Feast Of Victory Lutheran Church

09/07/2026

On Sunday our Building an Inclusive Church (BIC) taskforce had the privilege of inviting Rich Weingartner who co-represents our synod’s “Open Hearts. Open Church.” ministry. Rich is a member at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, MI where he serves and shares his many gifts for ministry in diverse ways.

In worship on Sunday the scripture and music encouraged us to listen to one another when we disagree or have varying opinions, understandings, and interpretations.

Jesus calls us to reconciliation, not always to agreement. The apostle Paul encourages unity, not uniformity. God’s creation is diverse, yet we are all created in God’s image and likeness.

After worship during fellowship Rich led us in a wonderful Q&A session as we learn and discern what it could mean for our congregation to become more open, welcoming, and inclusive as a Reconciling in Christ congregation in the North/West Lower Michigan Synod ELCA.

If you have questions please comment or send a direct message and we’ll connect you with one of our BIC leaders. Thanks for staying connected!

09/07/2026

09/07/2026

WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO PRAY, THE BIBLE ALREADY HAS WORDS FOR THAT.

Have you ever wanted to pray but simply did not know what to say?

Maybe you were worried.

Maybe you were grieving.

Maybe you were angry.

Maybe life was going wonderfully and even “thank you” did not seem big enough.

Christians have been given an extraordinary prayer book for exactly those moments:

The Book of Psalms.

THE PSALMS MAKE ROOM FOR REAL LIFE

The 150 Psalms contain an amazing range of human experience:

Joy. Fear. Anger. Wonder. Loneliness. Grief. Gratitude. Confusion. Hope. Praise.

That is one reason the Psalms have remained such an important part of Jewish and Christian prayer.

Sometimes prayer sounds like:

“The Lord is my shepherd.”

Sometimes:

“Create in me a clean heart, O God.”

Sometimes:

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.”

And sometimes:

“Praise the Lord!”

All of those emotions belong in a life of faith.

SOMETHING CHILDREN CAN UNDERSTAND

Imagine a children’s message with cards labeled:

HAPPY

SAD

AFRAID

ANGRY

THANKFUL

Each child chooses one.

Then comes the lesson:

There are prayers in the Psalms for all of those feelings.

Children do not need to learn that prayer requires impressive religious words.

They need to know:

God wants to hear from you just as you are.

That fits beautifully with the welcome we hear at Feast of Victory:

“You’re welcome here just as you are — made in God’s image and likeness.”

Our emotions are part of that “just as you are.”

WHY DO WE USE PSALMS IN WORSHIP?

The Psalms have shaped Christian worship for centuries.

They are read, spoken and sung in Lutheran worship, and many familiar hymns draw directly from them.

Psalm 23 gives us the image of God as our shepherd.

Psalm 46 reminds us that God is our refuge and strength.

Psalm 51 gives us words of repentance.

Psalm 121 reminds us that our help comes from God.

And Psalm 150 ends the collection with exuberant praise.

When we pray a psalm, we are using words that generations of faithful people have prayed before us — and people around the world continue to pray today.

PSALM 23 ISN’T ONLY FOR FUNERALS

Few passages are more familiar than:

“The Lord is my shepherd.”

We often hear Psalm 23 at funerals, and understandably so.

But it is really a prayer for the whole journey of life.

God leads beside still waters.

God restores.

God guides.

And when the path enters the darkest valley, God remains present.

So Psalm 23 belongs at a funeral.

But it also belongs before school.

Before surgery.

During a sleepless night.

Before an important meeting.

On a beautiful Northern Michigan morning.

Or on an ordinary Monday when we simply need to remember:

God is with us.

PRAYER CAN ALSO MOVE OUR HANDS

Christian prayer is not an escape from the world.

Sometimes praying for someone changes what we do next.

We pray for someone who is hungry — and perhaps bring groceries.

We pray for someone who is lonely — and make a phone call.

We pray for peace — and examine the way we speak to people with whom we disagree.

Prayer can turn our hearts toward our neighbors.

AT FEAST OF VICTORY

Every Sunday, people arrive at Feast carrying different stories.

Someone may be celebrating.

Someone may be grieving.

Someone may be worried about a family member.

Someone may have questions about faith.

And yet we gather.

We hear Scripture.

We pray.

We sing.

We receive grace.

And sometimes an ancient psalm says exactly what our own hearts could not find words to express.

