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Justice Action

Who we are

After the murder of Ahmaud Arbery came into the public consciousness, the leadership of GCC made a collective effort to not stay silent about Justice and its intersection with the church. Jesus cares about Justice, and he cares about the reality of systemic violence toward our black and brown brothers and sisters in our country and world. With the summer of racial reckoning came a new surge of the justice aspect that this church has carried in various forms throughout the years [read some of that history]. As God brought new things into the light for all to see, we were moved to respond. A new conversation started on Sundays and a Justice Action Team formed to dig deeper and lead the church into more.

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Read more about it

Our mission

GCC affirms the innate dignity of Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color as divinely created in the holy image of God. We will continuously evolve internal policies to confront the effects of white-centric thinking as it manifests in American laws, social customs, and church practices. Our education surrounding social justice will be designed to both dismantle the harmful effects of internalized racism and learn the truth of lost Black American History. Our ministries will bring specific and special healing to Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color as their testimonies reveal their needs. We will uphold and believe any person who has been oppressed and dehumanized based on their skin color. We will cover the wounds in multiplied love, just as Jesus does. Our church community will commit to linking arms with each other in a way that supports and warmly invites everyone to the table of respect, dignity, and love.

Partnership with St. Sabina

In the Fall of 2021, GCC began a mentorship with St. Sabina, a church that has been plowing the fields of justice in Chicagoland for decades. We are honored to have been accepted into the program with Third Day Church, and look forward to the challenge and growth this will bring.

The application they asked for included questions on:
- justice and the role of the church
- a history of how we’ve responded to community needs around us
- and what we’ve learned
- what makes a healthy congregation
- areas we think we can grow in
- what we want to learn from this initiative
- our history of collaborating with other churches or organizations

[Read it here]

Social Justice

(Definition from the assessment)

"The view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities and that city, state and national policy influence people’s lived experience. There are four interrelated principles of social justice: equity, access, participation, and rights. We, as social justice advocates, need to be aware and take action around these issues in our church and surrounding communities."

We invite YOU to join our efforts!

Justice Action Interest Form