|
| First Plymouth Congregational Church |  Mission Statement The mission of First Plymouth Congregational Church,
United Church of Christ,
is to worship God,
to nurture people on their Christian journey,
and to witness to God's love in word and deed.
Relying on the grace and power of God,
known to us most fully
in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ,
we aspire to be a community which is Biblically based,
intellectually open, theologically progressive,
and inclusive of all people.
Fostering an atmosphere of joy and celebration
that welcomes all people, we commit to provide: - Varied and meaningful opportunities for worship and spiritual growth.
- Engaging and interactive Christian education for all age groups.
- A caring and compassionate ministry to members and friends of the church family.
- Loving service to the wider community with a focus on human need, social justice, and stewardship of the earth.
Back to top | Who We Are
First Plymouth Congregational Church is home to thoughtful and progressive Christians. We seek to lend aid and give shape to our community through social justice practices and prayer. We encourage and nurture our members to grow in their relationship with God. Our church fosters a creative, diverse, and welcoming environment that supports individuals and families.
Back to top An Open and Affirming Church
First Plymouth Congregational Church designated itself an Open and Affirming (ONA) church in 1999. Simply put, our policy is:
In keeping with the life and teaching of Christ Jesus, we joyfully and unconditionally welcome all people of any age, gender, race, culture, ability, or sexual orientation into our community of faith and affirm the worth of all people as unique individuals made in God's image. We are open to the special gifts that each person brings and invite each one to participate in the life of our church.
More about Inclusivity/ONA at First Plymouth Back to top A Whole Earth Church
A Whole Earth Church is a congregation in the United Church of Christ (UCC) that is committed through its worship to love God’s creation, to educate its members regarding the interconnectedness of all of God’s creation, to practice wise stewardship of the Earth, and to provide outreach in the community for Whole Earth concerns. The United Church of Christ (UCC)
The UCC story is broad and diverse and a story that we celebrate. With all Christians, we rest in God's amazing grace and hear God's voice in the words of Scripture. Yet, the UCC is unique to some because we do not require uniformity of belief. We are a church of open ideas, extravagant welcome, and evangelical courage. Our passion for democracy extends to both government and church, where decision-making rests within each congregation. We support liberty in our pulpits, just as we affirm the individual conscience of our 1.2 million members to agree, disagree, and wrestle with life's biggest questions in a spirit of love. Our story is the story of the United States. We are the people of the Mayflower. More than 600 of our 5,700 congregations were formed before 1776. Eleven signers of the Declaration of Independence were members of UCC predecessor bodies. As early abolitionists, we came to the aid of the Amistad captives and founded hundreds of schools across the South after the Civil War. We were the first mainline church to ordain an African-American (1785), a woman (1853), and an openly gay pastor (1972). We were also the first to form a foreign mission society (1810). Our multi-ethnic membership includes persons from every immigrant group, as well as native peoples and descendants of freed slaves. Our unity is not dependent upon uniform agreement, but in our shared allegiance to Jesus Christ. Ours is a risk-taking church, because ours is a risk-taking God (Text from an April 2, 2008 full page ad in The New York Times)
Back to top
| |
