You are welcome here!

St. John’s United Church of Christ is a progressive Christian community with deep roots and open arms, striving to build a just world for all through extravagant hospitality, authentic community, reverent worship, and passionate activism.
You are invited and welcomed to participate in the full life and ministry of St. John's UCC whatever your race, age, sex, marital status, financial status, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, or ability.
St. John’s is an Open and Affirming congregation.

St. John’s United Church of Christ is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are a member church of the United Church of Christ in the Grand West Association of the Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Our Mission

It is the mission of this congregation to live God's presence, love our neighbors, and practice the values of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Our Vision

Seeking the fulfillment of the Realm of God already in our midst, St. John's United Church of Christ envisions a just and peaceful community.

Our Values

JESUS: The path of Jesus is found wherever people love God, neighbor, and self.

GOD'S WORD: God's word begins with the bible and continues to be heard through prayer, study and reflection, the discernment of the Christian community, and attending to God's activity in our world.

FAMILY: We are mindful that our relationship with God brings us into relationships with others by blood and by choice who are also in relationship with God.

BENEVOLENCE: We care for people who experience oppression and poverty, physically, mentally or spiritually within our faith community and among our neighbors through acts of charity and advocacy.

INCLUSION: We accept all people as being created in the image of God, uplifting and celebrating their worth and integrity, and engaging them authentically, rather than as categories or classes.

WORSHIP: We offer ourselves to God through the rituals of the church and in the patterns of our everyday living.

PARTICIPATION: We affirm the gifts God's spirit gives to all of Christ's followers for use in meaningful and purposeful ministry in the church and in the world.

EACH OTHER: We do our best to love, serve, care for, encourage, forgive, live in harmony with, and speak truthfully to each other.

Our History

St. John’s was founded as St. John’s Evangelical Church in 1880 and met on Mt. Vernon Avenue NW in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1956, the church moved to its current location on Bridge Street NW and in 1957 was named St. John’s United Church of Christ.

For a complete history of the church through 2005, you can download the 125 Anniversary Book.