MISSION STATEMENT
Image Credit: Ireashia Bennett, Ellen Hao
In October 2022, the Session of The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago adopted the following Mission Statement:
The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, a family of faith in the heart of South Side, is called by God to care for community and culture through sustained proclamation of the Gospel, fostering an equitable food system, and supporting the arts in our community.
Additionally, our congregation identified the following core values to guide our life together:
SOLIDARITY: understanding that our neighbor’s liberation is our liberation
COMMUNITY: nurturing a profoundly diverse and reconciled body of members, friends, partners, and allies
FREEDOM: protecting the dignity and honoring the autonomy of conscience and choice in every individual
PEACE: anchoring our labor and rest in trust of God’s sovereignty, providence, and unconditional love
LOVE: as God is love, joyfully and humbly making room in our hearts for one another and welcoming every person
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The “Mission” of the church is a statement of the community’s sense of purpose. It’s supposed to answer the question, “Why does your church even exist?”
As Frederick Buechner put it, we are striving to identify the places where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger.
We have cherished three core values ever since we were organized in 1833: justice, education, and care for our community. These are the lenses we use to interpret our Mission Statements as they evolve and change.
If you think our Mission aligns with a project you are building (or dreaming of building) let us know. We love to collaborate, and have many gifts to bring to the table.