THREE QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

Is there a psalm that has accompanied you through an important time in your life?

What might children learn if we taught them that sadness, fear and anger can all be brought honestly to God?

The next time you cannot find words to pray, might you open the Psalms and let generations of faithful people lend you theirs?

You do not need perfect words.

Bring your real life to God.

The Psalms have been helping people do exactly that for thousands of years.

VERIFIED REFERENCES

Living Lutheran — Praying the Psalms
https://www.livinglutheran.org/living-faithfully/praying-the-psalms/

ELCA — Why and How Do We Sing the Psalms?
https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/Why_and_how_do_we_sing_the_Psalms.pdf

ELCA — Prayers and Blessings for Daily Use
https://resources.elca.org/worship/prayers-and-blessings-for-daily-use/

Feast of Victory Lutheran Church
https://www.feastofvictory.org/

Living Lutheran photo/article source:
https://www.livinglutheran.org/living-faithfully/praying-the-psalms/

“Shepherd Me, O God” — Marty Haugen

09/02/2026

✝️ WHY DO SOME LUTHERANS MAKE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS?

You may have noticed something during Lutheran worship.

As the words “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” are spoken, some people quietly trace a cross over themselves.

Others do not.

Both are perfectly Lutheran.

But that simple gesture carries a surprisingly rich story.

IT BEGINS AT BAPTISM

In the Lutheran tradition, the sign of the cross is closely connected with Holy Baptism.

At baptism, a cross may be traced on the forehead as a reminder that we belong to Christ.

That is why the ELCA describes making the sign of the cross during worship as a way of remembering our baptism.

It is not magic.

It is not a requirement.

And it certainly is not something a person must do to be a “better” Christian.

It is simply a physical way of remembering a promise:

I belong to Christ.

YES — MARTIN LUTHER DID IT TOO

Sometimes people assume making the sign of the cross is exclusively a Roman Catholic practice.

Actually, it is an ancient Christian practice shared by several Christian traditions, including Lutherans.

Martin Luther himself encouraged Christians to make the sign of the cross.

In his instructions for morning and evening prayer, Luther suggested beginning the day and ending the day by remembering God in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit while making the sign of the cross.

Imagine that.

Before checking the phone.

Before reading the news.

Before worrying about everything that needs to happen today.

A simple reminder:

I am a baptized child of God.

And at night, after whatever kind of day we have had:

I am still a baptized child of God.

A WONDERFUL PRACTICE FOR CHILDREN

This can also become a beautiful little faith practice for families.

A parent, grandparent or caregiver can gently trace a small cross on a child’s forehead before school or bedtime and say something as simple as:

Remember, you belong to God, and you are deeply loved.

Children understand touch.

They understand repetition.

And they understand being called by name.

Isaiah gives us a beautiful biblical image:

“I have called you by name; you are mine.” — Isaiah 43:1

That is a wonderful truth for children to carry into a classroom, onto a playground, into a difficult day — and eventually into adulthood.

Isaiah 43:1
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+43%3A1&version=NRSVUE

THE CROSS ALSO POINTS US TOWARD EASTER

Baptism is not simply a naming ceremony.

Paul connects baptism directly with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In Romans 6, he writes that through baptism we are joined to Christ so that, just as Christ was raised from death, we also might walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:3-4
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6%3A3-4&version=NRSVUE

So when a Christian traces the cross, that tiny gesture can tell the whole story:

Christ died.

Christ is risen.

We belong to Christ.

And God continually calls us into new life.

DURING THIS LONG GREEN SEASON

Much of the church year after Pentecost is sometimes called the green season — a long stretch of ordinary Sundays devoted to growing in faith and discipleship.

Perhaps that makes this an especially good time to remember that Christian faith is often formed through very small practices.

A prayer before breakfast.

A Bible story with a child.

A meal shared with someone who is lonely.

A moment of forgiveness.

A cross traced on a forehead.

Ordinary things can quietly shape extraordinary faith.

AT FEAST OF VICTORY

At Feast of Victory Lutheran Church, we begin worship with words that express something very close to the heart of baptism:

You’re welcome here just as you are — made in God’s image and likeness.

Before we accomplish anything…

Before we understand everything…

Before we have our faith completely figured out…

God’s grace comes first.

That is profoundly Lutheran.

Our identity begins not with what we accomplish for God, but with what God has already done for us in Jesus Christ.

