Welcoming All Process

Jesus practiced an “Open Table” fellowship, welcoming everyone into his presence including the sick, the poor and the outcast, even women and children. On June 27, 2020, our church became a United Church of Christ Open and Affirming church, committing to Jesus’ Open Table, welcoming all who enter our presence.

Our Welcoming All Covenant

 

Open and Affirming Welcome Education:

The Open and Affirming Welcome core team has been holding planning meetings since March, 2019 to understand the Open & Affirming Welcoming All discernment process. We have hosted our Small Group Discussions, Food for Thought dinners, and several presentations. We invited congregation members & friends to join us in developing the questions that need to be resolved in our church’s discernment journey.

Small Group meetings are listed in the ONA Posts page.

Welcoming All educational reading material is available on our ONA reading list.

Our Activities:
Sunday March 29th – ONA Welcoming team is sponsoring a soup Luncheon after the church service at 12 noon.  A guest speaker from the PFLAG organization will do a presentation.
Sunday March 8 – ONA draft covenant approved by Church Council

Sunday January 19 – Scripture Study examining the historical context of scriptures.

Saturday January 11 – Food for Thought dinner. A four course meal with a progression of discussion questions.

Sunday November 17 – Sunday Soup Gathering following worship.
Guest speaker Dr. Leonard “Skip” Small – “A Pediatrician’s Understanding of LGBTQ.”  See post for details:
Sunday October 20 – The Open and Affirming Welcoming Committee hosted speaker Gerri Cannon from Somersworth. Gerri is a member of our Conference’s Open and Affirming Committee and a Representative to the NH Legislature. She shared her story as a transgender advocate at the pot luck luncheon following worship.

Saturday September 14 – Food for Thought dinner. An honest discussion of LGBTQ terminology. For details, see this post:

The UCC is the Denomination of Firsts:

1783 – first African American ordained
1853 – first woman elected as a pastor since New Testament times
1972 – first gay person ordained

Quilt in a Corpus Christi, Texas UCC church