Sunday Services:
Traditional: 9:00 am
Contemporary: 11:00 am
Fifth Sunday: 10:00 am
Inclusivity Team
In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.
Galations 3:28 (The Message)
Explore the story of the Inclusivity Team through words and videos in the photo gallery below, or click here to visit our Inc. Team's YouTube playlist.
August 2023
Our 10:15 Forum on Sunday, August 20 was “Wayfinding: My Path to Being a Trans Parent" by Beth Franklin, a librarian near Camp Verde.
Part way through her life’s journey, she was unexpectedly faced with raising a child who struggled with gender dysphoria from a young age. She had to rethink her life and parenting as she discovered how to welcome a son she never expected…successfully embracing the role of “trans” parent with support of doctors, healthcare workers, and friends.
Several years ago, Emmanuel Lutheran Church went through two years of congregational study on the inclusive stance our ELC denomination decided to take on LGBTQIA+ issues and related issues of equality.
As a result, our church adopted an open and affirming statement after much deliberation, prayer, arguments, and inspiration:
"We are an inclusive faith community that seeks to live the Word and Way of Christ's unconditional love.
"This means that, like Christ, we believe each person is a beloved child of God regardless of shape, size, economic status, religious background, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity, or anything else that could divide us.
"We give thanks to God for the unique identities with which we are created, and have found here a fellowship of believers that accepts us just as we are."
Now more than six years later, following years of seeing the adopted “welcome statement” in our service folders and on our screens weekly, a group of us decided to learn more about how to put some intentional action behind those words of welcome.
January 22 Guest Speaker
Coach Robert Shegog
March 19 10:15 Forum
What's your preferred pronoun?
June 18 God Spottings
reflections on the June 17 Pride Picnic
April 23 10:15 Forum
An Immigration Story
June 18 10:15 Forum
What it Means to be a Love Warrior & Make Miracles Happen!