Feast of Victory Lutheran Church
https://www.feastofvictory.org/

ELCA — Why Do Lutherans Make the Sign of the Cross?
https://blogs.elca.org/worship/885/

ELCA — Living Our Baptism
https://resources.elca.org/faith-practices/living-our-baptism-overview/

THREE QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What small Christian practice has helped remind you of God’s presence during ordinary life?

How might remembering your baptism change the way you begin a difficult or uncertain day?

What simple faith practice could we pass along to a child so that years from now they still remember: I am loved, I belong, and God is with me?

Perhaps the sign of the cross is powerful precisely because it is so simple.

A few seconds.

One familiar gesture.

And an entire gospel story:

You are God’s beloved child.

You have been claimed by grace.

And wherever life takes you, the cross reminds you who’s you who you are.

Feast of Victory source:
https://www.feastofvictory.org/

Real ELCA baptism photograph: Living Lutheran’s story about Peace Lutheran Church in Seattle includes an actual baptism and congregation gathered around the font.

https://www.livinglutheran.org/living-faithfully/virtual-witnesses/

Real baptism and water-procession photographs: Living Lutheran’s Easter Vigil feature includes photographs of an ELCA baptism and members bringing water to the baptismal font.

https://www.livinglutheran.org/living-faithfully/keeping-vigil/

09/01/2026

WHY DO WE “PASS THE PEACE” IN CHURCH? IT’S MORE THAN SAYING HELLO

If you have ever worshiped in a Lutheran church, you have probably heard these words:

“The peace of Christ be with you always.”

And the congregation responds:

“And also with you.”

Then people turn toward one another, shake hands, wave, smile or offer some other sign of peace.

It can look like a friendly greeting.

But in Lutheran worship, something much deeper is happening.

WE ARE SHARING CHRIST’S PEACE

The ELCA explains that the Exchange of Peace, sometimes called “passing the peace,” is not simply a few minutes to say good morning or catch up with friends.

It is an act of reconciliation.

We are offering one another something we did not create ourselves:

the peace of Christ.

That makes this small moment in worship a ministry we offer to each other.

ELCA — What Is the Exchange of Peace?
https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/What_is_the_Exchange_of_Peace.pdf

JESUS SPOKE THESE WORDS FIRST

After the resurrection, the disciples were together behind locked doors.

They were frightened and uncertain about what would happen next.

Jesus came and stood among them.

His words were not criticism.

They were not a lecture.

He said:

“Peace be with you.”

Then Jesus said something remarkable:

“As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” — John 20:21

Christ gives peace — and then sends his followers into the world carrying that peace with them.

John 20:21 — NRSVUE
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+20%3A21&version=NRSVUE

WHY DOES IT HAPPEN WHERE IT DOES IN WORSHIP?

In the pattern commonly used in ELCA worship, the peace comes after the prayers of intercession and before the meal of Holy Communion.

That placement has meaning.

We have just prayed for the church.

For people who are suffering.

For our communities.

For peace in the world.

Then we turn toward real people standing beside us and begin practicing the very peace for which we have prayed.

The ELCA describes it as moving from prayer toward peace and reconciliation with one another before gathering at Christ’s table.

In other words:

We do not simply pray for peace somewhere far away.

We begin practicing it right where we are.

CHILDREN CAN TEACH US SOMETHING ABOUT THIS

Passing the peace can be especially meaningful for children.

It gives them something tangible to do during worship.

They can look at another person, smile, wave or say:

“Peace be with you.”

And in that simple exchange, a child begins learning something important about Christian life:

God’s peace is not something we keep for ourselves.

We share it.

Living Lutheran has noted that passing the peace helps children learn to recognize others as people worthy of receiving God’s peace — including people who may be different from them.

Living Lutheran — Sharing Peace Near and Far
https://www.livinglutheran.org/living-faithfully/sharing-peace-near-and-far/

JESUS CALLS US TO BE PEACEMAKERS

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” — Matthew 5:9

Notice that Jesus does not simply say blessed are the people who like peace.

He says:

peacemakers.

Peace is something Christians are called to practice.

Sometimes that means reconciliation after disagreement.

Sometimes it means forgiving.

Sometimes it means listening instead of immediately responding.

Sometimes it means refusing to return anger with anger.

Sometimes it means taking the first step toward repairing a relationship.

