About Us 2

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Psalm 90:1

Welcome home, you belong here. That’s what a welcome home

hug or pat on the back during the holidays conveys. The

greeting that lets you know that you belong. The Christmas

lights, the array of goodies, the stories told, the laughter shared

and the presents under the tree serve as reminders of what

anchors us to home.

What are the living reminders that show us our home is in

Christ? The Baptism font where the Holy Spirit plants faith in our

hearts through the refreshing water. The bread and the cup of

Holy Communion where we are in full connection with Christ.

When we join our voices singing “Silent Night” we know that

around the world others are singing the same familiar words.

All of these serve as a reminder that the arms of our God are

opened wide ready to welcome us home. Where if we listen

closely with our heart, we can hear our Lord whisper “welcome

home my child, you belong here.”

Advent is a season of preparation. You are invited to prepare

your heart for a new beginning. As we enter this season of

Advent, my prayer is that you find your way home to Hope

Church where you will hear a message that God is waiting to

embrace you. You will be reminded that you belong to the babe

born in a manger, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of Lords. No

matter where you are on your journey you are welcome here!

The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a distinct and diverse community of Christians that come together as one church to join faith and action. With over 5,000 churches and nearly one million members across the U.S., the UCC serves God in the co-creation of a just and sustainable world. The UCC is a church of firsts, a church of extravagant welcome, and a church where "…they may all be one" (John 17:21).

The Church of Firsts

Since 1957, the United Church of Christ has been the church of firsts, weaving God’s message of hope and extravagant welcome with action for justice and peace. Together, we live out our faith in ways that effect change in our communities. The UCC's many "firsts" mean that we have inherited a tradition of acting upon the demands of our faith. When we read in Galatians: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus"—a demand is made upon us. And so we were the first historically white denomination to ordain an African-American, the first to ordain a woman, the first to ordain an openly gay man, and the first Christian church to affirm the right of same-gender couples to marry. We were in the forefront of the anti-slavery movement and the Civil Rights movement. Our response to the demands of our faith is woven into the history of our country.

A Church of Extravagant Welcome

Today, we continue to change lives throughout the world. We work alongside more than 200 mission partners. We labor ceaselessly to fight injustice, in the United States and abroad. We instill our vision into our youth and young adults, forging leaders who will imagine new dreams. And we sustain and develop church leaders, pastors, and our local churches to live their faith in exciting new ways. We believe in a God that is still speaking, a God that is all-loving and inclusive. We are a church that welcomes and accepts everyone as they are, where your mind is nourished as much as your soul.

We are a church where Jesus the healer meets Jesus the revolutionary, and where together, we grow a just and peaceful world.