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Crossroads United Church of Christ Indianola, Iowa an open and affirming congregation Worshiping at Smith Chapel on the Simpson College campus
Pastor: Rev. Julia Tipton Rendon |
"You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope." -Thomas Merton
Peeling back the layers
i just realized
that in my imagination
the wilderness is always somewhere else;
a foreign landscape i actively have to enter
in the act of being faithful.
truthfully,
the wilderness is always where i am
right now
and faith is the courage to stay with it
when i’d rather pretend i am
anywhere else.
~ written by Cheryl Lawrie and posted on [hold this space]. http://holdthisspace.org.au/
Mark 13: 28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
Here we were at Easter breakfast!
What we believe
The United Church of Christ is a non-creedal church. It is the responsibility of every member to work toward a coherent and informed faith.
The United Church of Christ embraces a theological heritage that affirms the Bible as the authoritative witness to the Word of God, the creeds of the ecumenical councils, and the confessions of the Reformation. The UCC has roots in the "covenantal" tradition—meaning there is no centralized authority or hierarchy that can impose any doctrine or form of worship on its members. Christ alone is Head of the church. We seek a balance between freedom of conscience and accountability to the apostolic faith. The UCC therefore receives the historic creeds and confessions of our ancestors as testimonies, but not tests of the faith.
Want some links to scientific information about climate change? Go to our Links page!
Some of what we do at Crossroads
We serve two meals a month at the Catholic Worker House in Des Moines.
We also serve a free meal on the last Thursday of every month at the county administration building. We find that eating together in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere feeds more than just the body.
We micro-lend to small business owners through Kiva. We have lent about $21,000 to help people start or expand businesses!
We are a Jubilee Congregation, supporting efforts to serve, protect and promote economic participation by the most vulnerable. Find out more about Jubilee here!
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PIE Group meets Sunday nights to discuss a book or film and eat pie, at the home of one of our members.
All who have time and inclination after coffee hour and cleanup on Sunday go out for lunch somewhere cheap and not too unhealthful.
We visit our friends at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota every summer.
Listen to a chant from the Byzantine tradition, sung and recorded by Lindsay Richter!
About Crossroads UCC
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Crossroads United Church of Christ is an open and affirming congregation of the Iowa Conference of the United Church of Christ. We believe that we are called by God, as Christians, to gather people into community, build them in a relationship with God, and send them into ministry.
We try to make our congregation a place where you can be yourself, and we believe that the practice of hospitality helps us to learn the mind of God.
We are "the church you didn't know you were looking for"--a small but active congregation that is focused on mission, spiritual growth, and community involvement--that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Visitors are always welcome. If you're looking for a church home, or if you're just curious, please come worship with us!
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PO Box 811, Indianola IA 50125
tel.: 515-961-9370
email: pastor *at* crossroadsucc *dot* org
The Rev. Julia Rendon
Where to find us
We are in Indianola, Iowa, a community of 14,000 just 12 miles south of Des Moines on Highway 65/69.
Crossroads UCC does not own a building. We meet in Dirlam Lounge in Smith Chapel of Simpson College. Here is a campus map.
Here is a Mapquest map.
Worship and Sunday School
Sunday School for all ages begins at 9:30 during the school year, and worship is at 10:30.
We have a Safe Church policy for our Sunday School and youth programming.
Hey, spiritual seekers!
I hope we're clear here: we are a church that doesn't care what your sexual orientation or gender identity is. It's all good. Also we think Islam is a beautiful religion, and we don't want to convert anybody. If you suspect that "us against them" is not a good position from which to design your life, come on down!
How to contact your legislators and other legislative information: Go to our "Links" page.
A good resource for learning about dismantling racism is here.