Matthew 5:9 — NRSVUE
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A9&version=NRSVUE

FROM SUNDAY MORNING INTO MONDAY MORNING

The Exchange of Peace is not supposed to remain inside the sanctuary.

The ELCA reminds us that making peace is a daily Christian calling.

We practice on Sunday what we are called to carry into Monday.

Into our homes.

Into our workplaces.

Into school.

Into community life.

Into disagreements.

Into social media.

Into relationships that are easy — and relationships that are not.

When we say:

“The peace of Christ be with you,”

we are rehearsing a way of living.

AT FEAST OF VICTORY

At Feast of Victory Lutheran Church, our welcome begins with words that remind us who we are:

“You’re welcome here just as you are — made in God’s image and likeness.”

That welcome and the sharing of Christ’s peace belong together.

The person beside us is not merely another person attending church.

They are another human being made in God’s image.

Someone Christ loves.

Someone to whom we can offer peace.

And perhaps that is why such a small moment in worship can carry such a large message.

Christ gives us peace.

We share that peace with one another.

And then we carry it into the world.

Feast of Victory Lutheran Church
https://www.feastofvictory.org/

THREE REFLECTION QUESTIONS

When someone says, “The peace of Christ be with you,” what might those words mean beyond simply saying hello?

Where in your everyday life might God be calling you to become a peacemaker?

How could we help children understand that sharing Christ’s peace on Sunday is practice for sharing kindness, forgiveness and reconciliation throughout the week?

Feast of Victory website and worship source:
https://www.feastofvictory.org/

Living Lutheran: Their “Sharing Peace Near and Far” article includes a real ELCA photograph specifically connected to this worship practice.

Photo/article source:
https://www.livinglutheran.org/living-faithfully/sharing-peace-near-and-far/

ELCA worship resource: For educational background accompanying a Feast photograph.

https://download.elca.org/ELCA%20Resource%20Repository/What_is_the_Exchange_of_Peace.pdf

MUSIC
“Peace Like a River”

08/31/2026

WHAT IF YOUR ORDINARY WORK IS HOLY WORK?

As Labor Day approaches, many of us naturally think about jobs, careers, retirement, volunteer work and the countless tasks that fill an ordinary week.

Lutheran theology offers a powerful way to look at all of it:

Your calling from God is not limited to what happens inside a church building.

Martin Luther helped recover the Christian understanding of vocation — the idea that God calls ordinary people to love and serve their neighbors through the ordinary responsibilities of daily life.

That means vocation can include being a worker, parent, grandparent, student, neighbor, volunteer, citizen, friend or congregation member.

We do not have only one calling.

Most of us live several callings at the same time.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO WEAR A COLLAR TO HAVE A CALLING

For centuries, many Christians thought a “calling” mainly meant becoming a priest, monk or nun.

Luther challenged that idea.

He taught that God calls all Christians to serve the neighbor through everyday life.

That means a teacher preparing tomorrow’s lesson can be living a vocation.

So can the person fixing a furnace.

The parent packing a lunch.

The retiree driving someone to an appointment.

The volunteer stocking shelves.

The grandparent listening patiently to a child’s story.

The person preparing coffee after worship.

The neighbor mowing an elderly person’s lawn.

The person who simply notices someone struggling and asks:

“How can I help?”

Our daily activities and relationships can become expressions of Christian vocation when they are lived with love and concern for the neighbor.

BUT HERE IS THE IMPORTANT LUTHERAN PART

We do not do good works so God will love us.

We do not earn grace by being useful enough, generous enough or religious enough.

Grace comes first.

Ephesians reminds us that salvation is not something we manufacture through our accomplishments.

Then Paul immediately reminds us that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works.

That order matters.

First, God gives.

Then, because we are loved and freed by grace, we are able to turn toward our neighbors.

Christian service is not an attempt to earn God’s approval.

It is a response to a love we have already received.

JESUS PUTS IT ANOTHER WAY

Jesus tells his followers:

“Let your light shine before others.”

Not so people will admire us.

Jesus says our good works should ultimately point beyond ourselves to God.

Sometimes that light shines dramatically.

More often, it shines through ordinary faithfulness.

Showing up.

Doing the job well.

Keeping a promise.

Listening.

Serving.

Forgiving.

Encouraging.

Sharing what we have.

Caring about the person standing in front of us.

GOD’S WORK. OUR HANDS.

