No church is an island.
Or our church isn't, at any rate.
The Congregational Church of Needham lives in the creative tension between congregational autonomy ("Our congregation has freedom to decide how we follow Jesus, without the control of bishops, district superintendents, or conventions..") and covenantal relationship with our wider United Church of Christ denominational family ("...and we come together with other congregations to hold each other accountable to the Gospel and do things together none of us could do alone.")
We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), at once a very old and very young denomination. The UCC has very old roots that reach back to the Protestant Reformation in 16th Century Europe and include the Pilgrims and Puritans that settled in New England. (Our congregation's own history goes back to 1711 and the founding of the town of Needham.) But those roots didn't grow together to form the UCC we know today until 1957. And we're still growing and changing and working to bear good fruit for the Gospel of justice, peace, and compassion in the world. Here's more about us:
Our faith is 2,000 years old. Our thinking is not.
We believe in God's continuing testament. This is why we are committed to hearing God's ancient story anew and afresh in our lives and in the world today. We try to remain attentive to God's creative movement in the world. Religion and science are not mutually exclusive, and your head and heart are both welcomed into our places of worship. We prepare our members and leaders to be engaged in ministry in the present and future church, and we embrace all kinds of communities and new modes of thinking. Why? Because God is still speaking,
No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
We believe in extravagant welcome. This is why we insist that God's communion table is open, not closed, and God's gift and claim in baptism are irrevocable. We advocate justice for all. Our congregations extend hospitality as a sign of God's inclusive love. We teach that evangelism — offering bread to those in search of it — is God's mission. Our perspective is global, not provincial. We work with — not against — people of other faiths. Why? Because God is still speaking,
Never place a period where God has placed a comma.
We believe the church's mission is to change lives — individually, systemically and globally. We work to make transformation possible, but trust in God's grace. This is why we insist that churches must be places of vitality in worship, learning and advocacy. We are committed to working for justice, and we believe that lives are changed through global experiences and friendships. Why? Because God is still speaking,
We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC), at once a very old and very young denomination. The UCC has very old roots that reach back to the Protestant Reformation in 16th Century Europe and include the Pilgrims and Puritans that settled in New England. (Our congregation's own history goes back to 1711 and the founding of the town of Needham.) But those roots didn't grow together to form the UCC we know today until 1957. And we're still growing and changing and working to bear good fruit for the Gospel of justice, peace, and compassion in the world. Here's more about us:
Our faith is 2,000 years old. Our thinking is not.
We believe in God's continuing testament. This is why we are committed to hearing God's ancient story anew and afresh in our lives and in the world today. We try to remain attentive to God's creative movement in the world. Religion and science are not mutually exclusive, and your head and heart are both welcomed into our places of worship. We prepare our members and leaders to be engaged in ministry in the present and future church, and we embrace all kinds of communities and new modes of thinking. Why? Because God is still speaking,
No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
We believe in extravagant welcome. This is why we insist that God's communion table is open, not closed, and God's gift and claim in baptism are irrevocable. We advocate justice for all. Our congregations extend hospitality as a sign of God's inclusive love. We teach that evangelism — offering bread to those in search of it — is God's mission. Our perspective is global, not provincial. We work with — not against — people of other faiths. Why? Because God is still speaking,
Never place a period where God has placed a comma.
We believe the church's mission is to change lives — individually, systemically and globally. We work to make transformation possible, but trust in God's grace. This is why we insist that churches must be places of vitality in worship, learning and advocacy. We are committed to working for justice, and we believe that lives are changed through global experiences and friendships. Why? Because God is still speaking,