Why Churches Should Be Inclusive

Why churches should be inclusive

Dear Spirit Garage,

Our Trans Affirming Churches Cohort started our Trans 101 workshop with the question of “Why should the church be inclusive?” And subsequently, "Why should the church be inclusive for trans-folx?” I found this question to be helpful. Why do we desire to be inclusive? If someone asked you this question about our church community, how would you answer?

The “why” that undergirds our actions is important. It helps identify our motivations and the thing that will help us keep going when we encounter resistance or barriers. We can have all kinds of practices to enact our “why” but if we don’t know why we are doing something, we can get dug in on a practice rather than the purpose of that practice.

So, when it comes to being a Christian community that is cultivating space for trans flourishing, it is really helpful to remember “why” we are being inclusive, because the practices we enact to be inclusive will change and grow, and ebb and flow. And when we are connected to why we want to be inclusive, that change is OK!

Some of the responses to this question included specific Bible passages like Acts 2 which describes the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit allowed people to understand each other in all sorts of languages that were not the language(s) they had previously learned!

Or Acts 10, which Pastor Holly preached about on May 18, which describes how God was expanding Peter’s vision and understanding of who God includes in God’s people. 

Another response was the statement that “we are less when we exclude folx categorically.” Someone else added that our “experience of love is more whole when we are more whole.”

Next week, I will share some nuggets of knowledge and insight shared in the Trans 101 workshop. Until then,

Peace and joy be with you,
Pastor Michelle