Grace Church: Living in Community, Growing in Christ, Serving in the World

Grace Church, which belongs to the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, has developed this three-part mission to guide its decisions and activities. This mission is our members’ response to the Gospel and recognition of the most important aspects of Grace. Each area is described below:

Living in Community

At Grace, “community” means embracing those within our church family and welcoming those who seek to learn more about Christ. That’s why we have an active lay preaching ministry, expanding the voices and perspectives heard during Sunday worship. It also means our Liturgy Committee strives to develop a worship experience that is affirming, uplifting and inclusive to all.

Growing In Christ

Christians aren’t born—they are made! And in order to live out our mission, it’s important to develop understanding of what it means to be a Christian in today’s chaotic world. That’s why we offer age-appropriate formation classes for children and a range of adult Christian formation programs designed to help make connections between the Gospel and everyday life. These range from series of small-group classes to interfaith book discussions to after-church trips to the Art Institute to view and learn about historic works with Christian connections.

Serving in the World

The Bible says that faith without works means nothing – and that’s why we at Grace demonstrate our Christian commitment through service.  Grace members volunteer at a Saturday breakfast for hungry neighbors and twice a year create ‘GraceCares Packs’ to share with homeless neighbors. The Packs are a compact re-usable pouch containing a pair of socks, small toothbrush+toothpaste, lip balm, other compact travel size items like tissues, soap, shampoo and lotion, as well as 8 quarters for laundry or CTA fare.  This call also manifests itself through Grace’s connection to the Chicago South Loop Campus Ministry, which aims to reach the hearts, minds and souls of the burgeoning college population living in our community.

Our Values

We believe in God who is within, around and beyond us. We claim God’s power to transform and sustain us as agents of justice and peace in the world.

We are committed to the ministries of the laity and the clergy. This is evident in Biblical preaching, life-giving sacraments and congregational prayer. We claim our vocations and commit ourselves to leadership in worship, participation in the life of the church, and individual and communal transformation through spiritual discipline and action.

We welcome and affirm an inclusive and diverse community. We celebrate the gifts of individuals regardless of race, background, sexual orientation, gender expression or wealth or lack of it. We support each other on our lifelong spiritual journeys. We seek to be inclusive in our worship language, attitudes and actions.