| We
are a congregation of worshippers who are part of the United
Church of Christ, an inclusive, open and affirming denomination. We encourage
all those who are searching for acceptance and freedom of individual conscience
to come see what we're about. We invite all people who aren't afraid to seek further
understanding of God and Jesus Christ -- those who wish to be thinking people
as well as caring individuals -- to join us in worship, fellowship, and spiritual
growth. We welcome all who have questions and seek answers. Education is available
to all those who wish to learn. When
we state that we welcome everyone, we do. All those who wish to come worship God
are welcome to worship with us. We recognize all Christian Baptisms - you need
not be "re-baptized." Single, married, widowed, divorced, young, old, rich, poor,
all ethnic groups and sexual orientations, you are welcome to come worship with
us. 
The
United Church of Christ came into being in 1957
with the union of two Protestant denominations: the Evangelical and Reformed Church
and the Congregational Christian Churches. Each of these was, in turn, the result
of a union of two earlier denominations. The Congregational
Churches were organized when the Pilgrims of Plymouth Plantation (1620) and the
Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629) acknowledged their essential unity
in the Cambridge Platform of 1648. The Reformed Church in the United States traced
its beginnings to congregations of German settlers in Pennsylvania founded from
1725 on. Later, its ranks were swelled by Reformed folk from Switzerland and other
countries. The Christian Churches sprang up in the
late 1700s and early 1800s in reaction to the theological and organizational rigidity
of the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches of the time. The Evangelical
Synod of North America traced its beginning to an association of German Evangelical
pastors in Missouri. This association, founded in 1840, reflected the 1817 union
of Lutheran and Reformed churches in Germany. Through
the years, member of the groups, such as Native Americans, African Americans,
Asian Americans, Volga Germans, Armenians, Hungarians, and Hispanic Americans
have joined with the four earlier groups. Thus the United
Church of Christ celebrates and continues a wide variety of traditions in
its common life. |
The
characteristics of the United Church of Christ can
be summarized in part by the key words in the names of the four denominations
that formed our union: Christian, Reformed, Congregational, Evangelical.  Christian
By our very name, the United Church of Christ, we declare ourself to be a part
of the body of Christ - the Christian church. We continue the witness of the early
disciples to the reality and power of the crucified and risen Christ, Jesus of
Nazareth.
ReformedAll
four denominations arose from the tradition of the sixteen-century Protestant
Reformers: We confess the authority of one God. We affirm the primacy of the Scriptures,
the doctrine of justification by faith, the priesthood of all believers, and the
principle of Christian freedom. We celebrate two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's
Supper or Holy Communion. Congregational
The
basic unit of the United Church of Christ is the congregation. Members of each
congregation covenant with one another and with God as revealed in Jesus Christ
and empowered by the Holy Spirit. These congregations, in turn, exist in covenantal
relationships with one another to form larger structures for more effective work.
Our covenanting emphasizes trustful relationships rather than legal agreements. Evangelical
The
primary task of the church is the proclamation of the gospel, or evangel - the
good news of God's love revealed with power in Jesus Christ. We proclaim
this gospel by word and deed to individual persons and to society. This proclamation
is the heart of the liturgia - the work of the people. We gather each Sunday
for the worship of God, and through each week, we engage in the service of humankind |
The above description can be amplified by
significant phrases commonly used by Christians, which express the commitments
of the United Church of Christ. That
they may all be one
In essentials unity, in nonessentials
diversity, in all things charity
Testimonies of
faith rather than tests of faith
There is yet
more light and truth to break forth from God's Holy Word
The
priesthood of all believers
Responsible freedom
That
they may all be one (John 17:21):
This motto of the United Church
of Christ reflects the spirit of unity on which the church is based and points
toward future efforts to heal the divisions in the body of Christ. We are a uniting
church as well as a united church. Testimonies
of faith rather than tests of faith:
Because faith can be expressed
in many different ways, the United Church of Christ has no formula that is a test
of faith. Down through the centuries, however, Christians have shared their faith
with one another through creeds, confessions, catechisms, and other statements
of faith. Historic statements such as the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, the
Heidelberg Catechism, the Evangelical Catechism, the Augsburg Confession, the
Cambridge Platform, and the Kansas City Statement of Faith are valued as authentic
testimonies of faith. In 1959, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ
adopted a statement of faith prepared especially for the United Church. Since
that time a revision was made by Robert V. Moss, president of the United Church
of Christ, 1969-76, and recommended for use by the Eleventh General Synod, 1977.
