What We Believe

At St. John United Church of Christ, our faith may be 2100 years old, but our thinking is not. As part of the United Church of Christ, we believe in God’s continuing testament.

This is why we are committed to hearing God’s story anew and afresh in our lives and in the world today. We try to remain attentive to God’s creative movement in the world. For instance, we recognize that religion and science are not mutually exclusive, so your head and heart are both welcomed in our worship.

We embrace all kinds of communities and new modes of thinking because God is still speaking.

St. John theology affirms the Bible as the authoritative witness to the Word of God, the creeds of the ecumenical councils, and the confessions of the Reformation. As a member of the Illinois South Conference of the United Church of Christ, St. John affirms that the settings of the church (local congregations, conferences and associations, and national ministries of the General Synod) are bound to one another in covenant by God.

As part of the United Church of Christ, St. John emphasizes six important beliefs:
• We are people of God's extravagant welcome
• We belong to Christ
• We are a people of covenant, a united and uniting church
• We are one at baptism and the table
• We thank God by working for a just and loving world
• We listen for the still-speaking God

Additionally, as a participant in the Illinois South Conference, St. John:
• Strives to enrich the faith formation and spiritual lives of its members.
• Challenges members to engage, nurture, and learn from our youth and young adults.
• Encourages members to practice new forms of evangelism for new times.
• Unites with our brothers and sisters across the wider church, and ecumenically, in the pursuit of justice and peace.
• Promotes a diverse, loving, welcoming Christian presence in our communities.
• Encourages generous giving of our financial resources, as well as the other gifts God has afforded us, and we encourage participation in all our mission outreach.