On First Fest Sunday, back in September, First Lutheran tried something new (to us). The idea was to invite every kid and every adult into a Faith Web. On poster paper, we drew five lines. On the top went the name of a child who, in 2024, plans to experience a faith formation event by attending a Christian camp, our middle school mission trip to Rapid City, SD, or the ELCA Youth Gathering to New Orleans. On the next line down goes the name of the child’s family. That family is “supporting household #1” for that child. There is space under that first supporting household for three more. Each supporting household commits to connecting with that child in whatever way(s) they choose. It could be as simple as getting to know each other’s name, keeping the child in prayer and perhaps receiving a note of thanks at some point after the faith formation experience. The ‘thanks’ is for the other big commitment made by each supporting household: $300 toward their faith formation experience…

ELCA Lutherans are spiritual descendants of reformers. From Martin Luther in the 1500’s calling for the church to stop selling indulgences, to our own grandparents calling for the ordination of women in the 1960s, our ancestors in faith have practiced ongoing discernment regarding how the fruit of God’s Spirit is feeding the Church for its work in the world today. In 2023, First Lutheran lives more fully into this reforming tradition by seeking to become a Reconciling in Christ congregation, for the sake of the world.

Wider Welcome, Deeper Love

What does this mean? This is a question that I have gotten a lot in the last couple of months. So often we want solutions…

On Jan. 7 and 9 several members of First participated in a training sponsored by ReconcilingWorks (RW). ReconcilingWorks is a para-church organization that helps our ELCA congregations live more fully into the vision of being inclusive of ALL people, particularly LGBTQIA+ people. On the same weekend nearly 40 households participated in a Faith Alive! U event on Sunday evening with the executive director of RW, Aubrey Thonvold, to hear more about the congregational process to become a “Reconciling in Christ” or “RiC” Congregation in the ELCA.