Our official title is the First Congregational Church, UCC. This means that we as a congregation have elected to belong to an organization called the “United Church of Christ.”
What is the United Church of Christ?
The United Church of Christ is a group of like-minded churches from Berkshire County, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the United States, and the world. Sometimes we call it “The Wider Church” because it gives us a wider worship scope and a broader perspective of those issues that concern all of us.
What are the Advantages of Membership?
- We join with the UCC to give our local church the opportunity to enlarge our goals and mission with the greater church.
- The UCC provides guidance, support, and information for us, but we as a congregation remain completely independent.
- The UCC does not impose any doctrines or forms of worship on us.
- The UCC provides us with resources to search for a new pastor.
- The UCC offers programs and workshops on topics of concern for individual churches.
- The UCC facilitates dialogues with other faith groups including the Jewish and Muslim communities.
How does the First Congregational Church connect with the UCC?
We elect delegates to the UCC during our Annual Meeting [usually in February]. These delegates attend monthly meetings of the UCC Berkshire Association, Annual Conference meeting, and they may attend Synod, a conference that has produced resolutions on issues such as civil rights, social justice, same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights.