January 2023 Bell Article

From Pastor Gene Talley’s January 2023 Bell Article

On Tuesday, January 24, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall we will welcome The Rev. Bill Beyer to Atonement for an evening of conversation around the topic of Reconciling In Christ (RIC). What does it mean for a congregation to be RIC? If we already say that we welcome everyone, why would it be important to adopt a welcome statement that mentions some people specifically? The Rev. Beyer has lots of experience answering these and similarquestions. We are sure you will find the time spent with him useful, whether you are about to go Google “Reconciling In Christ” or could present about it yourself. We hope you will set aside the time to attend.

The Ministry Site Profile that was shared with me and other pastoral candidates this past summer included the following: “We have recently begun conversations about inclusion and welcome that educate and involve the whole congregation. We recently formed a task force for inclusion and have begun conversations with our synod’s Reconciling in Christ team. We look forward to calling a Senior Pastor who is eager to accompany us through these conversations.”

This task force has continued to meet, and several members attended a fall RIC synod event. We now feel it is time to widen this conversation again and invite the whole congregation into dialogue. Please join us on January 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall to welcome the Rev. Bill Beyer as he helps us begin to develop a deeper understanding of the RIC process together. I look forward to seeing you there. – Pastor Talley