exploring the Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, any members here want to discuss?

[~*max*~]

We are seeking a church for our family and visited a Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, yesterday. We all really liked it. The kids loved their church school classes and dh & I really enjoyed the service.

I have been researching UCC online, but it's tough to get much info as each church is so independant. I would love to hear others' experiences with this church, how it supports your family, what you like & do not like, etc. Any book or website recommendations would also be appreciated.

I am also curious as to how baptism fits in to this denomination. I was baptised as an infant, but dh and our children were not.

Thanks all for any insights.

[iowaorganic]

We are members of the Church of Christ (uh- not sure if it is United or what- I think there are like 3 varieties). We mostly agree with its doctrine- but I don't know as if we would ever find a church we were 100% in agreement with. They are great for our family- our children love it- the services are upbeat and our minister is awesome. There are lots of family activites at our church.

Basically baptism is based on Peters confession of 'repent and be baptized'. Infant baptism isn't really wrong- but an infant can not repent and therefore can not join in fellowship with Christ. Therefore baptism of an infant is pretty much a show. We dedicate and that is saying that we will raise our baby in the church and living as an example of a practicing Christian. Baptism is stressed alot in the Church of Christ since it is the first outward step of following God's commands (after repentance). At our church the baptismal is always warm and there is an altercall after each message.

If you truely repent of your sins and accept that Christ is the only way to God and through his blood you are forgiven- there is no reason to not be baptized as you will want to follow the commands of Christ. Everyone must make this decision for him or herself- adults and children alike.

Call or email your minister- I am sure he would love to share more about the church!

[Grace and Granola]

As far as I know UCC is completely different from Church of Christ. I have known people in each denomination who have said they are not the same.

[zoebird]

yup, ucc is completely different from coc.

my DH was raised in a liberal UCC church. his experience is predominately social events. the spirituality of his household is pretty nil, but they went because 'that's wht you do' and it was th church his grandfather helped to found. his parents feel deeply connected and supported through it--thye go to at least 5 events per week and church service.

i personally found it spiritually empty and a bit weird, but very well connected in so far as activities go. there is a club for everyone, and people usualy belong to multiple clubs.

for example, there are three reading groups: fiction, nonfiction, and spiritual. my MIL belongs to all three (though she says she hates to read and never finishes the book chapters week to week). FIL belongs to the men's group, the men's golf group, and one other. i think there's a pot luck every week.

so, they like it for that. and hardly anyone, ever, talks about god or jesus except for sunday or the spiritual reading group (there might also be a bible study and prayer group, but my ILs "aren't into that.")

[woodchick]

My mother has a great old joke that goes something like this, "if you put two Congregationalists in a room they'll have three opinions..."

The UCC is an overarching entity, but each church basically runs itself, so it is hard to make sweeping generalizations. I grew up in a UCC/Congregatinal Church, attended a bunch of different denoms in college (based on wherever I could hitch a ride) and am again a member of another Congregational church.

Honestly, I can't think of any book that would give you great insight into the church. My understanding is that some years ago (in the 50s?) a huge number of churches/denoms banded together to form the UCC. As a denomination they do not have a long history or solidified doctrine (as the Calvinists or Lutherans do).

There is a current emphasis on the Still Speaking campaign, encouraging folks to listen to what God has to say about their lives. I know that many churches have also adopted the UCC's 'Open and Affirming' stance on homosexuality.

Baptism- I was baptized as an infant, DD1 was 18mos (when we were settled in our 'new' church) and DD2 was an infant. DH, who was raised in a very different denom, has never been formally baptized. Adults are baptised (with a sprinkle) when they choose/have made a choice for Christ. Many churches have a Confirmation process for the pre/teenagers. It is usually a series of classes which leads up to a formal profession of faith (thereby confirming the vows their parents made for them at their baptism).

We really like our church. We are challenged by the sermons, we feel free to differ when it comes to points of theology, our congregation is fairly diverse in age, background, tax bracket and the community is supportive and uplifting. We give to our local community as well as supporting two missionary families and other international aid. Our girls feel 100% at home when we're at church and they have so many people that love them!

I can only speak from my experience, and this wasn't a very cohesive post, but I'm happy to keep talking!

[Mosaic]

I grew up UCC... LOVE IT! I disagree that it's spiritually empty and weird, obviously, though I will agree that it's pretty liberal insofar as churches go. But it's definitely a protestant church, so it's not as liberal as Unity, Unitarian Universalist, etc. which are not Christ-based. We use a Good News Bible, so the focus is on improving yourself, helping others, and following what's important and is less on punishment/hell, converting others, etc.

Some UCCs are very traditional, which others are more contemporary, so you will find UCCs on all ends of the spectrum. The one I grew up in has very traditional music and a congregation to match, but I have been to several that are more contemporary: different music, more of an environmental/activist focus, etc. Each is different.

Baptism is considered a sacrament and is performed typically on infants but can be performed on older people as well. Confirmation is also pretty standard, I think: learning more about the Bible, what it means to be a member of the church, etc.

