Franklin Circle Christian Church is a progressive, urban, mission-oriented congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). 

Our Mission Is:

We wish to care for the spiritual needs of a culturally diverse community, encourage creativity, and awaken people to the joys of life with Jesus Christ. Empowered disciples will serve and glorify God.

We share in the Vision, Mission, Imperatives, and Covenant of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ):

 In our quest to embody Christian unity, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we believe God calls us:

OUR VISION
To be a faithful, growing church, that demonstrates true community, deep Christian spirituality and a passion for justice. (Micah 6:8)

OUR MISSION
To be and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, witnessing, loving and serving from our doorsteps "to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

OUR IMPERATIVE
To strengthen congregational life for this mission. (Ephesians 4:11-13, 15-16)

To accomplish this, we shall:

Become the Good News:
Nurturing faith
Practicing and teaching the spiritual disciplines
Fostering Disciples identity
Renewing congregational life
Developing leaders
Share the Good News:
Emphasizing ministry with children, youth, young adults and families
Doing evangelism
Establishing new congregations
Creating ministries with older adults
Serve from "our doorsteps to the ends of the earth":
Engaging in ministries of reconciliation, compassion, unity and justice.

OUR COVENANT
In accepting our Vision, Mission and Imperative, we affirm our need to: be an anti-racist/pro-reconciliation church, strengthen relationships among all manifestations of the church, share mutually and more fully the stewardship of God's gifts of our life in Christ, encourage our growing diversity within our church family and community, work with our many ecumenical and global partners to heal the brokenness of the body of Christ and the human community.

2020 VISION

1000 new congregations
1000 transformed congregations*
The leadership development necessary to realize these new and renewed congregations
All within a context of being an anti-racist/pro-reconciling church.

*Franklin Circle Christian Church, Cleveland, Ohio is one of these 1000 transforming congregations!  To explore more resources for redevelopment and transformation, click HERE!
 

May 2008:

21st CENTURY VISION TEAM INVITES DISCIPLES TO DISCUSS IDENTITY
     The 21st Century Vision Team, an advisory group to General Minister and President Sharon E. Watkins, is inviting congregations, regions, general ministries, colleges and universities and others to engage in a conversation about Disciples identity.  The team developed an identity statement and principles last year to undergird the work of transformation taking place in our Church today.  An online survey was created to solicit comments about the statement and principles. Almost 1,500 people participated in the survey over an eight-month period.
     The results from the survey and a downloadable copy of the identity statement and principles reflecting changes made based on feedback from the survey are now posted on the Disciples home page: www.disciples.org/21cvt
     The team is now encouraging Disciples to engage in a church-wide conversation about the principles and identity and how your church/region/constituency is or could be living into this identity.  Those who participate are asked to share their thoughts and ideas on how to "give life" to the identity statement in their ministry.  To become a part of the conversation, visit: www.disciples.org/21cvt

A Brief History

 

For a detailed history of our congregation, click on this button:

Great Article On The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

What is our Core?
By the Rev. W. Chris Hobgood
Chris is a former General Minister and President of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) and former Regional Minister of the in the Capital Area


What are the core values of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)? In other words, what special convictions define us? The difference between a core value and a "regular" value is like the difference between the hubcaps and the transmission of your car. One is nice to have, but the other really helps the auto function. What are those elements without which we'd not be who we are? I'm not talking about things like the way we Disciples love to eat, for example, No, these core values run even deeper. For me, five-core values stand out.

Our belief in the Lordship of Jesus Christ and our sole stipulation that a member of its movement confess this and accept Jesus Christ as Savior. Beyond this sole test of fellowship, we do not put belief requirements on people. Beyond this one essential conviction, beliefs will differ, and we will accept one another without insisting that all agree. This kind of inclusiveness defines us.

Our celebration of an open Lord's Table. We celebrate this feast weekly, and no human can bar any other human from participation. It is Christ's table, He is the host, we are all simply His guests. The hospitality that characterizes the Lord's Table is, we pray, true of every part of life.

The ministry of all believers, We don't limit ministry to the ordained. All of us are called to ministry at our baptisms. All are called to represent Jesus Christ to the world. All of us have a vocation of servant-leadership. No one is absolved of this call.

The Love of unity. We have long carried this in our pursuit of Christian unity. Our founders made this a clear vocational call of this movement. Yet we are called to be uniters, not dividers, of all God's created order. So let us build a united church, yes, but let us also work for a united human community as well.

The justice of God. Abraham Lincoln said, "I tremble when I realize that we serve a just god." God's justice roots in the truth that God is creator of everything, non-human as well as human. It becomes our responsibility , therefore, if we are going to be faithful to God, to treat every person and every thing as being precious to God. Wouldn't this make a difference in the way we live our lives? Wouldn't it revolutionize our stewardship of money, time, talent, relationships, war and peace and everything else in life? Ultimate justice belongs only to God.

I believe they are the core principles on which our founders acted and we are called to act. In a world fractured by war, where fear and suspicion of those who dare to disagree with policy and practice sometimes prevail, isn't it time the Disciples of Christ showed who we really are?