Below is an unaltered statement of the former pastor if the church I am serving, my congregation. The pastor wrote this statement to say that anyone is welcome to come through the doors. The congregation did not make it an official statement of the church to not pigeon hole me (the new guy) into something that they did not necessarily believe in. I whole heartedly agree with this statement and would love to see it adopted at all congregations. Everyone is welcome here, because none of us are good enough. None of us would be able to stand if not for Jesus.
So I invite your comments on this statement.
We at Hosanna proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and the new life he brings. We welcome all to join with us in our journey of faith.
May God give us the grace to welcome and forgive one another as Christ has welcomed and forgiven us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son to die for it.” (John 3:16)
We want it to be known that “we are justified by the grace of God, which is a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 3:20)
We want it to be known that those of different nationality, ethnicity, culture and heritage are welcome here.
We want it to be known that those who suffer from addiction to drugs and alcohol (whether they are recovering or not) and their families are welcome here.
We want it to be known that women and children are welcome here and that they will not be harassed or abused.
We want it to be known that in this congregation you can bring children to worship and, even if they cry during the entire service, they are welcome here.
We want it to be known that those who are single by choice, by divorce, or through the death of a spouse are welcome here.
We want it to be known that if you are promiscuous, have had an abortion, or have fathered children and taken no responsibility for them, you are welcome here.
We want it to be known that gossips, cheats, liars, and their families are welcome here.
We want it to be known that those who are disobedient to their parents and who have family problems are welcome here.
We want it to be known that gays, lesbians, and members of their families are welcome here.
We want it to be known that we offer hope to the hurting, refreshment to the ones who are tired, encouragement to those who are overworked in busy lives and renewal to the people who are “burned out.”
We want it to be known that we take seriously the apostle Paul’s statement, “all have sinned and fall short to the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The young and the old, the rich and the poor, all of the broken are welcome here.
We offer welcome here because we believe that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly,” (Romans 5:8) that is, us. Christ did not die for us after we showed signs of “getting it all together.” Christ loved us and still loves us while we are yet sinners. Sinners are welcome here, sinners like you and me and our neighbors. Let us not condemn the world, but let us proclaim God’s forgiveness and grace to a broken and hurting world.
We want it to be known that, since we are a sinful people, we will not always be as quick to welcome as we should. Let us be quick to admit our sin and seek forgiveness.
We want it to be known that we do not think that we have all of the answers. We are merely travelers on the journey. We invite you to join us as fellow travelers in the journey. You are welcome and are invited to join us as we seek God’s grace together.
aSacredRebel 
Pastor Jerry,How truely and whole-heartedly does your congregation believe and embrace this statement? It is a very empowering and moving statement if the congregation truely believes and embodies all of these things. Or, was it the beliefs of the former pastor only?“Someone looking for a home”
Someone looking for a home,I would be lying if I said everyone in our congregation felt this way. I am not able to speak fully for the membership of my congregation, however, I can speak for my self.I truly do believe this statement, and I believe that this is something this congregation could fully embrace. There are some in the congregation who can affirm this statement. However the one thing we have to remember is we are all human, and as the statement says, “We want it to be known that, since we are a sinful people, we will not always be as quick to welcome as we should. Let us be quick to admit our sin and seek forgiveness.” Know that if you need a home, I will welcome you, and this congregation will welcome you, yet in our humanness we may not make it clear. The most important thing for you to know is that God welcomes you, and since this is one of God’s congregations you are welcome.I invite you to join us and see if you are welcome.The former pastor did write this, but I am working to get this accepted as a statement we as a congregation up hold and believe in. It will take some time, but maybe with your help this can be a truly open and welcoming congregation.