things that are important to us…
First and foremost, we care about our neighborhood and the people here. We understand the Edison neighborhood as a whole has often been discounted, passed over, and treated poorly due to many factors, largely related to the rate of poverty here. We seek to fight against prejudice, and we work to magnify and promote the gift that our neighborhood is, the unique culture that makes us so beautiful and special, and all the good that happens here.
Throughout Scripture, we see God the Father often taking the side of the outcast, and during Jesus’ life, He spent much of His time fighting against injustice and looking out for those oppressed, especially those oppressed by the religious leaders of the day. We follow God’s footsteps, and within our neighborhood, we are passionate to fight against oppression in all forms. Through active discovery, listening, and paying attention, we learn, and as we know better, we do better. In our shortcomings, we look to God’s power of love to grow more in us as we continue to progress each day. And we look to each other as divine image bearers to show us more of God.
We see and believe Black and Brown people are treated with more injustice than white people, and we oppose that. We intentionally build our leadership teams with racial and social diversity, and we believe more than offering a place at the table, it is valuable and good to have many different voices in decision-making positions.
We are grieved that LGBTQIA+ people have been oppressed and ostracized by much of the church, and we want to have no part in furthering that religious trauma. If you are queer and have experienced pain at the hands of Jesus-followers, we are sorry. We recognize ally-ship as a verb, and we need you in our family if we are to have a more complete understanding of who God is. We wholly embrace and respect exactly who you are with no wish to change you, and we want you to find acceptance and belonging in all the life and ministry of Edison Chapel. No asterisks.
We understand that many people who have walked in faith for a long time are in a journey of deconstruction, and we want Chapel to be a safe place for doubt, questions, and curiosity. We don’t desire to use the Bible as a weapon, and we accept that there is always more for each of us to learn about God. It is often in our wonder and in our searching that we see more of God’s divine character revealed.
We acknowledge a rise in gun violence in our neighborhood, and we work actively to combat it. We look to the expert leadership of those fighting at Urban Alliance and partner with them for our weekly chess club as one avenue for help.
We want everyone to have a safe place to call home, and through Edison Initiatives we work to offer good, affordable, responsible housing for those who have never owned a home before.
We acknowledge the pain of addiction, and we don’t need anyone to “get it together” before attending our chapel services or joining our community. We strive to walk alongside those struggling with mental health and the effects of trauma as a sanctuary of love and healing.
We understand our faith is not something we came up with, but it is something that has been handed down to us through the Holy Spirit in many people who came before. We honor tradition by engaging in sacraments like communion and baptism in a fresh way, singing songs that are older than any of us along with new songs written specifically by us, and praying prayers that have been used in the church for centuries.
At the same time, we are aware of the pain that has been caused in the name of tradition and as we have inherited our faith, we hope to reject bad roots that have grown into it and pass down to future generations a faith that looks closer to what Jesus had in mind when He called us to follow Him.
We take Jesus’ words seriously, and we desire to walk in genuine love and passion for justice as we remain a simple, sustainable church, empowering the Edison neighborhood with His love.
what we envision
a simple, sustainable church that empowers the neighborhood with the love of Jesus.
how we work to make it real…
We create and implement empowering experiences and endeavors that bring peace and prosperity to our neighbors.
EXPERIENCES. gentle, welcoming worship; traditional Christian practices; teaching out of the Bible; and discipleship opportunities that promote peace, kindness, justice, and generational faith
ENDEAVORS. innovative neighborhood initiatives that preserve dignity, promote generosity, and provide opportunities for personal, family, and neighborhood transformation
what we believe…
our beliefs have been handed down to us from Christians who lived long ago. we believe what the church has believed from the beginning. the simplest summation of these beliefs can be found in the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed.
THE APOSTLE’S CREED (390 A.D.)
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.
THE NICENE CREED (325 A.D.)
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of the same essence as the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven; He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come.
Amen.
