Christ Church Cathedral
OUR PLEDGE TO THE COMMUNITY
Christ Church Cathedral is a spiritual hub of transformation for our city and diocese, following Jesus Christ in practicing radical hospitality, working for justice, and proclaiming God’s peace, reconciliation, and love. Our mission is to Glorify God. Serve our neighbors. Transform our city. The Racial Justice Team at Christ Church Cathedral cultivates a courageous space for individuals in our congregation and beyond to live and walk together through holy discomfort, to create an environment for racial justice, healing, and repair, and to learn, listen, and grow into God’s Beloved Community. The Racial Justice Team will help build common language and understanding around the issues of racial justice, healing and repair, while confronting white-centeredness, white fragility and white supremacy. The RJT will also help develop an understanding of the connections between systemic racism, poverty, classism, and all other “isms.”
PLEDGE 1
Racial Justice Audit
Focus Areas: Workplace, Prosperity, Education
Christ Church Cathedral will conduct, with the help of an outside consultant, a Racial Justice Audit of Christ Church Cathedral’s systems, ministries, lay and clergy leadership, administrative structures, policies and procedures, committees, and finances.
2022 PROGRESS
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Our racial justice audit is scheduled to begin in January.
PLEDGE 2
Connections: Convener/Connector for Our City and Diocese
Focus Areas: Workplace, Prosperity, Education
Serve as a principal catalyst in gathering neighbors on the Circle and local nonprofits for important conversations, particularly focusing on racial justice and other issues affecting our neighbors on the margins. Take on a greater leadership role in hosting trainings and events, especially those that focus on equity, racial justice, and inclusion work. Making amends where we have been culpable for harm, including systemic racism. Proactively create opportunities for hands-on social justice and service-oriented activities for youth.
2022 PROGRESS
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We have offered two book studies that focus conversations on racial justice and equity. The first was Be the Bridge by Latasha Morrison with over 30 participants. The second was The Church Cracked Open by Stephanie Spellers with over 30 participants. We offered Implicate Bias Training through the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing with over 20 participants. We held an all day Zoom Groundwater Workshop through the Racial Equity Institute with over 20 participants. We will continue to hold book studies and workshops into the new year, as well as participating in a Racial Healing Pilgrimage to Alabama in partnership with Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis.
PLEDGE 3
Faith in Action
Focus Areas: Workplace, Health, Prosperity, Education
CCC will focus our outreach ministries on providing our members and community with hands-on ministry areas of homelessness, immigration, and systemic racism that lead to complementary grant relationships. Enhance our Sunday Community Breakfast Ministry with resources from community partners. Explore investing a portion of our endowment in missional-related investments that align with our strategic missional priorities.
2022 PROGRESS
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Our Outreach Ministries Team revamped our Missional Grants Program to focus on three area: Homelessness, Immigration, Dismantling Racism. We have formed a partnership with three organizations that are addressing these areas of focus – this includes a grant of $45,000 and a pledge for hands-on volunteer work. For the area of Homelessness, we have partnered with Daysprings Center for homeless families. In the area of Immigration, we have partnered with the Immigration Welcome Center. In the area of Dismantling Racism, we have partnered with Him by Her School.
PLEDGE 4
Radical Hospitality
Focus Areas: Workplace, Prosperity, Education
Build stronger relationships among the people of the Cathedral community to prepare us to focus outward. Regularly offer “outward-facing” activities. Empower our parishioners and utilize our buildings/signage to more clearly communicate our theology, missional priorities, and identity. Intentionally make strong connections with the Millennials, empty nesters, and families living in the Mile Square neighborhood and with the broader Latino and African-American communities in Indianapolis.
2022 PROGRESS
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We have improved our signs and are making sure all new signs/advertising are in both English and Spanish.
Join us in the important work of creating racial equity in Central Indiana.
Email us to learn more.
