What We Believe

What’s a Congregational Church?

There are a number of Christian denominations, mostly divided between three major traditions: Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant. The church separated into Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions in 1054. In the 16th Century the Protestant Reformation began in Europe. Reformers broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, and began new traditions. Over the next two centuries, a number of denominations would be born including Lutherans, Presbyterians, Anglicans/Episcopalians, Methodists, Baptists, and what became known as the Congregationalists.

We are a church in the Congregationalist tradition. Nearly every New England town has, or at one point had, a Congregational Church, because it was the official church in many colonies. In fact, in some places to have a town, you had to first have a church. That’s why our church shares our town’s birthday of 1638.

In 1957, the United Church of Christ (UCC) was founded, merging together four different traditions with similar beliefs and practices into one denomination. Most of the New England Congregationalists joined the UCC, including us. We cherish our Congregational tradition, and also are grateful for our connection to our denomination.

What are your basic beliefs?

We are Christians who believe in God as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer (or, more traditionally, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). We seek to follow Jesus Christ in all we do, following what he called the Greatest Commandment: loving God with all our heart, soul and mind and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We believe that worship is at the heart of our faith, and so we gather on Sundays to pray, sing hymns, read Scripture, and hear a sermon. We also gather together for fellowship, and also in order to learn more about our faith. Finally, we believe that we are called to live out our faith in the world. We seek to serve our community and world through service, and to give generously of all that we have been given.

How do you understand the Bible?

The Bible is the story of God’s love for humanity. We hold Scripture at the center of our worship, and from it we seek wisdom and guidance for our lives. We also understand that the Bible is a collection of 66 separate books, all of must be understood in the context of the times when, and places where, they were written. We are not ignorant to the fact that Scripture has sometimes been twisted to support oppression and bigotry. That’s why we believe it is important to delve deeper into the study of the Bible, and to find how God is speaking to us now. We will also never ask you to check your mind at the door.

What about sacraments?

Along with most Protestants, we celebrate two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion. We baptize infants and children whose family has made a commitment to raising them in our church. In baptism we affirm God’s love for them and our commitment to spiritually support them as they grow. We also baptize youth and adults who have made the decision to be baptized on their own. Baptisms are performed during Sunday worship by the sprinkling or pouring of water on the head of the one receiving the sacrament. We believe that baptism only needs to take place once, so we do not re-baptize those who come from other Christian traditions.

We observe the Lord’s Supper once a month, generally on the first Sunday. We hold that Christ is spiritually, but not physically, present in the bread and cup. We welcome all who seek to follow Christ to receive Communion, including children. In order to reduce any barriers to receiving the sacrament, we celebrate with non-alcoholic grape juice instead of wine.

Do I have to join the church?

We welcome all to be a part of our church community, regardless of whether or not you formally join the congregation. We do encourage everyone to consider church membership, though. By joining the church you are saying that you have found the spiritual community that is your home, and that you are committing to worshipping, growing, and serving with us.

If you are an adult , or older youth, who is interested in joining the church, the pastor will meet with you and let you know about the next reception of new members. If you have not previously been baptized, we will arrange for the sacrament to take place before then. Middle school youth are given the opportunity to join the church as members via the rite of Confirmation. Once you have joined the church you will also be eligible to vote at congregational meetings, and serve on certain church committees that require membership.

Who makes the decisions?

In short, the congregation and those whom they have chosen. In some traditions the pastor or priest has the final word on church matters. In others a bishop or denominational body can direct a church to do certain things. In our tradition, though, decisions are made by each local church. At our church a lay (non-clergy) member is elected Moderator of the congregation. They chair the Church Council, made up of church officers and the chairs of our major committees, as well as the pastor. A board of Deacons is responsible for worship and the spiritual care and nurture of the church, our Trustees care for the church finances and property., and our Mission and Action committee directs our service to our community and world. We have clergy who are called to the specific ministries of preaching and teaching, but every member is called to the work of ministry, and everyone has a voice. We are in covenant with other UCC churches, but are governed not by bishops or denominational authorities. Instead, church members work with the pastor to lead the congregation.

What should I know about the United Church of Christ?

The UCC is an American denomination of about 750,000 members belonging to over 4,700 congregations. Our denomination has a strong history of witnessing for justice and inclusion. The UCC, and our predecessor denominations, have been responsible for the first ordination of an American woman to the clergy, for being the first tradition to ordain LGBTQ clergy, and for being the first American denomination to approve same-sex marriage. The UCC also is in full-covenant relationships with other denominations, including mainline Presbyterians and Lutherans. Many of our members were raised in other denominations, but feel very much at-home in this church. To learn more about the UCC, please visit their site.