Taking action for social justice is as basic to Fountain Street Church as worship and learning. It is one of the three core principles of liberal religion, in fact – to free the mind, grow the soul, and change the world.
Historically, social action efforts have been most engaged in support of women’s reproductive rights and civil liberties. Local chapters of Planned Parenthood and the ACLU were organized at Fountain Street Church more than 50 years ago. For many years FSC has been home to Choice Fund, which provides emergency financial support for women in need of reproductive health services. We began demonstrating a decade ago in support of marriage equality. And we have focused our ArtPrize venue on artwork that reflects issues of the day, co-sponsoring a juried award with the local ACLU to promote artistic expression around social justice.
Today, social action at FSC has expanded to meet a wide range of needs in the community. The Social Justice Team has awarded thousands of dollars annually to charitable or social-justice-oriented organizations. Through these grants, the church was able to:
Provide an annual scholarship for a Dreamer or an undocumented student to attend Grand Rapids Community College
Provide financial support to people in need through partnerships with Family Promise, Degage Ministries, HQ, and The Bridge at Arbor Circle
Support and sponsor GR Pride, which serves the LGBTQ+ community
Offer comprehensive sexuality education through the Our Whole Lives (OWL) curriculum produced by the UUA, the UCC, and Planned Parenthood
Partner with GRCC to host their Diversity Lecture Series
Host the annual three-college commemorative celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
The church is also involved in environmental justice — better use of our resources, better enviromental policies, and advocacy for the disempowered. FSC is committed to lowering our carbon footprint and promoting a lower-carbon lifetyle through:
Composting and recycling
LED replacement lighting
Energy management programs
Bicycle program
Investing workshops in collaboration with the FSC Foundation
Public advocacy for “policies that will benefit the earth, people around the world who are poor and vulnerable, and future generations”
In June 2021, the FSC Foundation announced in a press release that they had voted to eliminate direct investment in the fossil fuel industry, aligning our investments with our commitment to social and environmental justice in the face of climate change.
Additionally, FSC has joined the Grand Rapids Climate Coalition, which urges the city to adopt a resolution declaring a climate emergency and committing to a plan for climate change limitation and resilience.
Fountain Street Church is now a member of Together West Michigan, an umbrella organization advocating for systemic change. We anticipate funding targeted projects in TWM arenas and ongoing needs as appropriate.
