We are rooted in community and growing where we are planted.
Blessed are those who walk hand in hand with goodness,
who stand beside virtue, who sit in the seat of truth;
For their delight is in the Spirit of Love, and in Love’s heart they dwell day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water, that yield fruit in due season, and their leaves flourish;
And in all that they do, they give Life.
—Psalm 1 (translation by Nan Merrill)
Creekside is a vital congregation and a hub for community partners and neighbors.
We have been a physical and spiritual presence in this community for more than 100 years, working to achieve God’s vision on earth. Our church houses numerous ministries that foster spiritual growth, care for our congregation, and take action to build justice.
Other groups including Beacon Interfaith, Minnesota Conference UCC, ISAIAH, Mental Health Connect, TRUST, VEAP, United Theological Seminary, arts group, recovery and caretaker groups, and more meet regularly at Creekside, depending on our affordable, quality space to carry out their work. Keeping a roof over their heads is an act of social justice on our part.
For more than 100 years, Creekside has nurtured self-discovery, generosity, curiosity, and a love for learning in children.
Children in Creekside’s faith formation program have grown into faith-based, justice-seeking adults. As we continue our welcome for children and youth, they deserve spaces that are safe and supportive. Creekside also provides a home for Creekside Montessori School, a vibrant school serving more than 100 children five days per week, year-round, and providing an important asset for families and our wider community.
We have much more work to do to bring God’s vision of justice to our community and world, and our building is critically important for that work.
At Creekside we believe what the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” We also know that bending the arc is not free. As we seek to stay rooted in our community, to grow our impact, and to bend that arc, we must attend to the condition of our building. Our building needs investment to remain a place where our community can come together to work for justice, love, and peace. An investment in this church is an investment – a force multiplier – in our community.
One appeal, two commitments.
In fall 2026, we are launching a combined appeal to support vital capital improvements plus the annual stewardship appeal. Combining these appeals provides us with a holistic view of our needs in our building and helps each of us make decisions on how to commit generously for both the coming year and for the longer-term.
Our capital priorities for the appeal are:
- Centering the needs of children and youth in the present and future use of our church
- Improving the energy efficiency of our education wing
- Creating engaging and welcoming spaces to grow, imagine, collaborate, and seek justice
- Stewarding our aging building responsibly for future generations.
This might look like:
- Replacing roofs on each section of our building
- Upgrading the original 1950 windows and air conditioning to significantly improve energy efficiency and meet the needs of the church and community partners who use the building
- Refreshing the heavily used spaces in our building such as the faith formation classrooms, Fireside Room, and Dining Room to share a story of a thriving faith community
Our annual giving sustains the operations of our church. This church belongs to all of us, and our annual stewardship appeal provides 80% of our overall budget.
Please prayerfully consider what God is calling you to do and decide how you can give early and generously to support our combined appeal.
