A community’s vitality is primarily its spiritual strength and capacity for intentional work. Vitality is evident in a worshiping community or organization when its structural systems, finances and practices are aligned in such a way that the community is actively engaged in the mission of God in their local community and the world. 

The PC(USA) challenges its congregations to deepen and energize their faith by actively engaging with their communities.  

Structural racism is the normalizing of racism within institutions and structures. Once racism is structural and institutional (as it is in the United States), it creates ongoing, persistent inequality.

The PC(USA) is committed to fearlessly applying our faith to advocate and break down the systems, practices and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice and oppression of people of color. 

Systemic poverty refers to the economic exploitation of people who are poor through laws, policies, practices and systems that perpetuate their impoverished status. We live in a world and country where not all have equal access to primary resources like clean water, air, fresh food, education and affordable housing.

As a church committed to faith-in-action, the PC(USA) is working to change laws, policies, plans and structures in our society that perpetuate the economic exploitation of people who are poor.