Fifth Christian Church's

Values, Vision and Mission

Our Values

Love - We are all made in God's image and likeness, and we rejoice in the fact that God loves us, all of us, just as we are! God's love for humanity is unearned by us and is unconditionally available for us, and through it, God cares for us, God provides for us, God forgives us. All of this and more is why we value love and believe it to be essential to living the faith with integrity. (I Corinthians 13)

Unity - In the life of the church, unity is not something we voted on; it is something that we are! It's a built-in reality of the faith, a gift from God in Christ. Simply put, from denominations such as the Anglicans all the way to various Methodists, in Christ, we are one! Through Christ, we have diversity within our unity. In addition, regardless of whether one has a PhD or "no D," we are one in Christ, and everybody is somebody! To be sure, by the grace of God, we are strong and proud African American Christians with a history and set of perspectives that are as valuable as those of any other group. In addition, we know that when the perspectives and gifts of all of God's children are utilized with integrity, we are better able to glorify God and work constructively for the common good. (John 17)

Holiness - We are not just a microcosm of society! We belong to God, and by God's grace, we are God's people, designed to live in sacred, responsible relationship with God in order that we might live for God in the tradition of Jesus Christ. We are called by God to pray often, study the scriptures, worship God in sincerity, and be people who possess strong Christ-like character, employ sound judgment and who strive to embody the very presence of God in all relationships and dealings.  (Hebrews 12:14-15)

Justice - God is the architect of justice and the framer of righteousness! God has always heard the cries of people whose lives and futures have been held hostage by arenas of arrogance, systems of shame, barriers of bigotry and harbors of humiliation. In addition to hearing their cries, God has always inspired women and men (Moses, Esther, Isaiah, Harriet Tubman,  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr ., Caesar Chavez, Dorothy Day and more) to speak out and stand up against social wrongs while organizing marching and working for social, human and civil rights. God calls for justice in individual relationships as well as within societal relationships. In valuing justice, we feel called to be agents of God in helping to make wrong relationships and systems, right. (Luke 4:16-21) 

Ubuntu - From the Bantu languages of Southern Africa (see Ubuntu Philosophy from Wikipedia ), ubuntu expresses the idea that humans are meant to be deliberate in caring for each other and in building relationships characterized by respect, harmony, justice and forgiveness. If our neighbor is in need or has been victimized, those who practice ubuntu work to restore the neighbor, be hospitable to him or her, and justly mend relationships that have been broken or strained because we believe, fundamentally, that we need each other. (Inspired also by the book titled, "How Can I Forgive: A Study of Forgiveness" by Joretta L. Marshall, Abingdon Press,  Nashville, TN , 2005, chapter 2) 

Our Vision

As an African American congregation in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Fifth Christian Church intends to be a growing, Holy Spirit-driven body, open to all, with praise-filled, intergenerational worship, and ecumenical connections; that teaches the Christian faith in ways that are biblically driven, and culturally and politically conscious; and that sends people out to make disciples while working for peace and justice in the liberating name of Jesus the Christ.

Our Mission

By the grace of God, Fifth Christian Church will humbly yet without apology share the life-changing, systems-transforming love of God through bringing people to Jesus; caring for children and youth, the poor and the sick; and challenging unjust systems and practices so that people living as close to us as Cleveland's Lee-Harvard area, across the United States, and all the way to Africa might achieve their Kingdom of God potential. (Micah 6:1-8; Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 4:16-21; Acts 1.1-8)

Our 2008 Mission Priorities

Worship -- God is the sovereign creating, redeeming and sustaining Holy One who is worthy of our allegiance, loyalty and honor. We praise God because God has been good to us, God is good to us, and God will be good to us. Through 2008 worship services, individual and churchwide prayer and Bible study, and making disciples, we will endeavor to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Outreach --  Our lives testify that God has blessed us with gifts and talents, resources and abilities that we use to strengthen Fifth Christian Church, and to touch the lives of people in our community and beyond it, in ways that reveal the love and light of Christ. In 2008, we will work to meet basic human needs of food and shelter while actively doing justice ministries, in concert with others, that address the root causes of hunger, homelessness and unemployment. We will work to show love and support to persons affected by HIV/AIDS and domestic violence, while developing reciprocal relationships with our sisters and brothers on the African continent.

Unity -- In 2008, we will commit ourselves to the kinds of ministries, activities and relationships that bring all of our members together and enables the gifts of all to be used for the common good. As we model unity, we hope our community, broken in many ways, will see the hope that unity promises. To quote a great hymn of the church, "We will work with each other, we will work side by side, and we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride." (From the hymn, "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love.")