Love your neighbors. Jesus said a lot of things, but nothing more than this… Even when he’s telling us to love our enemies, he’s really saying make your enemies your neighbors—then love them.

And love is action…Love is living Jesus’ words in concrete ways.

Not fearing. 

Making justice. 

Protecting the oppressed. 

Healing people. 

Being God’s heartbeat in the world.

All of the ways Pilgrim lives... by loving others... makes love essential at Pilgrim. We believe that for two thousand years, the command to love has been the most obvious thing about Jesus.

How does Pilgrim live out God’s love? With our neighbors, our children, and God’s creation—the 3 Great Loves. With covenantal partners, near and far, we work to have an impact and transform the world—united in common purpose, vision and mission. We believe living out God’s love will lead us to creating a just world for all.

Love of Neighbor

Pilgrim partners with many organizations, near and far to love, protect, heal and share. From our very own Bilingual Exchange and our Reconciliation and Re-entry Ministry; to breaking bread with Urban Ministries; to supporting individuals and families in crisis through Housing for New Hope; to bearing witness to the wonderfully diverse tapestry of God’s beloved community through Durham Pride, we strive to share God’s love with all of Pilgrim’s neighbors.

Groups such as our mental health and wellness team work to include all in the life of our church. We wish to include neurodivergent individuals as well as those effected by mental health challenges in our congregation. We wish to ensure that worship is a place where nothing is unspeakable and all people are embraced. If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis please click here for local resources.

Through Durham CAN, Durham Congregations in Action, Church World Service, NC Council on Churches, and Equality NC, we lend our voices in the collective movement to make justice for all.

Love of Children

We want our children to feel safe and welcomed whether it be through the nursery, Sunday worship, Sunday School, youth meet-ups, or any other place in Pilgrim. We want to send the message that church is a safe and consistent place and that they are wanted, known, challenged, supported, and accepted here. 

Through our partnership with All My Children Child Care, to Bilingual Exchange, to the Marion Stanley Christmas Gift Exchange, and our support of iNSIDEoUT, we strive to create safe sanctuary for our most vulnerable, both within the church community and in the wider Durham community. At every turn, we want all children to know just how much God loves and claims each and every one of them.

Love of Creation

As God’s creation groans in pain, God’s beloved community is called to give voice—to change our ways—to heal. A first step for Pilgrim included an environmental assessment to determine the impact of Pilgrim’s carbon footprint. Even baby steps begin the healing—recycling, reducing our use of plastic, changing to energy efficient light bulbs. A bolder witness has been Pilgrim’s investment in solar power where, in 2019, we saved approximately 88,000 lbs of CO2 emissions being released into the atmosphere—the equivalent of planting 2213 trees. There is more we should be doing. Through the UCC general church advocacy, Pilgrim is exploring ways in which we might grow deeper into a Creation Justice church, such as this developing petition for North Carolina to become a carbon neutral state! All faith communities are welcome to sign here.