This understanding of vocation fits beautifully with one of the ELCA’s most familiar phrases:

“God’s work. Our hands.”

And it has a special connection to the weeks ahead.

The ELCA’s annual “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday is September 13, 2026.

Congregations across the ELCA are encouraged to serve their communities and celebrate what it means to be a church freed in Christ to love and serve our neighbor every day.

But the idea is much bigger than one Sunday.

God’s work happens whenever Christ’s people carry love into everyday life.

The ELCA describes service beyond the sanctuary — including congregational outreach, relief work, advocacy and community ministries — as ways faith becomes active in the world.

AND THAT BRINGS US HOME TO FEAST OF VICTORY

At Feast of Victory we begin worship with a reminder:

You’re welcome here just as you are — made in God’s image and likeness.

Our congregation says that we seek to live authentically as the body of Christ, freed to love and serve God and respond to the needs in our community with words and deeds that reflect the expansive love of Jesus.

Those words do not stop at the church door on Sunday morning.

We carry them home.

To work.

To school.

To the grocery store.

Into retirement.

Into volunteer service.

Into our neighborhoods.

Into family relationships.

Into every ordinary place where another human being needs kindness, dignity, patience or help.

MAYBE YOUR CALLING IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

Sometimes people spend years wondering:

“What does God want me to do?”

There are certainly times when God leads us toward something new.

But Lutheran vocation also invites us to look at the people and responsibilities already surrounding us.

Who has God placed in our lives?

What gifts have we been given?

Where is there a need we can actually meet?

The answer may not come with trumpets.

It may look remarkably ordinary.

And that ordinary place may be exactly where God is calling us to love our neighbor today.

THREE QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What ordinary responsibility in your life might look different if you began thinking of it as a Christian vocation?

Who is one person God has placed in your everyday life whom you are especially able to encourage, help or care for?

As we approach “God’s work. Our hands.” Sunday, where might your own hands become instruments of God’s love in our community?

Perhaps the great Lutheran insight is this:

You do not have to leave ordinary life to find holy work.

God meets us in ordinary life.

Grace frees us.

Our neighbors surround us.

And wherever love becomes action, our hands can become part of God’s work in the world.

REFERENCES

Feast of Victory Lutheran Church
https://www.feastofvictory.org/

ELCA — God’s Work. Our Hands.
https://www.elca.org/how-we-serve/churches-and-church-leaders/gods-work-our-hands

ELCA — Acts of Service & Volunteering
https://www.elca.org/how-we-serve/acts-of-service

Living Lutheran — Tap Into Your Vocation
https://www.livinglutheran.org/tap-into-your-vocation/

Ephesians 2:9-10 — NRSVUE
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2%3A9-10&version=NRSVUE

Matthew 5:16 — NRSVUE
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A16&version=NRSVUE

Feast of Victory photo source:
https://www.feastofvictory.org/

ELCA service photography:
https://www.elca.org/how-we-serve/acts-of-service

Living Lutheran vocation photography:
https://www.livinglutheran.org/tap-into-your-vocation/

🎵 MUSIC
“We Are Called” — David Haas

08/30/2026

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BECOME A MORE INCLUSIVE CHURCH?

At Feast of Victory Lutheran Church, we begin worship with words that say a great deal about who we hope to be:

You’re welcome here just as you are — made in God’s image and likeness.

That is more than a greeting.

It is an invitation.

An invitation to come with your faith, your questions, your joys, your struggles, your history, your gifts and your whole self.

And it raises an important Christian question:

How do we make sure people not only hear that they are welcome, but actually experience that welcome?

INCLUSION IS MORE THAN OPENING THE DOOR

It is possible for a church to say “everyone is welcome” while unintentionally leaving barriers in place.

Those barriers can be physical.

They can involve hearing, vision or sensory needs.

They can come from language, assumptions, traditions or the fear that someone may not fit the mold.

Becoming more inclusive means paying attention to those barriers and asking how the church can become a place where people are not merely present, but genuinely seen, valued, heard and able to participate.

The ELCA describes inclusion as the meaningful engagement of diverse people throughout the life of the church, creating a culture of welcome, respect and value for different perspectives and abilities.

https://www.elca.org/how-we-serve/elca-in-society/inclusion-and-equity

THE BIBLE STARTS WITH WELCOME

Romans 15:7 gives Christians a remarkably direct instruction:

“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

Notice the order.

