St. James Lutheran Church is the first Reconciling in Christ congregation in Gettysburg
Our congregation adopted its full-throated welcome statement in 2015 and was accepted as a Reconciling Works partner the same year. Our vision, as stated by Reconciling Works, is
“To keep expanding the welcome, liberating those who are forced to live in the margins. To keep dismantling barriers and building bridges. To keep working until all of God’s beloved have equity.”
We live into our commitment daily. We welcome all to our worship services, congregational events, mission committees, Youth Group activities, and the communion table.
We are engaged in a broad array of related activities:
- Members of the congregation host a lively booth and information table on the Gettysburg square during the annual PRIDE weekend; we are a proud annual sponsor of the event.
- Our pastors and members participate in the National Coming Out Day celebration held at Gettysburg College.
- We partner with Pathways to Racial Justice, including hosting meetings and serving on the organizing committee.
- With other local churches, we have sponsored two Afghan families living in the area, and we have a long history of helping to resettle refugees.
- We have been part of a coalition serving the homeless since 2012. Gettysburg C.A.R.E.S. provides overnight winter lodging at St. James and a breakfast location for the overnight guests.
- St. James hosts and participates in Common Ground Recovery Ministry, a gathering of people connected to 12-step recovery and anyone who seeks wholeness in their lives.
- We provide meeting space for AA, Al Anon, Lust Recovery.
- Most recently, we have begun a partnership with Rainbow Rose Center, which serves the LGBTQIA+ community of York and Adams Counties, offering support group meetings at St. James several times a month for three different age groups (teen, adult, silver).
We welcome your involvement in any of these programs that support some of the most vulnerable members of our community. For more information, you can contact the church office or a member of the staff.