Peace Covenant

Grinnell UCC adopted the following Peace Covenant January 27, 1988:
“Our faith is anchored in the living God.
We believe that existence has meaning, that life has purpose, that persons are of infinite value, and that we live in health only as we live as members one with another.
We believe that human differences can be resolved by negotiation in a forgiving spirit and that strife, violence, and war are contrary to the will of God.
We believe that the life-renewing spirit of Jesus is our guide and answer for all living.
We hold it to be the mission of the church of Christ to work and pray for the peace that is beyond the absence of war, and we commit ourselves, with the help of God, to accomplish God’s healing purpose in the world. Amen.”

LGBTQ Affirming

In 2001 Grinnell UCC became an Open and Affirming congregation, joining a nationwide movement that fully embraces LGBTQ persons and families into the life and leadership of the church. Today our congregation strives to be a deliberately inclusive body of youth, college students, families, and elders who represent the beauty and diversity of God’s creation. Each Sunday before worship we remind ourselves of our calling to become a church that includes everyone with no mind to sexual orientation or gender expression by repeating a common refrain, “No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.”

Care for Creation

Acting on our church’s historic commitments to social justice, we wish to confront squarely the moral challenge of climate change.  We see climate change as our most pressing concern for social justice as it threatens the livelihood of the poor around the world and imperils the existence of our planet in the future.  We are committed to opportunities for further learning and growth, we appeal to our membership to examine the carbon footprint of our households, and we routinely undertake an environmental study of our building.