Our PRINCIPLES

Redeemer UCC is composed of a wide variety of people from many backgrounds but we focus on three fundamental principles.

Inclusivity

  • You are not a number at Redeemer. Everyone is included as a valued person in our community.
  • We welcome the LGBTQ+ community and are an Open and Affirming Church.
  • We advocate for mental health justice by becoming a WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive and Engaged ) congregation.

Community

  • We host and participate in local events like Community Book Studies, National Night Out, Sussex and Pewaukee Food Pantry Collection, Narcan Training and more.
  • We open our doors to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), and actively participate in Lutheran Social Services Refugee Programs.

Connection

  • We embrace our connection to the earth and all creatures.
  • We maintain 10 acres of property, including 4 acres of prairie that sustains life for pollinators and other wildlife.
  • We collect plastic for recycling. So far, we’ve recycled over 4,000 pounds of plastic.

 

WE BELIEVE ...

  • the triune God Creator, resurrected Christ, the sole Head of the church, and the Holy Spirit, who guides and brings about the creative and redemptive work of God in the world.
  • Each person is unique and valuable and it is the will of God that every person belongs to a family of faith where they have a strong sense of being valued and loved.
  • Each person is on a spiritual journey and that each of us is at a different stage of that journey.
  • The persistent search for God produces an authentic relationship with God engendering love, strengthening faith, dissolving guilt, and giving life purpose and direction.
  • All of the baptized 'belong body and soul to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.' No matter who - no matter what - no matter where we are on life's journeIny - notwithstanding race, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, class or creed - we all belong to God and to one worldwide community of faith. All persons baptized - past, present and future - are connected to each other and to God through the sacrament of baptism. We baptize during worship when the community is present because baptism includes the community's promise to 'love, support and care' for the baptized - and we promise that we won't take it back - no matter where your journey leads you.
  • All people of faith are invited to join Christ at Christ's table for the sacrament of Communion. Just as many grains of wheat are gathered to make one loaf of bread and many grapes are gathered to make one cup of wine, we, the many people of God, are made one in the body of Christ, the church. The breaking of bread and the pouring of wine remind us of the costliness of Christ's sacrifice and the discipleship to which we are all called. In the breaking of bread, we remember and celebrate Christ's presence among us along with a 'cloud of witnesses' – our ancestors, family and friends who have gone before us. It is a great mystery; we claim it by faith.
  • The UCC is called to be a united and uniting church. "That they may all be one." (John 17:21) "In essentials–unity, in nonessentials–diversity, in all things–charity," These UCC mottos survive because they touch core values deep within us. The UCC has no rigid formulation of doctrine or attachment to creeds or structures. Its overarching creed is love. UCC pastors and teachers are known for their commitment to excellence in theological preparation, interpretation of the scripture and justice advocacy. Even so, love and unity in the midst of our diversity are our greatest assets.
  • God calls us to be servants in the service of others and to be good stewards of the earth's resources. 'To believe is to care; to care is to do.'
  • The UCC is called to be a prophetic church as in the tradition of the prophets and apostles, God calls the church to speak truth to power, liberate the oppressed, care for the poor and comfort the afflicted.
  • We believe in the power of peace and work for nonviolent solutions to local, national and international problems.
  • We are a people of possibility. In the UCC, members, congregations and structures have the breathing room to explore and to hear...for after all, God is Still speaking.

Never place a period where God has placed a comma.

We believe the church's mission is to change lives —individually, systemically and globally. We work to make transformation possible, but trust in God's grace. This is why we insist that church must be a place of vitality in worship, learning and advocacy. We are committed to working for justice, and we believe that lives are changed through global experiences and friendships. Why? Because God is still speaking.

Redeemer's Open and Affirming Covenant