Mission Statement
Spirit of Peace UCC is a progressive, diverse, inclusive community that explores faith to inspire compassionate living.
Open and Affirming Statement (ONA)
We, the members of Spirit of Peace of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United Church of Christ understand that faith is a matter of mind as well as heart, and that taking the Bible seriously means it cannot always be taken literally. We understand that God’s love embraces all persons equally, no matter their gender, race, or sexual identity, including sexual orientation, gender identity and expression. We believe that Christ calls us to be nothing less than global citizens, that the social expression of love is justice, and that spiritual concerns are inseparable from commitment to the natural world. We invite everyone to join us in exploring the many ways that God is still speaking. No matter who you are, no matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!
History of Spirit of Peace UCC
Spirit of Peace is a relatively new church with a unique history. The first worship service at Spirit of Peace was on March 25, 2007.
There was already a congregation of more than 250 members who “jumpstarted” this church after having built it in partnership with the South Dakota Conference of the UCC. The original members of the congregation came from Crestwood UCC, located at 33rd & Cliff for about 45 years.
They outgrew their worship space and their parking, and envisioned a new church that would provide beautiful and creative space for their ministry, as well as help raise the visibility of the UCC in Sioux Falls.
The Building Committee was chaired by Tom Hoy. The pastor was Rev. Marcia Moret Sietstra. In 2004, a co-pastor was called, Rev. Jean Morrow. Plans were developed for Crestwood to change its name to Spirit of Peace at the time of the move.
The old Crestwood building was sold to a developer. In March 2007, the entire congregation moved to the new building. On the day of the move, we stopped using the name “Crestwood UCC” and started using the name “Spirit of Peace UCC.”
Today, we are pleased to provide a beautiful sanctuary, a multi-use community room, a labyrinth for walking meditation and plenty of classroom and other space for all our varied activities. New members often say to us, “I never knew a church like this existed!” Or, “I didn’t know there was a church where my questions could be asked out loud.”