ReconcilingWorks - Madison, WI

31/03/2026

God of joy, creativity, and abundant life,

We give you thanks for our transgender siblings—
for the love they embody, the courage they carry,
and the truth they reveal about the vastness of your creation.

In the life of ReconcilingWorks,
and within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
we celebrate transgender people as a profound gift—
not at the margins, but at the heart of who we are striving to become.

For the ways they lead with wisdom,
speak truth with clarity,
create beauty with their lives,
and call the church deeper into justice and love—
we give you thanks.

Their joy is a witness.
Their lives are a testimony.
Their presence expands our understanding of your grace.

God, where the world has tried to diminish them,
we name their sacred worth.
Where systems have tried to silence them,
we celebrate their voice.
Where fear has tried to take root,
we proclaim love that cannot be shaken.

May the Lutheran church put in the work to be a place
where transgender people are not only welcomed,
but uplifted, centered, celebrated, and belong.

May the ELCA continue to grow—
to listen more deeply,
to act more boldly,
and to reflect more fully the inclusive, liberating love of Christ.

Let us be a church that rejoices—
not just in words, but in action—
for the gift that transgender people are to our communities,
our ministries, and our shared future.

With gratitude, with celebration, and with deep love,
we pray.

Amen

14/01/2026

Download materials for Reconciling in Christ Sunday, planned for Jan. 25.

ReconcilingWorks is excited to announce that the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Sunday Worship 2026, Celebrating Diversity as God’s Children, is here! ReconcilingWorks wants to celebrate with your faith community and is excited to offer these resources. Many RIC communities celebrate RIC Sunday on th...

14/01/2026

There are hearings today on three anti-Trans bills in the state legislature.
Visit this page and look for AB 100, 102, and 104 for info and to submit written testimony in opposition. (Send separate emails for each bill)

Take action in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Wisconsin. Get involved in our legislative advocacy, electoral programing and more!

30/10/2025

Advocacy form courtesy of our UCC siblings:

Our faith teaches us that transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people are beloved children of God. Since January, this community has come under attack by our federal government. Banned from serving in the military and fired from positions in the...

20/10/2025

Welcome to Five Points Lutheran Church, Blue River, Wisconsin who have become an RIC congregation!
Here's their welcome statement:
Romans 15:7: Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God
At Five Points Lutheran Church, nestled in the rolling hills of Southwest Wisconsin, we welcome you just as you are. We believe every person is wonderfully made in God’s image and worthy of God’s love, whether new to faith or having walked with God for many seasons. Here, you are part of God’s family and our community, and there is a place for you at our table. We welcome and celebrate the ways God has made us unique in race, culture, age, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, relationship status, and live experiences, and we affirm our commitment to racial equality. If you have ever felt like you did not belong, know that you do here. Together, we share our gifts, grow in faith, learn from one another, and build a future rooted in Christ’s love.

24/06/2025

The ELCA Presiding Bishop's message for Pride month
Happy Pride!

dowload: https://bit.ly/4jF5agLIn her Pride Month message, Bishop Eaton urges us affirm every person, every body and join together as one in the body of Chri...

06/03/2025

Statement in Support of Our 2SLGBTQIA+ Siblings

“[Jesus asked]: ‘Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” (Luke 15:36-37, from Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan)

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.” (Psalm 139:14-16a)

Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe, along with the members of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin’s Reconciling in Christ1 team, write today out of deep concern for the struggles faced by our 2SLGBTQIA+2 community, and particularly for our transgender siblings in humanity.

Recent executive orders and related actions seek to deny the personhood and existence of transgender people in the United States, by way of denying them necessary health care, excluding them from the armed forces, and banning female transgender athletes from participating in school sports teams that align with their gender identity, to name but three examples. As a result, fear is spreading amongst our transgender and non-binary neighbors: what new wounds will be inflicted on their identity and ability to live freely in the days to come?

As Christians of the Evangelical Church in America (ELCA), we believe that all human beings, including our transgender and non-binary neighbors, are created in the image of God. Our call, poured out on us in the water and Word of our baptism, compels us to work to ensure that each person can experience the wholeness and abundance of God. We believe that families who have transgender and non-binary youth matter and belong in the church. We support efforts to make our communities safe spaces for all people.

We live in a world of nuance and reject that we are being forced into binary classification. Further, we reject any attempt to erase the identity or existence of our transgender neighbors.

We reject the scapegoating of some of the most vulnerable people and even, at times, trying to falsely portray them as a threat.

Finally, we reject the notion that supporting our transgender and 2SLGBTQIA+ neighbors is a political or partisan issue. Rather, this is not an “issue” at all, but is recognition that there is an attack on our fellow human beings, who are as deserving of access to health care, a sense of peace and well-being, the ability to serve in the military or in any other profession, as any other citizen and human being. This is, quite simply, a matter of morality. Those affected are our neighbors, coworkers, friends, and members and leaders in our congregations and ministries – those Jesus calls us to love, to show mercy to, to treat with dignity and compassion, and to work alongside of for the sake of the gospel.

May we answer that call through our continued support for our transgender siblings in faith and the entire 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

In Christ,
Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe
The SCSW Reconciling in Christ Core Team

1The Reconciling in Christ program works to “ensure the welcome, inclusion, celebration, and advocacy for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions; work for racial equity and commit to anti-racist work and support the national program [of Reconciling Works].” Visit https://www.reconcilingworks.org/ric/becomeric/ to learn more.
2 2-Spirit, Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, + additional ways individuals choose to self-identify

How to Become Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Since 1983, the Reconciling in Christ (RIC) Program has been a public way for faith communities to see, name, celebrate, and advocate for people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions in the Lutheran church. The RIC Program is....

09/01/2025

Have you downloaded your worship resources for Reconciling in Christ Sunday on January 26?

ReconcilingWorks wants to celebrate with your faith community and is excited to offer these resources. Many RIC communities celebrate RIC Sunday on the last Sunday in January. This year, that lands on January 26, 2025. ReconcilingWorks encourages you to celebrate on a date that is meaningful for you...

10/06/2024

Belatedly celebrating Covenant Lutheran Church as a new RIC congregation.
Their welcome statement:

Here at Covenant:

Jesus welcomed everyone. Following his example, Covenant Lutheran Church welcomes people of all races and cultures, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, abilities, mental health, income, relationship status, addictions, and past or current misdeeds. We are all children of God. We all have different gifts and we need one another.

We welcome you along with your family, children, friends, neighbors, partners, and loved ones.

We see you as we see ourselves, vulnerable to the challenges of humanity, and deeply loved by God.

You are invited to fully participate in the life and work of Covenant. We want you to be part of us, just as you are. As a church community, we are committed to striving for racial equity among all of God’s children. We hope you’ll join us as we learn and grow together.

Welcome Statement Here at Covenant: Jesus welcomed everyone. Following his example, Covenant Lutheran Church welcomes people of all races and cultures, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, abilities, mental health, income, relationship status, addictions, and past or current misdeeds....