Our Mission
“Share God’s teachings through worship, prayer, and ministries while striving to continue the work of Jesus Christ by treating all with compassion and kindness and helping those in need.”
God calls us at Christ Church U.C.C. through Jesus Christ to learn, live, and share God’s Word in our homes, church, community, and the world. At our service, lay people play active roles as part of the music experience, such as liturgists, lectors, ushers, and greeters. We invite you to share our worship experience, rich heritage, wonderful music program, and many activities.
We are part of The United Church of Christ (U.C.C.) denomination, a distinct and diverse community of Christians that come together as one church to join faith and action. With over 5,000 churches and nearly one million members across the U.S., the U.C.C. serves God in co-creating a just and sustainable world. The U.C.C. is a denomination of firsts, a church of extravagant welcome, and a church where “…they may all be one” (John 17:21).
We are part of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ and the Chicago Metropolitan Association.
Our Vision
Make a lasting difference in our lives, community, and world
ONA (Open and Affirming) Covenant
Christ Church U.C.C. Des Plaines is an Open and Affirming congregation, embracing diversity and affirming the dignity and worth of every person. Because we are all created in God’s image, we welcome into full membership and participation in the Body of Christ persons of every race, ethnic background, age, gender identity and expression (cisgender, transgender, nonbinary, genderfluid, etc.), sexual orientation (straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, etc.), physical or mental ability, background, marital status, and faith background. We welcome all to share in the life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, sacraments, responsibilities, and blessings of participation in this congregation.
Definitions for reference:
Cisgender: having a gender identity the same as your sex assigned at birth.
Transgender: an umbrella term meaning having a gender identity other than your sex assigned at birth (including male, female, nonbinary, genderfluid, and others).
Straight: a sexual identity where someone is attracted to people of the other binary gender than themself.
Gay/Lesbian: a sexual identity where someone is attracted to people of the same gender as themself.
Bisexual: a sexual identity where you are attracted to 2 or more genders.
Pansexual: a sexual identity where you are attracted to people of all genders or sometimes attracted to someone regardless of their gender.
Christ Church U.C.C. became an open and affirming WISE congregation after a formal vote at its annual meeting on February 26, 2023.
WISE Covenant for Mental Health
We, Christ Church U.C.C., know we are graced by the gifts of all our members. We include those living with mental health challenges such as, but not limited to, mental illnesses, addictions, and trauma. We know these challenges can profoundly disturb our feelings, thoughts, and behavior. We are hopeful that, like a WISE task force member who joined due to her lack of knowledge of the issues mentioned above, others will do the same to gain insight and help with understanding.
The gift of vulnerability brought to the table by those who lack knowledge is inspiring and provides hope. Pushing forward through the example made by the WISE task force member where others welcomed, supported, and engaged with them to grow in wisdom about mental illness, advocacy was inclusive, bringing more than one view to the table. Having a diverse group of task force members who brought their knowledge, journey living with mental illness, and lack of knowledge is but one small way to inspire others to come to The Table with open hearts, open minds, open eyes, and open ears to create a more just world in destigmatizing mental health awareness and illness.
We affirm the deep and constant movement of God’s Holy Spirit, seeking to bring us to the fullness of life. We believe that all people are beloved by God. As Jesus said, the greatest commandment is to ” Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus included all people in this commandment – without partiality or distinction.
Sometimes, people with mental health challenges feel cut off from God and unincluded. It is our calling, then, to communicate to all such individuals that God loves all of us, even when we do not feel the love of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Those with mental health challenges have gifts to offer our faith community. We aim to include them by fully welcoming, including, supporting, and engaging in our church’s life, work, and leadership.
Our call to action is this:
We pledge to create a welcoming environment for people with mental health challenges and their families by:
- Educating ourselves and others to understand issues surrounding mental health challenges. We plan to have activities held throughout the year based on the needs of the congregation and the community.
- Keep a pulse on the congregation’s current needs and plan support and education accordingly.
- Working to reduce mental health stigma, both within our church and in our community.
- Actively welcoming those with mental health challenges into our faith community and providing a safe environment where people can tell their stories and share their journeys.
We pledge to include people with mental health challenges in the life, work, and leadership of the congregation by:
- Committing to the recruiting, nominating, and supporting of persons with mental health challenges to serve on teams and in leadership positions within the congregation.
- Pledging to be open to hiring persons with mental health challenges.
We pledge to support people in our congregation who have mental health challenges and their families by:
- Reaching out to those dealing with mental health challenges, like those living with physical challenges.
- Offering companionship and compassion for individuals and families living with mental health challenges.
We pledge to engage with other organizations working at the intersection of mental health and faith by:
- Welcoming and encouraging outside groups who deal with mental health challenges to use our church facilities.
- Engaging with other organizations to find opportunities to be in shared mission, ministry, and advocacy together.
- We will be mental health advocates for the community and invite them to join us in ministry.
The hope is that through God’s guidance, Christ Church UCC will be passionate about mental health awareness by advocating God’s love and call to our church community and the community at large for an inclusive church and world.
Christ Church U.C.C. Des Plaines: A Welcoming Community
Embracing Diversity: Christ Church U.C.C. Des Plaines proudly affirms the dignity and worth of every person. We are a member congregation listed on GayChurch.org, reflecting our commitment to inclusivity.
Supporting Wellbeing: We warmly welcome all and actively support mental health initiatives within our community.
Join Us: Discover a vibrant and affirming spiritual home.