Lutherans Concerned North America

Programs: Reconciling in christ (ric) program: working directly with lutheran congregations, synods, colleges, seminaries and organizations to provide outreach, education, and advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (lgbtq) people and their families in the lutheran church through resources, training and accompaniment focused on creating pathways to welcome, inclusion and celebration of lgbtq identities within the lutheran communion. Since the beginning of the reconciling in christ program in 1983, reconciliingworks has engaged thousands of lutherans changing hearts and minds. The ric program has seen a growth of participating communities by 49% over the last thirty months. There are 704 lutheran communities (as of this filing) partnered with reconcilingworks as ric settings. Each community follows a three step process to become a ric setting. Step one: settings must discern using resources, trainings and conversation guides how best to move their community through a journey of welcome to lgbtq people and their families. This process is tailored to meet the needs of each community. Step two: the community will write a specific statement of welcome to the lgbtq community. This statement will be voted on by the congregation or a council/board. Step three: the faith communities submit a free online profile survey to become an registered ric setting. The ric program is changing and saving lives of lgbtq people across the us and canada. Currently 75% of ric congregations report having lgbtq parents with children attending worship; nearly 50% engage in conversation about lgbtq identities with the young people of their community; 83% of communities perform same gender wedding services; and 45% of ric communities employ openly lgbtq persons. Over the last 24 months, reconcilingworks worked diligently to create updated, redesigned, and new educational resources that have been made easily accessible on the organization's webpage. The resources currently offered have all been updated using modern design techniques, recent scholarship, theology and language around lgbtq identities. Building an inclusive church trainings provide the bedrock of knowledge for communities to join the reconciling in christ program. These trainings are offered on a sliding scale fee of $100 - $25. Reconcilingworks staff and some volunteers are trained on the principles of this training and have been able to increase the number of training's offered around the country. These trainings are reaching more people than ever before and have become a stable source of program service revenue for the organization. This work is accomplished in part by 10 volunteer regional coordinators, 3 office volunteers and a 3 person central staff. This staff and volunteer team is supported by a year on year increase in support from individual members of lutheran communities, an increase in ric congregational support, and several granters funding specific initiatives.