What is Radical Welcoming?
Radical welcoming is a way of deeply and intentionally bringing someone into a physical or conceptual space. A radical welcome gives the sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself. Not only have you been invited into a physical place, but you have been invited to be part of the group. We not only have accepted someone that comes to the door, but we go out and seek people who might need an invitation to become part of something.
Radical welcoming asks a lot of the welcomer. We ask that a welcomer:
- is Honest about who they are and where they are in their journey
- is Openminded and accepting that this welcomed person could be an asset
- is Willing to accept a person where they are at
The painting in the image above was created by Michele Boshar specifically for Down By Riverside, to help communicate the idea of Radical Welcoming.