Christ welcomes us first.

Then we are called to welcome one another.

Christian hospitality is therefore not about deciding who has earned a place.

It begins with recognizing that we ourselves are here because of grace.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+15%3A7&version=NRSVUE

MANY PEOPLE — ONE BODY

Paul gives us another beautiful image in 1 Corinthians 12.

He describes the church as the body of Christ.

A body has many members.

They are different.

They have different functions.

And Paul makes an important point: no member can say to another, in effect, “I don’t need you.”

The church does not become weaker because people are different.

The body needs those differences.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+12%3A12-27&version=NRSVUE

That means inclusion is not simply about being nice.

It is about recognizing that every person may bring something the rest of the body needs.

A different experience.

A different gift.

A different perspective.

A different way of communicating, learning, praying or participating.

“ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS”

Galatians 3:28 reminds the early church that the divisions society used to separate people could not determine their standing in Christ.

Paul writes:

“For all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+3%3A28&version=NRSVUE

That does not mean our differences disappear.

It means those differences do not determine who is more worthy of God’s grace.

THIS IS VERY MUCH AN ELCA CONVERSATION

The ELCA says plainly that it seeks to be a church where people can participate fully in the life and work of the church.

It also tells people searching for an ELCA congregation:

“You are welcome as you are.”

https://www.elca.org/worship-with-us/find-a-congregation

That does not mean every congregation has already figured everything out.

Churches are communities of imperfect people.

We learn.

We listen.

We sometimes discover barriers we did not recognize before.

We make changes.

And by God’s grace, we keep growing.

AT FEAST OF VICTORY

Feast of Victory says:

“This is Christ’s church. There is a place for you here.”

Our congregation describes its calling as living authentically as the body of Christ, freed to love and serve God and respond to the needs in our community with words and deeds that reflect the expansive love of Jesus.

https://www.feastofvictory.org/

That word expansive is worth noticing.

The love of Jesus continually pushes the church beyond comfortable boundaries.

Jesus noticed people others overlooked.

He ate with people others avoided.

He welcomed children.

He touched people others kept at a distance.

He listened.

He healed.

He made room.

So becoming a more inclusive church is not about following a trend.

It is about asking a very old Christian question:

How can our life together look more like Jesus?

SOMETIMES INCLUSION LOOKS VERY PRACTICAL

It may mean making worship easier to hear.

Providing sensory tools for someone who needs them.

Making physical spaces easier to navigate.

Helping children participate in ways that work for them.

Listening carefully when someone tells us about a barrier we have never experienced ourselves.

Making space for questions.

Learning another person’s story before making assumptions.

And perhaps most importantly, looking at the person who walks through the door and seeing not a category or a label, but someone made in God’s image and likeness.

AN INVITATION

If you have been away from church for years, you are invited.

If you have questions, you are invited.

If you are certain of your faith, you are invited.

If you are still figuring out what you believe, you are invited.

If church has not always felt like an easy place for you, you are invited.

If you need a little extra help participating, please tell us.

If you simply want to sit quietly and see what this community is about, there is room for you too.

We do not claim to have all the answers.

We do believe in a God whose grace is bigger than our boundaries.

And we want to keep learning how to reflect that grace more faithfully.

FOR REFLECTION

Where have you experienced a welcome that made you feel genuinely seen and valued?

What barriers might churches overlook because those barriers do not affect everyone in the same way?

How can each of us help make the words “You’re welcome here just as you are” something people truly experience?

At Feast of Victory, becoming more inclusive is not about arriving at a finish line.

It is about continuing a journey.

Listening more carefully.

Loving more expansively.

Making room more intentionally.

And trusting that when Christ gathers his people, every member of the body matters.

You’re welcome here just as you are — made in God’s image and likeness.

This is Christ’s church. There is a place for you here.

VERIFIED REFERENCES

Feast of Victory Lutheran Church
https://www.feastofvictory.org/

ELCA — Inclusion & Equity
https://www.elca.org/how-we-serve/elca-in-society/inclusion-and-equity

ELCA — Find a Congregation / You Are Welcome as You Are
https://www.elca.org/worship-with-us/find-a-congregation

Romans 15:7 — NRSVUE
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+15%3A7&version=NRSVUE

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 — NRSVUE
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+12%3A12-27&version=NRSVUE

Galatians 3:28 — NRSVUE
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+3%3A28&version=NRSVUE