Who We Are

Who We Are

Our mission – to bring the unconditional love of God to people’s lives in positive, practical, and transformative ways – drives a spirituality that is authentic, innovative, and inclusive. Gathering each week to worship, reflect, and struggle together with the tough questions of life and faith prepares us to embody that faith and love in the world.

We are affiliated with the progressive Episcopal denomination, welcoming all seekers – no exceptions – to join us as we learn together how to live into the Beloved Community modeled by Jesus.

We do not shy away from ritual; however we use it thoughtfully to meet people wherever they are in their journey. We gather for worship, we baptize, and we share communion, but our central ritual is sacred dialogue. Our tradition is to engage in dialogue together after the sermon – right in the middle of worship. We honor the abundance of spiritual wisdom “in the room” and cultivate space to share thoughts and vulnerabilities, to learn and struggle together.

Community Intentions

Connect with God Daily

We cultivate and encourage daily spiritual practice. We know that God meets us where we are and we celebrate the experience of God in many ways: meditation, prayer, scripture study, journaling, yoga, and nature to name just a few. We believe that a regular spiritual practice helps us to grow and stay connected to God and to our own belovedness.

Connect with Community weekly

We see journeying with one another in community as indispensable. We gather weekly on Sunday mornings for worship and offer opportunities during the week (dinners, phone calls, study groups, etc) as an antidote to the loneliness and isolation so prevalent in our culture. As we commonly say, “Everybody’s In.” All are welcome and can find a place of belonging at Thad’s.

Stand for Justice

We believe that following Jesus means striving to make a difference in the world and to take responsibility for issues of our day. The members of our community live out this commitment in a variety of ways. Because God’s love crosses all lines, we do not endorse a particular political ideology or single viewpoint, but rather speak up about the work we care about, encouraging others into deeper commitment to God’s justice in the world.

In all things, stay loving

We say together at the end of every service, “First we were loved. Now we love.” This phrase embodies the heart and deepest truth of our community. We believe in the good news that God loves us – first, always, and unconditionally. We try to express this belief in the way we love each other and those within our spheres of influence in daily life.

On the Move

As we live out our common life together, we aim to stay responsive to the needs of the Thad’s community and those of the larger community around us. For this reason, we rent our space rather than seeking a permanent ‘church’ building. Without the burden of a mortgage or the need for ‘church building fund-raising,’ we can focus on people, rather than programs.

We’ve celebrated in a living room, a Denny’s conference room, a local park, and a number of gathering spaces across West Los Angeles. Since early 2018, we’ve been meeting at The Willows Community School Performing Arts Center located at 8520 Warner Drive in Culver City.

Thad under the radar

Thaddeus (also known as Jude), one of the twelve disciples, only gets two mentions in the Bible: Matthew 10:3 and Mark 3:18. As one of Jesus’ inner circle, Thaddeus had a front row seat when Jesus spoke, and when called upon, taught that message, healed the sick and cast out a few demons.

We identify with Thaddeus because even though he was a leader in the early movement to spread God’s kingdom through the teachings of Jesus, he kept a low profile and humble attitude. We hope folks think of the Thad’s community in the same way—committed to the kingdom of God shown to us by Jesus, committed to serving people with God’s love.

We call him Thad because we think that’s what he’d want his friends to call him.