Our Statement of Inclusiveness
Trinity Presbyterian Church takes very seriously the following statements which guide our efforts toward inclusiveness:
... from The Scriptures...
I Corinthians 12: There are many members, yet one body.Acts 10: God shows no partiality.
Ephesians 2: He has broken down the dividing wall, that is the hostility between us.
... from the Book of Order...
The Church and its Mission - G-3.0401b
The church is called: to a new openness to its own membership, by affirming itself as a community of diversity, becoming in fact as well as in faith a community of women and men of all ages, races, and conditions, and by providing for inclusiveness as a visible sign of the new humanity.
Diversity and Inclusion - G-4.0400
The church in its witness to the uniqueness of the Christian faith is called to mission and must be responsive to diversity in both the church and the world. Thus the fellowship of Christians as it gathers for worship and orders its corporate life will display a rich variety of form, practice, language, program, nurture, and service to suit culture and need. The Presbyterian Church (USA) shall give full expression to the rich diversity within its membership and shall provide means which will assure a greater inclusiveness leading to wholeness in its emerging life. all racial ethnic groups, different ages, both sexes, various disabilities, diverse geographical areas, different theological positions consistent with the Reformed tradition as well as different marital conditions (married, single, widowed, or divorced) shall be guaranteed full participation and access to representation in the decision making of the church.
... from A Brief Statement of Faith...
line 26
In sovereign love God created the world good and makes everyone,
male and female, of every race and people,
equally in God's image to live as one community.
line 52
The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,
sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,
and binds us together with all believers in the one body of
Christ, the church.
line 65
In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage...
to unmask idolatries in church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work for justice, freedom, and peace,
... from Trinity's Statement of Mission...
We are committed to the fellowship of the Body of Christ:
and we will endeavor to involve every member of our congregation in the
church's loving fellowship:
Goal 10 - By encouraging the development of a sense of community within our
congregation that embraces people of all ages and social, economic, and ethnic
backgrounds.
...and...
We are committed to the work of Christ in the world:
and we will endeavor to involve every member of our congregation in this
vital work:
Goal 23 - By engaging in acts of compassion, teaching and advocacy to heal
brokenness affecting individuals, families and society.
Therefore we at Trinity Presbyterian Church will act in the light of this wisdom, welcoming, and building each other up in love, regardless of the differences that may exist among us in age, abilities, disabilities, sex, sexual orientation or family structure; or in racial, ethnic or national background; or in social, educational or economic status. We will foster inclusive ways of thinking, speaking, and acting, both within the church family and as we meet the world in witness and mission.
To be a church which worships,
educates, comforts, challenges, works, and
plays in a truly inclusive manner
requires a commitment to ongoing
consciousness raising on the part
of the whole church family, modeled and
nurtured by both ruling and
teaching elders. These intentional
consciousness-raising efforts
demand a listening heart and a willingness to
be changed and challenged by new
understandings, sometimes those evoked by
unexpected teachers in surprising places.
As a church committed to affirming our unity in the midst of diversity, we acknowledge that this assertion, when taken seriously and acted upon, opens us wide to controversy and risk within and without. Thankfully we can also trust that as we speak and act in the spirit of loving community, the mind of Christ is discerned among us and we are shown fresh ways to honor each other before God.
We have faith that those fresh ways will be revealed in every area of our church's life:
- as we struggle with the language we employ in worship and in our educational programming, so that we further develop our respect for both God and God's created order in line with our Christian beliefs;
- as we build programs to meet needs within the church family, so that we remember our diversity and ask questions, refraining from making assumptions that we all think and feel alike;
- as we relate to persons on the receiving end of our mission projects, that we learn from listening to the realities of their lives and be inspired by their strength and faith;
- as we reach out to make contact with potential new members, that we convey a genuine welcome that is not based on any assumptions about how they might "fit in";
- as we work and play together, that we speak the truth to each other in love, that we might help each other grow in awareness of the distinctions between those behaviors and attitudes which divide and hurt and those which bring wholeness and healing.