Peace Community Church (PCC) is an amazing church. I attended it back when it was still called "First Baptist Church". It is very small and yet very diverse, being populated by people from all walks of life who come together to worship and to engage in the various programs that this church runs. This church is absolutely centered around the teachings of Jesus Christ as put forth in the four gospels. It is always radical: not in a watered-down, politically-correct sort of way, but in a real-world, real-results sort of way. I cannot recall any sermons that did not make me question my values in some deep sort of way. At the same time, this church is not dogmatic: questioning and thinking is always encouraged. This church is a place to learn and grow; the people here are not concerned with identifying yourself with one particular religion or denomination but rather just want to help people come to know and understand the teachings of Jesus and how they can be relevant to our lives and our world. The service and liturgy is a blend between progressive and traditional...creeds are avoided and the service is very open-minded, but traditional hymns are sung and the service and teachings are not watered-down or made politically correct as in many "liberal" churches. I think this is one of those few churches that cannot be labeled as "liberal" or "conservative", even though it is far from moderate. PCC has rich music which changes greatly from year to year. Mary Hammond, the one pastor, plays piano every-other service. A number of Oberlin students volunteer their various musical talents, and there is a very small but engaging choir. The people and the community here are the most amazing part of this church. People here are friendly and welcoming, and their friendliness is deep and sincere. They not only talk to you but actually want to get to know you. People here won't ask you to be someone you're not and won't judge you based on preconceived notions of who you are or who you should be. From the moment I set foot in here, I have always felt that I could be myself and be completely honest in this church, and I very rarely feel this in churches, especially ones I am new to or visiting. I am very grateful that this church was my first exposure to a real church community. Sadly, I have found that it is the exception, rather than the norm, among Protestant churches in America. I would recommend this church especially to people who find that they have become frustrated with churches. In particular, the people in this community are aware with both the problems of the dogmatic attitudes in conservative churches and the wishy-washy attitudes in liberal churches...they have somehow found a way to address all these issues together and create a church that does what a church should do--helping people to learn and grow on their spiritual journey, and to understand the teachings of Jesus on a deep level, with direct relevance to their daily lives. read more