God  Is  Still  Speaking
St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ
St. Paul, Minnesota 

Who We Are

Intelligent dialogue and a strong independent streak sometimes cause the United Church of Christ (UCC) and its 1.4 million members to be called a "heady and exasperating mix."  The UCC tends to be a mostly progressive denomination that unabashedly engages heart and mind.  And yet, the UCC somehow manages to balance congregational autonomy with a strong commitment to unity among its 6,000 congregations - despite wide differences among many local congregations on a variety of issues.

While preserving relevant portions of heritage and history dating back to the 16th century, the UCC and its forebears have proven themselves capable of moving forward, tying faith to social justice and shaping cutting edge theology and service in an ever-changing world.

The UCC affirms the responsibility of the church in each generation and community to make faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God.  It looks to the Word of God in the Scriptures, and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to prosper its creative and redemptive work in the world.  One of the UCC's distinguishing characteristics is its penchant to believe that ...... God is still speaking, ..... even when it puts us out there alone.  History has shown that, most often, we're only alone for a while.  Besides, we receive so many gifts from our ecumenical partners, being "early" seems to be one of ours.  The UCC recognizes two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.
 

What We Believe

We believe in the triune God:  Creator; resurrected Christ, the sole Head of the church; and the Holy Spirit, who guides and brings about the creative and redemptive work of God in the world.

We believe that each person is unique and valuable; it is the will of God that every person belong to a family faith where they have a strong sense of being valued and loved.

We believe that the persistent search for God produces an authentic relationship with God, engendering love, strengthening faith, dissolving guilt, and giving life purpose and direction.

We believe that all of the baptized "belong body and soul to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." No matter who.....No matter what....No matter where we are on life's journey, notwithstanding race, gender, sexual orientation, class or creed, we all belong to God and to one worldwide community of faith.  All persons baptized - past, present and future - are connected to each other and to God through the sacrament of baptism.  We baptize during worship when the community is present because baptism includes the community's promise of 'love, support, and care' for the baptized....and we promise that we won't take it back - no matter where your journey leads you.

We believe that all people of faith are invited to join Christ at Christ's table for the sacrament of Communion.  Just as many grains of wheat are gathered to make one loaf of bread and many grapes are gathered to make one cup of wine, likewise, we, the many people of God are made one in the body of Christ, the church.  The breaking of bread and the pouring of wine reminds us of the costliness of Christ's sacrifice and the discipleship to which we are all called.  In the breaking of bread, we remember and celebrate Christ's presence among us along with a 'cloud of witnesses' - our ancestors, family, and friends who have gone before us.  It is a great mystery; we claim it by faith.

We believe the UCC is called to be a united and uniting church.  "That they all may be one." (John 17:21) "In essentials unity, in nonessentials diversity, in all things charity."  These UCC mottos survive because they touch core values deep within us.  The UCC has no rigid formulation of doctrine or attachment to creeds or structures, overarching creed is love.  UCC pastors and teachers are well known for their commitment to excellence in theological preparation, interpretation of the scripture and justice advocacy.  Even so, the supremacy of love and unity in the midst of our diversity are our greatest assets.

We believe that God calls us to be servants in the service of others and to be good stewards of the earth's resources.  "To believe is to care, to care is to do."

We believe that the UCC is called to be a prophetic church.  As in the tradition of the prophets and apostles, God calls the church to speak truth to power, liberate the oppressed, care for the poor and to comfort the afflicted.

We believe in the power of peace, and work for non-violent solutions to local, national, and international problems.

We are a people of possibility.  In the UCC members, congregations and structures have the breathing room  to explore and to hear.....for after all,  God IS still speaking !

Top Ten 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, many of our churches will find a place to help fulfill 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 transgendered 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 today.

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, transgendered, 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 relationship 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 !  Come, be with us this Sunday.

How to Get There

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2005 = 160
2006 = 121
2007 = 84