Our Welcoming Statement
“…in Christ there is no longer Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor
female, for all are one…” (Galatians 3:28)

In the spirit of Paul’s words we, the members of First Congregational
United Church of Christ, recognize, celebrate, and give thanks for the
diversity in which God created us, each in God’s image and beloved
by God. We recognize, celebrate and give thanks for the many diverse
gifts of God among us. With God’s grace, we seek to be a
congregation that includes all persons, embracing differences of
sexual orientation, gender, marital status, age, mental and physical
ability, as well as racial, ethnic, or socio-economic background. We
welcome all to share in the life and leadership, ministry and
fellowship, worship and sacraments, responsibilities and blessings of
participation in our congregation.

In standing with those who have been marginalized because of
sexual orientation, we feel the need to speak and act with enhanced
boldness as a congregation and to be more explicit in our inclusion of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into the common life of
our church. The Christian church has often judged and excluded
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons from the community
of faith or has been complicit by its silence. These actions have
served to justify, if not encourage, discrimination and violence
against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. It is time for
Christians to declare that such practices are incompatible with the
gospel of Jesus Christ.

Therefore in response to the call of the 1985 General Synod of the
United Church of Christ we declare ourselves to be an Open and
Affirming congregation and we covenant this day:

•        To affirm that people of all nationalities, races, ages, abilities,
genders, marital status, and sexual orientations are embraced within
the family of God and the fellowship of First Congregational United
Church of Christ, Coloma, to honor, support, and celebrate the
partnerships and families of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
people.
•        To encourage all persons to share their talents and energy in
the worship, ministry, mission, educational programs, and leadership
of this church.
•        Not to discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age,
disability, sexual orientation, nationality, or marital status when
hiring church staff and contracting for goods and services.
•        To empower the Church Council to establish a task force to
work with the congregation and its committees to implement this
covenant statement in the life and ministry of the First
Congregational United Church of Christ.