Spirit of Grace is a dual-denominational congregation, and belongs to both the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Mission Statement: To be a vital, forward-thinking congregation that lives into God’s call to love the world by embodying service, change, and mutual-relationships with one another and our community.
Vision Statement: To be agents of change, called to serve as God’s Living Bridge, connecting community with God’s grace so that all may know God’s unending mercy, abundant love, and radical welcome to all people, just as they are.
Welcome Statement
At Spirit of Grace, we believe that the love of God knows no bounds; that every person is beloved by God, bearing the image of the Divine. We affirm the inherent goodness of all of God’s children, many of whom have so often been prohibited from being their whole, authentic selves in God’s church on earth. We welcome persons of any and every race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.
We lament the harm that the greater Church has committed against marginalized communities, and are working to take intentional steps towards repair and reconciliation with these communities. Our faith moves us to commit ourselves to the work of racial equity and anti-racism, as we strive to create a world that more closely resembles God’s promised Kingdom. We long to be a community of people from all walks of life, made up of every age, race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, marital status, physical and mental ability, education, and faith history. We will not tolerate views that promote hatred or exclusion, nor will we allow conflict over differences to divide us. We believe that we are all growing into the fullness of who God wants us to become, and strive to practice grace with one another as we learn and grow.
We believe that God calls us all to be one in Christ, united in our uniqueness and diversity. Whoever you are, and wherever you are in your journey of faith, you are loved by God and welcome here at Spirit of Grace.
This Welcome Statement was written for our congregation by our Welcoming Church Team, and was adopted by the church in a congregational meeting on October 29th, 2023. We are now proud to call ourselves an Open & Affirming congregation, and are registered with our denominational organizations:
Reconciling Ministries Network (UMC)
Guiding Values
1. Abundant Love & Radical Welcome
We believe that sharing the abundant love of God is a central part of our Christian Identity, and we are called to live out the radical welcome that Jesus taught us through his ministry on earth.
2. Honoring Tradition & Embracing Change
We honor the traditions of the past, including that of our Lutheran and Methodist heritages, while also knowing that we must seek out and embrace change in order to grow and become the church God longs for us to be in this world.
3. Repentance & Reconciliation
We acknowledge the hurt, harm, and abuse that the Church has perpetrated in the past, and are committed to repenting for our role in that, and taking concrete steps towards reconciliation with historically marginalized communities.
4. Community & Relationship
We are committed to living in community and being in intentional relationship with one another and our neighbors, living in mutual-relationship as Christ taught us.
5. Listening & Learning
We know that we do not hold all the answers, and are committed to listening and learning from a wide variety of people, communities, and sources so that we might develop a greater understanding of humanity, creation, and the Divine.
6. Stewardship & Service
We believe that we are called to give of ourselves for the sake of our neighbor and the world, that we might be God’s hands and feet on earth, giving of ourselves and using our unique talents to serve our communities.
7. Living Word & Holy Sacrament
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God and came to reconcile humanity to our Creator, giving us the Holy Sacraments of Baptism and Communion through which to encounter and be changed by the Triune God.
8. Simultaneously Saint & Sinner
We believe that no human is fully perfect – and yet we are fully redeemed and restored by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, set free from our bondage to sin to live our lives dedicated to God and to our neighbor.