They are all open-door: when they agreed to allow homosexual ministers, a number of UCCs left the organization, so it has been very hard for me to find one here in the South.

Personally, I have always loved it. It is so genuinely supportive and not at all judgemental, and that is why I have yet to find another church that can hold a candle to my UCC. Of course, everyone has something different that they need/look for, so I won't say it's for everyone. But both my husband and my mother were raised Catholic and found UCC to be both safe/familiar but also more open and comfortable.

[~*max*~]

Thank you all for the replies. I am someone who likes to research my options, so the fact that I can't find much written about UCC is challenging for me. It is helpful to hear your experiences.

Originally Posted by Mosaic

We use a Good News Bible, so the focus is on improving yourself, helping others, and following what's important and is less on punishment/hell, converting others, etc.

But both my husband and my mother were raised Catholic and found UCC to be both safe/familiar but also more open and comfortable.

I love that about the Good News Bible focus (off to reasearch that next. ). That is exactly what I am looking for. I am really uncomfortable w/a strong sin/hell focus both for myself and especially for my children. That was a big factor in my choosing this church.

I too was raised Catholic, and from just one visit I do feel at home here.

[Bluegoat]

Here in Canada the equivalent denomination is the United Church of Canada. My uncle, who attends a UCC congregation, describes them by saying "they're not against anything but bottled water".

[woodchick]

Originally Posted by ~*max*~

Thank you all for the replies. I am someone who likes to research my options, so the fact that I can't find much written about UCC is challenging for me. It is helpful to hear your experiences.



I love that about the Good News Bible focus (off to reasearch that next. ). That is exactly what I am looking for. I am really uncomfortable w/a strong sin/hell focus both for myself and especially for my children. That was a big factor in my choosing this church.

I too was raised Catholic, and from just one visit I do feel at home here.

Our pew Bibles are NASB (New American Standard Bible) but the pastor always reads from the NIV (New International Bible). We're also encouraged to bring our own Bibles to make notes in. (just mentioning it because the GN Bible isn't universal across the UCC)

My mom was raised Catholic but joined a UCC church when she married my dad. Our current church has many, many former Catholics. It does seem to be a popular settling place for those who leave the Catholic church.

[Aquitane]

Hi, max!

My story is that I was raised Catholic. My mom was raised in a "German Reformed" church that had broken away from the Lutheran church. We went there when we were very little, but then my dad's Catholic family threatened to never speak to us again, so mom converted and raised us Catholic.

Meanwhile the church my mom grew up in went through some transformation joined the UCC about 25 or so years ago. After having my DD, I just felt that I couldn't raise her in the Catholic church. There were just too many things I didn't agree with, in particular certain stances regarding women.

So, we went back to my mom's old church. We REALLY loved it! Just like most others have posted, very accepting, very liberal. Our church has A LOT of old people. It's a very small congregation.

Other posters are correct, each church is very much an entity unto itself. For example, I liked the minister when we joined, but he retired shortly after. The interim minister was awesome. Our new permanent minister - uh, not so much. He's more a hell and damnation sort of guy, a read the bible every day sort of guy, and we are SO NOT that kind of family.

Really we're probably buddhists or pagans or something like that. So now we're kind of in a quandary because this guy will be staying awhile and he will really determine the policy of THIS church. So I guess we'll see. I would totally be open to visiting other UCC churches in the area.

Hope that helps.

[~*max*~]

Aquitane, yes that does help. Thank you. (I honestly did not know there are so many versions of the Bible!) The church we visited also has an interim minister (who I like a lot) and I have wondered how things will change once the permanent minister is selected. I guess we will have to just wait & see on that one. I do plan to take our time before officially joining a new church anyway. Although I would like to get involved a bit & get to know some of the folks.

[zoebird]

i didn't mean that all UCCs are spiritually empty or weird, or that even that the particurlar church my ILs go to is, but that my ILs are (from what i can tell), and that i find some of the traditions of the church to be weird (or strange), and no one can say where they came from or why (the traditions, that is), and so they seem kind of disjointed.

but that's just *that church* and just my experience of it.

for my own part, if i were looking for a very active church as social activity, i would probably fit in well at their church. but if i'm going for my own spiritual edification--in addition to the socialization--then *for me* it leaves a lot to be desired.

BUT, i have been to other UCC churches that are more edifying for *my* spirit and much less socially active. and, if i were really just looking for the social aspects, then my ILs church would really be a good fit.

one of my friends recently moved there, and while she's not too "churchy" in the spiritual sense, she wanted a place where she could meet other people who like to do X, Y, or Z, and so i recommended a lot of groups there, and she actually really likes my IL's church, and so she's started attending a few things there, and sends her daughter to both the sunday school and the children's choir. she says that she likes the church services because they are very liberal, but she doesn't relaly have a "relationship with god" per se.

so, it suits her, you know?

and, i would wager that there are mayn members of the church who are deeply spiritual people--i just don't know them. i mostly know my ILs. and they are weird.