Reconciliation action is everyone’s business

The Lutheran Church of Australia’s vision for reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians is inspired by the gospel of reconciliation in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

That vision, as expressed in the LCA Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Vision Statement 2020, is ‘to bring to life an expression of our ministry that helps all peoples understand, value and respect the histories, cultures, lands and contributions of First Nations peoples; to recognise and honour our common humanity and for equity in opportunity to flourish, so together we can grow as God’s people’.

On a personal level, our life as Christians calls us to do this as we express ourselves as God’s children in our relationships with one another. We serve and are served equally, as we all were created and baptised in Jesus’ name.

The church’s commitment at General Synod in 2018 to embark on a RAP is a pledge to use a tailor-made planning tool to assist in our journey of reconciliation. A RAP focuses on actions that break down unfamiliarity about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their histories, cultures, connection to land and contributions, in particular as they relate to our church.

There are three core pillars to any RAP – relationships, respect and opportunities.

Reconciliation is a journey, not a destination. It is the good news of Jesus’ saving love that makes reconciliation everybody’s business and our mission to share that gospel invites us to share this journey.

You can follow the progress of the RAP at www.rap.lca.org.au

• Visit www.lca.org.au/spread-the-word to find promotional materials (bulletin inserts, A5 flyers, PowerPoint slides and social media posts) to help you spread the word about our Story of the Week.
• Read the full Story of the Week and other stories like it in The Lutheran. 11 editions/year. Only $45 (Aust), $47 (NZ). Gift subscriptions available. To subscribe: online www.thelutheran.com.au email lutheran.subs@lca.org.au phone 08 8360 7270