WHAT IS THE WELCOMING TEAM?

The Welcoming Team consists of Shepherd Members who are doing the hard work of listening and guiding our community into authentic welcome. 

WHY DO WE NEED THEM?

Here at Shepherd we say that All Are Welcome. But what does that mean? Do we live into that authentically? These are the questions that sparked our Welcoming Team. 

Sin causes us to create bias and prejudice in our communities and within society. God's love calls us out and into authentic relationship with our neighbor. 

It is our calling as people of Christ to educate ourselves, to listen, to learn, and to grow. We are starting with how we welcome LGBTQ+ peoples and we look forward to expanding as time goes on.  

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING?

As a part of our RIC commitment we have committed as a community to continued learning and growth as we expand our welcome. Recently we have been invited to join other local RIC congregations to learn alongside one another and partner in our accompaniment of marginalized groups. 

What does it mean to be RIC: “The purpose of the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program is to ensure the welcome, inclusion, celebration, and advocacy for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; work for racial equity and commit to anti-racist work and support the national program.” Learn more here: https://www.reconcilingworks.org/ric/becomeric/

OUR WELCOME STATEMENT

VOTED UPON AT OUR 2021 ANNUAL MEETING: 
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We, at Shepherd of the Hills, welcome all who are seeking God’s love and grace. We welcome all because God welcomes all, regardless of ethnicity or culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or relationship status. We welcome all without regard to addictions, physical or mental health, imprisonment or former imprisonment, socio-economic circumstances, or anything that too often divides us. Our unity is in Christ.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does the bible say 
What is our goal in this process
Our goal is to follow the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) process to become an RIC congregation, so that LGBTQ+ individuals and their families feel welcome and comfortable to worship and engage fully in our congregation.

What about other minorities? What about making sure people of color, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups feel welcome
Great question! We absolutely want to make sure that when we say all are welcome that Shepherd lives fully and authentically into that statement and we will be exploring how we welcome people of all communities. We are starting with welcoming conversations and learning with the LGBTQ+ community because that was what was lifted up to us first and that is where we were able to find an accessible process that guides us and supports us in this first step of our welcoming journey. We will not be done when we become an RIC congregation, we will still have much work to do and we are grateful for your acknowledgement of this need and welcome your support and engagement in those conversations in the future! 
 
 
Will Shepherd begin doing LGBTQ+ marriages
LGBTQ+ marriage is legal on both state and federal levels. Although it is completely permissible for your pastoral team to preside over weddings, and they are not only welcome to the idea, but excited for the possibility; your Shepherd leadership does not want something as beautiful and sacred as a wedding to become a contentious conflict within our community. Thus, we are grateful for the opportunity to have these conversations now. 

BOOKS WE HAVE STUDIED AS A PART OF OUR CONTINUED LEARNING:

One Coin Found by The Rev. Emmy Kegler
Love is the Way by The Rev. Dr. Michael Curry
I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo