Christian Community is a small and rather entrepreneurial nonprofit organization. Our mission is to strengthen the health of congregations and the communities in which they are located, helping extend ministries of love, service, justice, and healing to persons in need. As a part of that work, we encourage congregations to be involved with community organizations that are concerned with human need and human rights. We have been able to work cooperatively with several major denominations, and over 20,000 congregations from over 40 different denominational traditions have cooperated with us on research projects and/or used resources that we have developed.
While our organizational name indicates a Christian orientation, our work is not sectarian in nature. We work cooperatively with Christian, Jewish, Unitarian, and Islamic congregations.
Our research and program development in hospitality, church growth, stewardship (including environmental concerns), and youth and sexuality have earned considerable respect; and we have a very good record on disseminating the results of our work to clergy and congregations, where the information can have impact.
If you are interested in the kind of work we are doing, you may also want to check out our companion organizations:
The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing is a part of Christian Community but maintains its own identity and projects focused on the relationship between religion and sexuality. Their website offers lots of helpful information, and you can also sign up for an electronic newsletter.
New Life Ministries is a partner of ours involved in church vitality, especially evangelism and church growth. Our Outreach Director, Kristen Leverton Helbert, also serves as the Director of New Life Ministries. The New Life Ministries website contains many practical tips for creating healthy, growing congregations.
Many Voices envisions a day when churches are known for their warm welcome of all people, without exception. As Christian Community's partner, this organization's mission is to empower Protestant pastors and church members to include and affirm lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people as an expression of God’s unconditional love. ManyVoices.org offers high-quality, accessible worship resources; educational tools for adults, children, and youth; and a safe place to ask questions, to learn, and to take new steps into the full celebration of our common humanity.
BelieveOutLoud.com is a trans-denominational movement that promotes LGBT-inclusion in the Christian church. Believe Out Loud is a project of Intersections International, a New York-based global initiative working toward justice, reconciliation and peace across lines of faith, culture, ideology, race, class, national borders and other boundaries that divide humanity.
We also have the honor of working closely with persons from the Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine Section on Christian Community's Our Whole Lives initiative.