Reconciling in Christ Process

God’s love is all inclusive. Trinity Lutheran Church joyfully celebrates the wholeness of you.

Trinity’s New Inclusion Statement

The Pride Justice Team and Racial Justice Ministry Team collaborated on a new inclusion statement for Trinity with input from the congregation. The final draft of the new inclusion statement was approved by vote of the congregation at Trinity’s Annual Meeting on Nov. 17, 2024. 

You might wonder about the term “Inclusion” statement which is a shift from “Welcome” statement. The teams and council discussed the differences. Inclusion is defined as: the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, including members of minority groups. The discussion concluded with acknowledgement that Trinity is at a moment where Inclusion best represents the congregation’s values, mission, and call to action and advocacy.

God’s love is all inclusive.

Trinity Lutheran Church joyfully celebrates the wholeness of you.


This community affirms the following statements:

  • All people are created in the image of God the Creator and, therefore, all have valuable stories and infinite worth.
  • A diversity of thoughts, ideas and voices strengthens lives and faith at every level of involvement and leadership.
  • People of all abilities, disabilities, ages, ethnicities, family structures, gender identities, gender expressions, immigration statuses, neurodiversity, political affiliation, races, sexual orientations, socio-economic situations, and more contribute to the whole of this community.
  • You are welcome wherever you are on your faith journey – uncertain, undiscovered, rooted – to explore the mysteries of God’s creation.
  • The teachings of Jesus call us to reconciliation and wholeness. The Gospels challenge us to be agents of healing within our society and to act as advocates working towards ecological, economic, LGBTQIA+, and racial justice.
  • A commitment to inclusion and anti-racism is a core value of this community. Trinity is a justice-seeking community taking steps toward understanding and addressing the racial bias and systemic racism that is around us and within us.
  • Sharing the responsibility for learning, listening, and growing together equips us to become more effective and compassionate advocates for all of God’s people.


Trinity Lutheran Church invites you to experience a loving God and commits to supporting you in a loving and faithful community.

All God’s Beloved children are created in God’s image! This belief and awareness center the justice-focused actions and service of the RIC Ministry team. Opportunities and service are for all ages and include diverse experiences such as: learning activities and community art projects at Trinity, a booth at the Valley Wide Pride Fest in Hudson, resource sharing and book discussions, and opportunities to be an advocate and ally at Trinity and in the larger community. Trinity’s commitment to loving the diversity of God’s children guide these acts of learning and love, as we intentionally seek to be Jesus’ hands and feet for our LGBTQIA+ siblings. Friends and neighbors are welcome, so invite them too! Join in this shared justice-work!​ Please contact Karen Gieseke.

Watch the entire worship service from Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019 when Trinity celebrated becoming an official Reconciling in Christ (RIC) community.

The Welcoming Ministry Team has guided our faith community in the journey to becoming an openly welcoming and affirming church; embracing and celebrating diversity in our church home and in our community. In April 2018, the Welcoming Ministry Team was commissioned. The team completed a congregational assessment tool and training by Reconciling Works, along with conducting one-on-one conversations with many staff and congregation members in a discovery process. The team encouraged open, positive conversations through the entire process. Several forum presentations were provided including: The ELCA Sexuality Statement, LGBTQ Community in our Midst panel discussion and Reconciling in Christ 101. 

A vote was held at the annual meeting on Nov. 18, 2018 to affirm Trinity Lutheran Church as a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) community. Our Welcome Statement was overwhelmingly accepted and will serve as our declaration of inclusiveness and acceptance of all people in our faith community. Our statement will now become a living experience, as a welcome is a journey and not a destination. The Welcome Statement explicitly welcomes members of the LGBTQ community. The drafting and approval of this statement was a required aspect of becoming an official Reconciling in Christ church. 

A celebration of Trinity as an official RIC community was held during worship on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. The Welcoming Ministry Team continues the work of pursuing ways to weave our welcome into areas of leadership, education, worship, outreach and facilities. This is a deeply proud moment for Trinity. We have acknowledged the hurt, marginalization and rejection many people have suffered, some of whom we worship next to each week. Together we can proclaim that we embrace all, welcome all, and provide a safe and loving place to nurture our relationship with God and each other. 

You can find more information at www.reconcilingworks.org.