Here at All Souls, we do not distinguish friend from foe on the basis of color, race, creed, or even sexual orientation. Yes it is true that we worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, three-in-one, Holy Trinity. And yes we see the Bible as his word to us.But all are welcome to participate in our community of faith (and many do!) - even those who disagree, even those who doubt, even those who struggle, even those who do not yet believe.
With the Scriptures, we confess that Christ came to save sinners (which means us, even more than it means you). And we believe that Christ offers hope to all who desire change. In short, we believe that Christ is vitally important, and the sole criteria for whether someone is in or out as a follower of Christ is their attitude towards Jesus, towards his word, towards fellow pilgrims. Everything else is secondary.
In the same breath, we note that Jesus himself was patient with people who were still trying to figure out what they thought about him, probably because he knew that faith is often a process. So Christ welcomed those who didn't believe - he hung out with "sinners", he went to their parties, he shared their joy and tears. Christ invited the undecided to check him out, not from afar, but up close; not because they agreed with him, but simply because they were people whom God loved.
Consequently, anyone is welcome as a friend in our community, regardless of their spiritual convictions (or lack thereof). The sole criteria is that you be human, be yourself. Jesus valued authenticity, and so do we. So welcome, one and all. We look forward to getting to know you.
