We envision New Spirit Community Church as a place to come together in community to gain strength in order to work for change in the world. The church has provided 300 volunteer hours toward building homes for Oakland families through Habitat for Humanity; prepared over 5000 bag lunches for distribution to homeless youth on the streets of Oakland and Berkeley through the HomePlate Program of the Chaplaincy for the Homeless; helped get funding, supplies, sponsored a Christmas Party complete with gifts, and contributed volunteers to the YEAH shelter for homeless youth in Berkeley; responded to relief efforts aimed at the Tsunami Disaster of 2004, and the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005; sponsored AIDS orphans in Africa, and contributed seed money for similar churches in Montana, Oregon and California. As a matter of justice, our Wednesday Prayer Gathering (Taizé) offerings go to local agencies who provide direct services to meet critical needs in the local community.
In this rapidly changing world, we must build new models and find some different and sustainable options if the Christian Church is to survive and thrive into the new millennium. New Spirit seeks to boldly create a new and innovative way of being and doing church. The Spirit has moved powerfully in this congregation in this regard. We seek new ways of experiencing and living out our Christianity and our spirituality in the world. Isaiah 43:19 "I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?" has become a clarion call, speaking powerfully into and of this community. With a strong grounding in liberation theology, it is primarily in the following three ways that New Spirit Community Church seeks to develop a new model of being spiritual community:
Creative, innovative, vibrant worship
New Spirit is designing worship experiences that incorporate visual arts, multi-media, high-energy contemporary and gospel music, drama, and expressions of embodied spirituality through dance and improvisational movement.
Diversity
New Spirit sees itself as a bridge-building community and is creating an intentional environment where gay and straight, young, old and every age in between, people of all colors, and people from a variety of denominational, spiritual and religious backgrounds can find a spiritual home.
Affiliation
New Spirit is further living out its commitment to bridge-building by exploring relationships with three denominations who have never before collaborated at local church level but have similar values in theology, liturgy, polity, outreach, and social justice. We are currently affiliated with the United Church of Christ (UCC), Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) and are In Care with the Disciples of Christ.
Regardless of your church experience or background, your spiritual or religious beliefs, there is a place for you in this community. We hope you will find a life-giving, meaningful spiritual home here.