As you consider how best to help your congregation or organization become Welcoming of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and families, we strongly suggest that you create a planful, strategic, well-thought Welcoming Process. In order to create a good Welcoming Process, we recommend the following resources from the Institute for Welcoming Resources. The Institute is part of the National LGBTQ Task Force and partners with the affirming/welcoming organizations of most major Christian denominations in the United States.
Building an Inclusive Church: A Welcoming Toolkit
Drawing upon twenty five years of experience within a variety of Christian denominations, this Toolkit is a step-by-step guide to help facilitate a Welcoming Process in your local congregation. Biblically and theologically based, it uses tools of relational organizing, congregational assessment, conflict management and change theory.
In addition, Reconciling Works offers their own 74-page document entitled “Building an Inclusive Church.” It can help your faith community deepen and expand its welcome to people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.
Building an Inclusive Church Trainings
Additionally, we highly recommend you attend a Building an Inclusive Church training which will give you the skills and resources to help you facilitate a Welcoming Process in your local congregation. For more information on the Building an Inclusive Church trainings, follow the link below.
The Institute has a number of other good publications available as well.
Visit them at welcomingresources.org.
