All Are Welcome !!
We are a community of 23 churches that seeks to respond
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. We are an
Association in the Central Atlantic Conference, United
Church of Christ.
The UCC was founded in 1957 as the union of the
Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and
Reformed Church. From the beginning of our history we
were a church that affirmed the ideal that Christians did not
always have to agree to live together in communion.
Our motto—"that they may all be one"—is Jesus' prayer for
the unity of the church. The UCC is one of the most diverse
Christian churches in the United States.
Please feel free to click on the navigation links above, We
have a lot of exciting events to offer as well as a full list of
churches that are always looking for new members and
fresh ideas and a Links page full of great sites to check out.
We also have a number of churches that are Open &
Affirming. And please feel free to contact us if you have any
questions.
Upcoming Events
January 17, 2009:
Service of Installation
for Rev. Karen Lovelace
@ St Mark’s UCC in
Morrell Park, Baltimore
City
April 17, 2010:
Chesapeake Association
Annual Spring Meeting @
Immanuel UCC in
Catonsville, MD
Please Check Our
Calendar Page for
full details and more
scheduled events !!
Top 10 reasons to check out the UCC
10. What if church is like spinach ...?
You know, like something that you hated as a kid but you love as an adult because
you eat it in ways that suit you much better. Guess what? A lot of people are having the
same sort of experience with church . . . In the UCC, things are often quite different and
worth checking out.
9. Variety...
UCC churches tend to tailor themselves to fit the people they feel called to serve in
their local community. The result: A wide variety of musical traditions, expressions and
values that have integrity and purpose. From conservative to liberal, we're not short on
variety.
8. No apologies..
You are what you are...and so are we – we like ourselves just fine. Find a church
where you will fit in, be nurtured and challenged to grow.
7. No waiting..
You don't have to join to be active in many UCC churches. If you want to get
involved, any of our churches will find a place to help full fill your need to give – whether
or not you decide to join.
6. No boxes
God can blow the lid off any box, unfold it and turn it into a dance floor. We tend to
be the "out of the box" people. Among our many firsts, we were the first mainline church
to take a stand against slavery (1700), the first to ordain an African American person
(1785), the first to ordain a woman (1853), the first in foreign missions (1810), and the
first to ordain openly gay lesbian, bisexual, and trans-gendered persons
(1972). We value education for all people. We founded Harvard and Yale, as well as many
historically black colleges, six of which remain affiliated with the UCC to this day.
5. One God, One Faith, One Baptism for All
When we baptize you into our community, we promise that we will never take it back
– no matter what you discover about yourself or what others discover about you along
life's journey. We believe that baptism places each of us into the "body of Christ" and
lasts forever. Some are baptized as infants, others as adults. Some are sprinkled. Others
are immersed. Some reclaim their baptism from a previous church life. For each of us,
however, baptism is big enough, strong enough and cleansing enough to last forever. We
believe that everyone – old, young, straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gendered,
physically or emotionally challenged, rich or poor, sure or unsure, lost or found,
Democrat or Republican has a place in the body of Christ. Baptism is like a badge that
says, "you're a full member of the church and no one can take that away from you."
4. Good News People
We believe that No. 5 is good news!
3. "Party" Church
God is having a party and we are all invited. At God's party our spiritual hungering is
fed and our thirsting is satisfied. At God's party we get strength, stamina and community
support that helps us through the tough times that come to everyone. Feeding our
spiritual hunger helps reduce those, "I can't believe I'm so stupid" moments – but we'll
never eliminate them all. That's why we need friends and companions and not judges (no
offense to judges) for the journey.
2. Spiritual Guidance..
It's not about commandments. It's about relationships – even with God. The most
important relationship is our relationship with God. Second most important is our
relationships with the rest of the human family. In balance, these relationships produce
justice amid injustice, kindness in the face of meanness, and the humility of self
acceptance that comes as we sense the presence of a God who knows our inmost
thoughts and loves us uncontrollably – just as we are. Spiritual journeys can be like the
exercise equipment we buy and leave under the bed. Without coaches and workout
partners, most of us don't stick with it. We're the "Journeys Wanted" people . . . bring
yours.
1. We're waiting for you.
