Open and Affirming
 "Statement of Welcome"

The Love of Christ for Each Person Knows No Bounds, and…..

 We, at Christ Congregational Church, United Church of Christ of Brockton, celebrate the diversity of God’s creation, and seek to be a community of Christians who live in openness to the voice of the Still Speaking God.  
 
We celebrate family in all its diverse forms and honor, support, and bless all loving and committed relationships.  
 
As we seek to live out our mission to live Christ’s compassion and promote justice, healing and wholeness of life we welcome into our community persons of every gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, mental and physical ability, age, race, nationality, economic and social status, faith background, marital standing and family structure.
 
We invite and welcome all to share in the life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, sacraments, responsibilities, blessings, and joys of our congregation as we seek to grow together in faith and love.  
 
We remember our promises made at baptism, therefore, no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey; you are welcome to this United Church of Christ. 

This Statement of Welcome was adopted on October 18, 2009.  

Over 115 members of Christ Congregational Church, UCC gathered in the sanctuary following worship for a Special Church Meeting.  The sole purpose of this meeting was to hear and act on the report of the Open and Affirming Steering Committee.  By an overwhelming majority (99%), our congregation voted to accept the Statement of Welcome. This decision does not come without some deep wrestling or unanswered questions.....what now?  Do we change our signs? What does it mean to the greater community? We are already welcoming, how does that change?  Like our lives, this is a “work in process”.  
 
Some answers...maybe, some yet to be determined.  Yes we will put some type of identifier on the former “Y” sign in the near future.  That will be determined by the Council.  We are a warm, welcoming body of Christ but how does the outsider know that?  How does someone that has never been here before know  that we welcome  EVERYONE, “persons of every gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, mental and physical ability, age, race, nationality, economic and social status, faith background, marital standing and family structure”.  WE must tell them.  WE must share the Good News with everyone!    We are all God’s children and the acceptance of this
Statement of Welcome tells our church community and the greater community we embrace and affirm this! 

For additional information on the UCC Open and Affirming commitment, please visit  www.ucc.org.