Another revision, in the form of a Doxology, was affirmed by the Fourteenth General
Synod (1981). Both revisions use inclusive language. There
is yet more light and truth to break forth from God's Holy Word:
This
classic statement assumes the primacy of the Bible as a source for understanding
the good news and as a foundation for all statements of faith. It recognizes that
the Bible, though written in specific historical times and places, still speaks
to us in our present condition. It declares that the study of the Scriptures is
not limited by past interpretations but is to be pursued with expectancy for new
insights and help for living today. The
priesthood of all believers:
All members of the United Church of
Christ are called to minister to others and to participate as equals in the common
worship of God, each with direct access to the mercies of God through personal
prayer and devotion. Recognition is given to those among us who have receive
special training in pastoral, priestly, educational, and administrative functions,
but these persons are regarded as ministers - servants - rather than as persons
in authority. Their task is to guide, to instruct, and to enable all Christians
to do the work of ministry rather than to do the work of ministry for us. Responsible
freedom:
As individual members, we are free to believe and act
in accordance with our perception of God's will for our lives. But we are called
to live in a loving, covenantal relationship with one another - gathering in communities
of faith, congregations of believers, and local churches. Each congregation
or local church is free to act in accordance with the collective decisions of
its members, guided by the working of the Spirit in the light of the Scriptures.
But it is also called to live in a covenantal relationship with other congregations
for the sharing of insights and for cooperative action. Likewise, associations
of churches, conferences, the General Synod, and national boards and agencies
of the United Church of Christ are free to act in their particular spheres of
responsibility. Yet all are constrained by love to live in a covenantal relationship
with one another and with the local churches in order to make manifest the unity
of the body of Christ and thus to carry out God's mission in the world more effectively.
The members, congregations, associations, conferences, General Synod, and
national instrumentalities are free in relation to the world. We affirm that the
authority of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and interpreted with the aid of
the Holy Spirit, stands above and judges all human culture, institutions, and
laws. But we recognize our calling both as individuals and as the church to live
in the world: - Ministering to its need
- Contributing
to the welfare of all
- Being enriched by those aspects of culture that help
to make human life more human
- Working through institutions and supporting
laws that reflect God's just and loving purposes for the world
- Seeking
justice and liberation for all
This
is the challenge of the United Church of Christ |
A
Doxology We believe in you, O God,
Eternal Spirit,
God of Our Savior Jesus Christ
and our God,
and to your deeds we testify: You call the worlds
into being,
create persons in your own image,
and set before
each one the ways of life and death. You seek in
holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin. You
judge people and nations by your righteous will
declared through prophets
and apostles. In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth,
our
crucified and risen Savior,
you have come to us
and shared
our common lot,
conquering sin and death
and reconciling the world to yourself.
You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit,
creating
and renewing the church of Jesus Christ,
binding in covenant faithful
people of all ages, tongues, and races. You call
us into your church
to accept the cost and joy of discipleship,
to
be your servants in the service of others,
to proclaim the gospel to
all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share
in Christ's baptism and eat at his table, to join
him in his passion and victory. You promise to all
who trust you
forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace,
courage
in the struggle for justice and peace,
your presence in trial and rejoicing,
and
eternal life in your realm which has no end. Blessing
and honor, glory and power be unto you.
|
|
