Sundays at 4:30p | 50 Bennington Street | East BosTon

ABOUT US

Story, Values, Beliefs, People, Partners

Our Story

People and places thrive when they live life with God. That’s our experience and that’s our vision: Resurrection Church invites all of East Boston to live life with God in community for the neighborhood.

East Boston is a beautiful, dense, storied neighborhood that’s overflowing with lovely people and their rich, diverse histories. There are more than 45,000 of us on just two square miles of land. That makes Eastie the 4th largest neighborhood in Boston, growing 7% faster than the rest of the city. It is a compelling place.

And yet this density and growth create difficulties and tensions in a neighborhood. Despite the close proximity to neighbors, it’s easy to feel isolated. The rising cost of living means that many people find themselves living on the economic edge. The pace of the city can lead to exhaustion. It seems more and more difficult to find a genuine sense of belonging and community. It is a conflicted place.

As people of faith, one of our convictions is that God is not disconnected from the complex story of East Boston. This neighborhood belongs to God, and that makes it sacred space. We believe that God wants to see Eastie and all of its residents thrive. That’s why our mission is to make life with God accessible, desirable, and doable in East Boston.

Our Values

People: we believe that all people are immeasurably valuable and loved by God

Place: we are committed to the beauty, peace, and flourishing of East Boston

Transparency: we don’t hide our questions, hang-ups, or organizational life

Grace: we receive, declare, and display God’s grace—the heart of the good news about Jesus

Expectancy: we expect God’s Spirit to work unexpectedly in all of life

Diversity: we celebrate and elevate God’s beautiful gifts of difference

Action: we join God on mission to bring justice, reconciliation, and healing to the world

Our Beliefs

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” We are Christians because we believe him. And we have found that life with God is beautiful, satisfying, challenging, and hope-filled.

We embrace the Scriptures (Spanish) in all of their freshness, antiquity, beauty, strangeness, and truthfulness. We believe that they are the authoritative, trustworthy word of God so we hang on every word, even the ones we get hung-up on. We hear them, pray them, sing them, read them, and wrestle them because it is through them that we hear God speaking loud and clear.

The core of our faith is summed up in the ancient Apostles’ Creed (Spanish).

We are also shaped by some of the distinctives of the Protestant Reformation. We don’t play up our differences with Christians in other church traditions, but here is a good summary of our “Reformed” tradition: Our World Belongs to God (Spanish).

We think that all of these beliefs are pretty important, but just like it’s possible to “know” a person online and still not know the person, it’s possible to “know” a church online and still not know the church. We hope you’ll get to know us and see how all of this plays out in our lives.

Our Personnel

Lead Pastor

Rev. Justin Ruddy is a lifelong Northeastener, and has called Boston home for 17 years. He is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.) and has served as a minister in downtown Boston since 2011. He and his wife Sarah live in Eastie with their two little ones. He enjoys studying mental health, reading crime fiction, and moonlighting in a rock band. To connect for a meal, conversation, prayer, etc., send him an email.

Pastor of Spiritual Formation & Engagement

Rev. Kaitlin (“Kata”) Ho Givens has called Boston home for 17 years. She served as a campus minister for 12 years, and completed her Masters of Divinity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She loves languages, snacks, and gardening. She and her husband Andrew enjoy serving together in ministry and singing along to Hamilton on long car-rides. You can connect with her via email.

DIRECTOR OF RES KIDS

Peter Cho is from sunny Southern California but was living in South Korea before moving to Massachusetts. He is currently pursuing an M.Div. at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He enjoys catching up with friends, exploring new places, and sleeping in on weekends. You can connect with him via email.

Resurrection Church is an emerging congregation of the Christian Reformed Church and a member of the Citylife Network.