Knox United Church
Open Space. Vibrant Place. Sacred Connections.
A creative and contemplative community in downtown Calgary We are called to be an Open Space and Vibrant Place for creativity, spirituality, social justice, and Sacred Connections; grounded and growing together in a diverse downtown community.
Our Vision
We seek to become:
An Open Space for Contemplation and Reflection
We seek to create an open space for cultivating spiritual practices and ritual; opening our sanctuary and labyrinth as a reprieve from busy city life.
A Vibrant Place to encounter Culture, Music & the Arts
We seek to become an inter-cultural hub for creativity, and the arts through creation, presentation, and collaboration.
An Inviting Place, fully Accessible and Welcoming to all people
We seek to become fully accessible, and intentionally grow as an inclusive and affirming community valuing hospitality and diversity (of background, culture, identity, experience, expression, orientation, ability, age, and idea).
A Third Space for Meaningful Conversations and Sacred Connection
We seek to be a third space in our downtown core where people can connect, encounter new ideas, meet new people, and build community together.
A Nurturing Place for Learning & Practicing Faith in Community
We seek to grow in our faith together, with an open and generous spirit of curiosity, learning and practicing the way of Love, as modeled by Jesus of Nazareth.
A Brave Space for Right Relationships and Social Justice
We are committed to reconcilli-action, honouring treaties, seeking equity and justice for all Creation.
Our Values
generating HOPE through ACTION
We are a community committed to co-creating a just, equitable, and sustainable world; valuing reconciling relationships with Creator, creation, and each other.
finding PEACE through PRESENCE
We value creating sanctuary and safer space for contemplation and reflection; a place to cultivate inner and outer peace, and encounter the Sacred, and practice Presence with one another.
expressing JOY through CREATIVITY
We are an inter-cultural community of co-creators with God, that recognizes the innate creativity in all. We believe in the transformational power of music and the arts, and value curiosity, creative expression, and experimentation.
experiencing LOVE through COMMUNITY
We are an inclusive and affirming community who values diversity, hospitality and connection with one another. We recognize the sacred worth of all people and seek to be a loving presence on the corner of 6th Avenue and 4th Street and beyond.
Our Affirming Statement
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jesus) — John 15:12
Knox United Church is a member of the Affirming Ministries Program, a network of United Church congregations and ministries that declare themselves to be fully inclusive of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
As Christians we believe that Jesus summoned all people into loving, accepting community as children of God.
We believe that all are called by God to use their skills and talents and to share the love, laughter and challenges of those who walk the path of Christ in the world.
Knox United Church fully supports the United Church of Canada in its ongoing efforts to include those marginalized in our society and world.
We admire the efforts of those who led the way in establishing an ever more inclusive church.
We salute the progress made in recognizing the rights of women and in correcting wrongs of exclusion and inequality.
We celebrate the full participation and inclusion of people of all sexual orientations in our community and lament the hurt and injustice done to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered and two-spirited (Aboriginal) Christians by parts of the Christian Church in the past and still today.
As an inclusive church, respectful of our differences and loving in our solidarity, Knox United Church publicly affirms the following fundamental principles that have guided our actions in the past and will continue to guide them in the future:
All are welcome in our faith community, regardless of age, colour, ethnic, religious or linguistic background, gender, gender identity, social or economic circumstances, sexual orientation and physical or mental capabilities.
All members and adherents of Knox are welcome to serve in any appropriate position within the Church, in accordance with their desires and abilities.
All services offered by the Church, including baptism, marriage, communion and pastoral care, are available to all members and adherents of Knox.
Recognizing that the advocacy of the rights of all people to equal treatment and respect is an inherent part of our responsibility as Christians, we commit to work for the full inclusion and affirmation of all in the life and work of Knox United Church, the United Church of Canada, and our local, national and worldwide communities.
Non-Binary Peoples Affirming Statement
On International Non-Binary Peoples Day, Member Graham Louden-Khan shared a statement with the congregation.
Treaty 7 Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we live, work, play and worship on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani), the TsuuT’ina, the Stoney Nakoda Nations (Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Wesley), the Métis Nation (Calgary/Elbow District), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
All are welcome in our faith community, regardless of age, colour, ethnic, religious or linguistic background, gender, gender identity, social or economic circumstances, sexual orientation and physical or mental capabilities. Knox has been a proud member of Affirm United since 2007.