WHAT WE BELIEVE
THE FOUR PILLARS OF PILGRIM
COMMUNITY
Community is at the heart of who we are. We strive to be a place where every person is welcomed, valued, and supported—a community where we celebrate life’s joys, carry one another through its challenges, and grow together in faith, friendship, and love.
SPIRITUALITY
We think every spiritual journey is unique. Whether your faith is deeply rooted, evolving, or just beginning, Pilgrim is a place to explore, question, and grow. We honor ancient wisdom while remaining open to new insights, trusting that the Sacred continues to meet us in fresh and unexpected ways.
PRORESSIVE THEOLOGY
Our faith is rooted in the Christian tradition while remaining open to learning, growth, and new understanding. We engage Scripture thoughtfully, welcome honest questions, and believe that faith is strengthened through curiosity, dialogue, and a willingness to keep seeking God’s truth together.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
From our standpoint, faith should make a difference in the world. Inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus, we work for justice, peace, and the dignity of every person. Our commitment to love extends beyond our walls as we seek to build a more compassionate, equitable, and hopeful world.
WE BELIEVE...
IN FOLLOWING THE WAY OF JESUS
We believe that in Jesus of Nazareth we encounter the clearest picture of God’s character: a love that welcomes outsiders, challenges injustice, forgives freely, and refuses to answer violence with violence. Through his life, teachings, death, and resurrection, we see God’s love embodied in a unique and transformative way, inviting us into lives marked by compassion, justice, reconciliation, and hope.
Following Jesus, then, is less about agreeing to a list of doctrines than about learning to live as he lived and love as he loved. While we recognize that God’s Spirit is at work beyond the boundaries of Christianity, Jesus remains the primary lens through which we seek to know God, shape our common life, and imagine a more just and compassionate world.
EVERY PERSON IS SACRED
We believe that every person possesses inherent dignity and sacred worth. In the biblical tradition, we celebrate this by saying that each person is created in the image of God. No matter our race, nationality, age, ability, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, economic status, or religious background, every human life is deserving of love, respect, and belonging.
This conviction shapes who we are as a church. We strive to be a community where differences are not merely tolerated but celebrated, where questions are welcomed, and where all people are invited to participate fully in the life and leadership of our congregation. As an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ, we joyfully welcome LGBTQ+ people into every aspect of our shared life, believing that diversity is not a problem to overcome but a gift that reflects the beauty and creativity of God.
FAITH LEADS TO ACTION
We believe that faith is more than what we believe. It is how we live. Worship doesn’t end when the service is over; it sends us into the world to embody God’s love through acts of compassion, justice, and service. We believe prayer should deepen our commitment to our neighbors, and that following Jesus calls us to stand alongside those who are marginalized, vulnerable, and forgotten.
At Pilgrim, this means working for racial justice, celebrating and advocating for LGBTQ+ equality, caring for immigrants and refugees, protecting God’s creation, and seeking a world where every person can flourish. We know that faithful people may not always agree on the best way to pursue justice, but we share a commitment to building communities marked by mercy, dignity, peace, and hope. We believe faith is at its most authentic when it is lived out in love.
WALKING TOGETHER IS BETTER
We don’t expect everyone to arrive with all the answers. We believe faith is a lifelong journey that grows through worship, friendship, service, prayer, study, and honest conversation. We are fellow pilgrims, trusting that God is always leading us into deeper love and a fuller understanding of ourselves, our neighbors, and the world.
Whether you’re taking your first steps into faith, returning after years away, or have spent a lifetime in the church, we invite you to walk alongside us. We believe that belonging often comes before believing, and that we are transformed not by having every answer, but by learning to love God and one another more deeply together.
WE ARE PROUDLY UCC
Pilgrim belongs to the United Church of Christ, a denomination known for its commitment to extravagant welcome, thoughtful faith, social justice, and the conviction that “God is still speaking.” While each UCC congregation governs itself, we partner with thousands of churches around the country to proclaim God’s love and work for a more just world.
GOD IS STILL SPEAKING!
We believe that God is still speaking. The Sacred is not confined to the past, but continues to meet us today in Scripture and worship, through science and discovery, in the beauty of creation, in our relationships, and in the ongoing work of love and justice.
At Pilgrim, you’ll find many different ways of understanding God. Some speak confidently of God, while others connect more deeply with words like Spirit, Love, Mystery, or the sacred presence that unites all life. Some are still searching for language that feels true to their experience. We don’t believe everyone must describe the Divine in the same way.
What brings us together is not complete agreement, but a shared commitment to seek truth, practice compassion, and follow the way of Jesus together. We believe faith is a lifelong journey, and that belonging often comes before believing. Whether you’re certain, questioning, or simply curious, there is a place for you here.
Visit Us:
2020 Chestnut Ave.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Services:
Sun 10:00am
Send an Email:
Give us a call:
760-729-6311