the narthex.

• 1Use the ELCA resource, “Congregational Hospitality to Gay and Lesbian People.” Order this fine resource from the Division for Outreach of the ELCA, 800-NET-ELCA.

• Identify other Lutheran congregations in your area that have potential for becoming RIC. Hold a forum and invite representatives of any other RIC congregations in your area as well as potential RIC congregations to explore the process together. Take on the role of mentor congregation to other Lutheran churches in your area who want to become RIC.

• Place LC/NA and RIC brochures in your church’s information racks. There is an open space on the back of each brochure to add your church’s name and address. Brochures may be ordered through the website: www.lcna.org.

• Start a Lutherans Concerned chapter or welcome an existing chapter to hold worship and program events in your church building. You only need five willing hearts and minds to form a chapter. For more information about starting a chapter contact the co-chairs of LC/NA through cochairs "at" lcna.org. cochairs "at" lcna.org .

• If your congregation sponsors a Boy Scout Troop, explain the affirmation of welcome to the troop leaders. Some RIC congregations have chosen to disassociate themselves from the Boy Scouts since that organization actively excludes participation or leadership by gay scouts or leaders. 

• Sponsor an adult forum on the theology of relationships in general. Include relationships of people of all sexual orientations as a component.

• Honor the anniversaries of couples of all sexual orientations in the same way, i.e. bulletin or newsletter listings or by mention in the prayers of the church. Ask the couple for permission prior to listing.

• Put both people’s names on the same envelope when sending mailings from the church as you would for a heterosexual couple.

• Include pictures of couples and their children in your congregational directory. List the names of both people together in the directory, listing the couple twice if necessary. Again ask the couple for permission prior to listing.

• Accept couples together as members of the congregation if you usually accept married couples together. Again, ask the couple before hand.

• Invite couples of all sexual orientations to church functions such as partners clubs, dances, etc.

• Perform baptisms of children of parents of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

• Celebrate ceremonies of blessing for couples of all sexual orientations.

• Mention long-term relationships in sermons when appropriate.

• When appropriate in sermons lift up the faith journey that parents of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have taken.

• Hold a forum with an openly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered pastor as the speaker. The pastor could be Lutheran or from another denomination.

• Have an openly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered pastor as the guest preacher one Sunday. The ELCA and ELCIC have ecumenical partners in the Anglican and United Church of Christ traditions, which do ordain otherwise qualified g/l/b/t pastors. In addition there are 17 openly gay, lesbian or bisexual clergy now serving Lutheran congregations.

• Have a discussion with representatives of the United Church of Christ exploring the success of having openly gay and lesbian clergy in their church.

• Hire an openly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person to a non-rostered staff or ministry position with your congregation.

• Sponsor a resolution at your Synodical Assembly calling for change in the policy that excludes otherwise qualified gays and lesbians in long term committed relationships from the ordained ministry of the Lutheran church.

If your congregation should want to explore calling an openly gay or lesbian pastor to a rostered position, we recommend that you contact the Extraordinary Candidacy Project for assistance and a listing of approved candidates at the Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries website www.elm.org, or write:

Extraordinary Candidacy Project
1320 Evelyn Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94702
 E-mail: excp "at" dnai.com