we are a reconciling community

Our Statement of Welcome and Belonging

As an expression of the United Methodist Church, we are proud to affirm that Inclusion Community is a community with "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors!"

We envision an ever-extending Table infused with belonging and the transformative presence of God’s love. We follow the example of Jesus whose Table always reflects a greater diversity and inclusivity than we can imagine. We believe God’s love is unconditional, immeasurable, and calls us to practice community.

Grounded in the radical inclusiveness of Jesus' love, Inclusion Community seeks to be a place of belonging for people of all ages, socio-economic statuses, political affiliations, gender identities, sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, citizenship statuses, and abilities.

We are a Reconciling Ministry and believe all persons hold sacred worth. We celebrate the LGBTQ+ community as beloved and beautiful. We give thanks for the sacred worth, gifts, dignity, story, and calling each person brings to the community.

Because we unapologetically believe that all persons who identify as LGBTQ+ are made in the image of God, we longingly strive for the day when the UMC will celebrate the ordination and marriage of LGBTQ+ persons.

YOU are welcome here!

Are you a United Methodist Church?

Inclusion Community is an open and expansive expression of the United Methodist Church (UMC). Our Gatherings are intentionally ecumenical in nature. All are welcome, from all traditions or none. 

The UMC is a wide umbrella that began as an alternative movement. John Wesley, the founder, emphasized that God is Love and insisted that love is the “sum of all.” United Methodists  encourage a balance of head and heart, personal and communal, contemplation and action, and mercy and justice. United Methodists emphasize the journey of faith is a Spirit-filled process of grace upon grace.

We unapologetically believe that all persons who identify as LGBTQ+ are made in the image of God. We longingly strive for the day when the UMC will celebrate the ordination and marriage of LGBTQ+ persons.

We are a Lighthouse Congregation!

Lighthouse Congregations are church that intentionally and lovingly welcome those displaced by congregations disaffiliating or closing. We hope to “extend the Table” by offering an inclusive community of hope and belonging! 

Through our discernment process, we heard people say things like:
"This is who Inclusion Community has always been; we've always been a lighthouse." 
"This is in deep alignment with our vision of an ever-extending table."
"Why wouldn't we be a Lighthouse Congregation? We already seek to be a place of radical welcome and belonging."

More of Our Affirmations

Written by Julie Crandall

We seek to be a space for expansive and evolving theologies. These affirmations are a way of naming our place in the evolving mystery of our faith….

We are grounded in the Jesus tradition and we revere Jesus as a lens through which we experience God. We honor Christian scripture - its teachings and stories - as having profound truths for our lives.

We respect the diversity of interpretations within our faith and we are open to new revelations and insights through biblical study and scholarship.

We believe spiritual seeking to be a deeply personal life-long journey which is strengthened by open dialog, questions and doubts, and exploring of ideas within a community of seekers.

We affirm that there is no one absolute way to conceptualize God for all people and that mere words will never fully define or capture the divine. We seek insight and wisdom wherever they are found.

We strive to promote peace, justice, reconciliation, and wholeness both within our homes and across the globe. We seek to extend grace, compassion and mercy to all people and especially to the poor and needy among us.

We recognize the interconnectedness of all living things and that human beings are but one part of a wondrous whole of God's creation. We believe we have a sacred responsibility to preserve, restore and honor our earthly environment.

We celebrate diversity and welcome the full participation of any person who seeks to be a part of our community.

We are open to all and closed to none.

We acknowledge that controversy and challenges are a natural part of relationships, and we are committed to working through conflicts within a safe and respectful community. We will strive to learn from each other and grow with one another.