Statement of Faith

George Williams founded the YMCA in 1844 as a place of prayer and Bible study for the young men working in London who had migrated from rural England to find jobs. Seven years later, Thomas Valentine Sullivan, working as a marine missionary, formed the first U.S. YMCA at the Old South Church in Boston. From our rich heritage of strong Christian values and message, the Y has expanded into an organization that looks very different today than it did when our founding fathers first started.

The Glacial Community YMCA continues our focus on all three areas of the original triangle – Spirit, Mind, and Body. We choose to be an Association that strongly promotes the overall health of the individual, equally addressing all areas; intentionally offering spiritual development as part of our service to the community.

Our focus on the Spirit begins as a staff who exercise compassion, love, and respect of others. This culture of ‘loving like Christ’ is visible throughout our organization.

Beyond this you’ll find us praying for each other, our programs, and our members. You will find that we point our children to the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. You’ll know of our commitment to the plans God has for each of us and our Y as we begin our meetings with a devotional thought, often including a prayer and the occasional reference to Scripture.

While our roots are based in the Christian faith, we are absolutely open for all. Our strength lies in the way we live out our Christian principles each and every day with everyone we serve. We seek to honor the rich heritage of the Y and its Christian mission in all we do.

We hope you will join us in keeping that mission central, the ‘C’ in our Y visible, and our hearts open to all.