Christ & Culture
Christ and culture is our way of talking about how the Christian faith intersects with the surrounding world. A Christian community engaged in mission is a community active in building bridges between the church and the world. In post-Christian America, the claims of Christianity have less and less credibility and understanding to the average person. At City Reformed Church we believe that in order to make the gospel intelligible and compelling to a post-everything generation, the church must work extra hard at being comprehensible and engaged with the culture it inhabits. For us this means a couple things:
- We take intellectual challenges to the Christian faith seriously and seek to provide forums and opportunities for people to engage us on these issues.
- We believe that Christians make good citizens and ought to be actively engaged in important social issues, politics and local government for the sake of the common good and flourishing of all people.
- We celebrate and participate in the local community, culture and arts of the city of Milwaukee.
- We esteem work and desire to help people understand what it means to live out the Christian faith in the context of their vocation.
These values of engagement are embodied in the lives of the people of our congregation and reflected in our conversations when we gather as a community. As we grow we hope that these values will translate more and more into concrete and organized activities within the church.
Serving the City
Wherever the gospel is proclaimed it comes with the power to change lives and bring restoration and renewal to communities. We believe that God has called our church to seek the peace and prosperity of Milwaukee, which means we care about the poor and address issues of injustice that impact this city. We celebrate the many wonderful things about Milwaukee, but we also recognize that it is a city that struggles with poverty, urban blight, socioeconomic disparity and racial strife. A holistic understanding of the Gospel calls us not only to minister to the soul of the city but its body as well. For this reason we as a church are committed to making the city a better place for all people.
If you want to join us in serving Milwaukee check out the events page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter where we make announcements about future service events.
Please stay tuned for future service opportunities!
“O Lord, You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
Worship
Worship is the most important thing a church does, the single activity that sets it apart from every other human institution. We seek a form of worship that is above all God-honoring and grace-centered, celebrates the mystery of the faith and forms Christ in people. Our worship is rooted deeply within the Christian tradition yet fresh and engaging for the average Milwaukee person. People who worship at City Reformed Church come from various walks of life and experiences. Wherever you are at on your spiritual journey, we hope that you feel warmly welcomed and at home in our church.
If you are new to church, we hope our worship services will be a safe place for you to explore the historic Christian faith, not from a distance, but from the inside. We are a church that seeks to engage the honest questions, doubts, and fears you may have about Jesus and Christianity. Our services generally last an hour and twenty minutes and include music, prayers, Scripture readings, teaching, regular celebration of the Lord’s Supper and baptism. You will find each element of the service explained, and you will feel the freedom to participate at your own comfort level. Also, childcare is offered for families.
If you have been around church for some time, we desire our worship services to be an opportunity for you to adore your Creator and Redeemer, engage with others in the community and consider the meaning of Jesus in your life. We also hope our worship is a place you feel comfortable bringing your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to engage with the Christian faith.
A good way to learn about our worship is to check out a worship folder from our service.