Welcome Statement Coffee Hour | Sunday, February 7th
Welcome Statement Coffee Hour
Sunday, February 7th--Reconciling in Christ Sundayat 11:15 a.m. on Zoom
Join Casey VanderStel, Pastor Erin, and others from the Antiracism Ministry for a conversation about the future of our church's welcome statement. We will discuss what we feel is missing from our current statement, what could change, and how we want to communicate our antiracist stance as a church. All are welcome to this casual conversation! You are able to prepare any thoughts by looking at our current welcome statement below. If you have thoughts or inspiration related to this topic but are unable to make the zoom, send your thoughts to Casey at (caseyvanderstel@gmail.com) and she will include your thoughts in the discussion.
Zoom information for Welcome Statement Coffee Hour 2/7 at 11:15 a.m.:CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING ONLINEPhone: +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)Meeting ID: 843 1776 6241Passcode: 015364
Current Welcome Statement
Section 1
St. Luke's welcomes the many, diverse communities that share this neighborhood.
If you are a lifelong Lutheran, or just considering Christianity;
if your family has been in the United States for generations, or has only recently arrived;
if you are gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual or transgender;
if you live with disabilities, chronic illness, or are able-bodied and currently healthy;
if you are home-blessed or homeless . . . YOU are welcome here!
Section 2
Worship is the heartbeat that feeds our life together as a community.
Here we learn about God's radical welcome extended to all people.
We listen to the stories that have nurtured and shaped our faith.
We share a meal that makes God present to us at a table wide enough for everyone to find a place.
We are sent out into the world to love and serve our neighbors.
Section 3
Believing that no name for or description of God is ever definitive or complete,
and committed to dismantling systems of oppression that have alienated people from Christian worship and faith,
St. Luke’s practices using many words and images to describe the Holy One who exists beyond human language.
In our worship we by to balance images that are human and ecological;
gendered and non-gendered; female, male, and non-binary; hierarchical and radically
egalitarian.
We encourage you to notice how different images affect your experience of
worship and invite you to choose language that both liberates and challenges you.