ABOUT US

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Staff Mission Statement Membership History

“Never place a period where God has placed a comma” (Gracie Allen)

God is still speaking!

IF...

...you 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

...you know that God’s love embraces all persons equally, no matter their gender, race, or sexual identity

...you 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

...you’ve wished for a more open and embracing community of faith in which to nurture your spirit and raise your children, and haven’t yet found a like-minded place of belonging.

THEN...

...we invite you 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!

Staff

Rev. Marcia Moret Sietstra came to Crestwood, the predecessor to Spirit of Peace, in 1998.  She attended Augustana College and received a BA in Religion/English in 1973.  Her first career was teaching English.  She attended North American Baptist Seminary (although she was never a Baptist) and received a Masters of Divinity in 1992. 

Marcia served Southern Hills United Methodist Church from 1992-97 as Associate Pastor.  She taught in the religion department as adjunct faculty at the University of Sioux Falls from 1996-98.  Marcia was Crestwood’s pastor from 1998-2007, during the visioning process that led to the building of Spirit of Peace UCC. 

Marcia’s special interests include Progressive Theology, Ethics & Social Justice, Interfaith Dialogue & World Religions, and Hermeneutics.  She brings a scholarly mind and a pastoral heart to her work. 

Marcia also brings decades of experience as a lay person before becoming a “2nd career” pastor.  Her husband, Dr. Phil Sietstra, is an optometrist.  They have two children.  Their daughter works in the area of international health policy for women.  Their son is a student at Harvard. 

If you’d like to view a sampling of Marcia’s sermons, click on the Sermons link on this website, or better yet, come and visit some Sunday morning! If you would like to contact Marcia you may email her at marcia@spiritofpeacesf.org

Rev. Jean Morrow was born in Spirit Lake , Iowa and is married to Dr. Rick Davis, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Augustana College . They have one daughter, Elizabeth(12).

Jean received her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University , Ames , Iowa , in March, 1980. She majored in English, with minors in Political Science and American History. She received her Masters of Science degree from Iowa State University in May, 1982. Her major was Higher Education, with an emphasis in College Student Personnel.

For many years, Jean worked in university administration. From 1982-1986, she served as a Residential Life Area Coordinator at Emporia State University in Emporia , Kansas . From 1986-1990, she was an Assistant Director of Housing at the University of Kansas in Lawrence , Kansas . From 1990-1991, she served as Director of Residential Life at the University of Illinois – Champaign/Urbana. In 1991, she moved to Vermillion, South Dakota as Director of Housing at the University of South Dakota . In 1993, she was promoted to Dean of Students at USD, resigning in 1998 to attend seminary.

Jean attended Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley , California and received her Masters of Divinity in May 2001. During seminary, she served as chair of the Worship Committee for two years and served on the Admissions Committee for two years. Following graduation, she accepted her first call to the Brookings United Church of Christ in Brookings , South Dakota . During this time period, Jean served as Brookings Ministerial Association president, was twice the program leader for Placerville Women’ Camp, participated in the South Dakota Conference Church Vitality program and twice hosted the Two Rivers Association meeting. She continues to serve on the conference’s Committee on Ministry and New Church Task Force.

In June, 2004, Jean accepted a call to Crestwood United Church of Christ, the predecessor to Spirit of Peace, as a ¾ time co-pastor and began in September, 2004. She currently serves as co-pastor with Rev. Marcia Moret Sietstra. If you would like to contact Jean you may email her at jean@spiritofpeacesf.org


Mission Statement
Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ

In response to God's creating, redeeming, and sustaining love, the people of Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ, are called by God to...

...provide an environment which fosters the spiritual and intellectual growth of all,

...worship God passionately and creatively,

...engage the contemporary world as we seek to discover God's will in our time,

...nurture and care for each other as we develop the qualities of love and joy,

...serve humanity by working for justice and peace,

...celebrate diversity and honor thinking for oneself,

....commit to intellectual dialogue and theological exploration,

...be a progressive Christian voice.

Membership
Friends of Spirit of Peace, after having attended worship services for awhile, are invited to attend a series of 3 classes entitled “Exploring the UCC.” The classes are for those who are ready to join the church, or just want to learn more about the church. 

In the three classes, you will learn a little about the history and structure of the United Church of Christ, you will discover what we believe is important, and you will get to know other new people.  At the end of the series, you are welcome to join.  Members are introduced and received into membership during a Sunday morning worship service. 

If you are interested in joining Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ, please contact the church office to inquire about the next series of “Exploring the UCC” classes.  In the meantime, visit the denominational website at www.ucc.org or www.stillspeaking.com

History
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 over 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 . 

So in partnership with the conference, which gifted the land for the new building and also contributed funds toward construction, the Crestwood congregation embarked on a 5 year building project, from 2002-2007.  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.”  We are progressive in theology, diverse in our beliefs, and inclusive of all who enter our community.  No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here. 



www.ucc.org
www.stillspeaking.com