Read about our Logo: the Chalice with the cross of St. Andrew, below.
Our Pledge: "As followers of Christ, we pledge to stand up for respect, love, compassion and peaceful resolutions to conflict. We will recognize and support the value of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, religion, ability or any other factor. We will work together with our neighbors to create safer, more inclusive communities for all.”
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Who We Are
We are Disciples of Christ: a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. One thing that makes First Christian Church unique is our open and welcoming spirit. We know we don’t have all the answers; in fact, we frequently find more questions than answers! That is why diversity of thought is so important to our church. One of our lay leaders came up with a phrase that describes our efforts: “Find it, Own it, Live it.” We help one another “Find” our place, both in God’s world and in our local congregation. Once we find or place, we “Own” it by discovering and acknowledging the talents and gifts God has given us. We “Live it” by using our talents and gifts as an example of discipleship in the world (see our Missional Purpose below). |
Communion
We observe communion weekly, and practice open communion. That means that anyone who desires and seeks the presence of Christ in his or her life is welcome to Christ's Table. For us, its significance is that it focuses our worship and our lives on the person of Jesus of Nazareth: his example, his teaching, and his sacrificial life. For us, it is a table of remembrance.
We are an intentionally
progressive, missional,
Christ-centered/Gospel-centered church.
progressive, missional,
Christ-centered/Gospel-centered church.
Our Core Values: Compassion, service, a balance between personal and social accountability and an eagerness to discover and know God's will and direction.
Our Bedrock Beliefs: a confidence (1) that God’s love and grace are extended to all, and (2) that our reasonable response to God’s love and grace is to extend that same love and grace through our own relationships and service to others. We believe (3) God is revealed to each believer, and we honor the uniqueness of each believer’s experience.
Our Vision is to acknowledge, encourage and enable the journey of each person as we serve together in the community.
Our Mission is to be a beacon of inclusive welcome and compassionate caring, reaching out proactively through the gifts and resources of our people to administer wholeness in a fragmented world.
Membership: The motivation behind our identity, both individually and as a community of faith, is the example of Jesus, who called his disciples with a simple invitation: "Follow me." We want to follow Jesus and become increasingly like him.
In our effort to be like Jesus we find strength in gathering for worship and spiritual growth, for fellowship and service. It is that strength-in-gathering that defines and describes our membership. To us, "membership" is not so much about "names on a list" as it is about being part of a living body: the Body of Christ, which was St. Paul's favorite metaphor for church.
We do, however, keep lists as a way of being accountable with each other and keeping in touch when we are not gathered.
There are no "hoops" to jump through in order to become a member of our church. If you acknowledge a desire for Christ's presence in your life and relationships, and if you have expressed that desire (or are willing to express it) through baptism (which is a symbol of our relationship with Christ, much as a wedding ring symbolizes a relationship between marital partners), we welcome you to share our journey.
In our effort to be like Jesus we find strength in gathering for worship and spiritual growth, for fellowship and service. It is that strength-in-gathering that defines and describes our membership. To us, "membership" is not so much about "names on a list" as it is about being part of a living body: the Body of Christ, which was St. Paul's favorite metaphor for church.
We do, however, keep lists as a way of being accountable with each other and keeping in touch when we are not gathered.
There are no "hoops" to jump through in order to become a member of our church. If you acknowledge a desire for Christ's presence in your life and relationships, and if you have expressed that desire (or are willing to express it) through baptism (which is a symbol of our relationship with Christ, much as a wedding ring symbolizes a relationship between marital partners), we welcome you to share our journey.
Our Logo: The Chalice with the Cross of St. Andrew
The Chalice, which forms the base of our logo, points to the centrality of Communion in our worship and in our fellowship. We Disciples offer communion (sometimes called, "The Lord's Supper", "The Eucharist" or, simply, "The Table") at virtually every worship experience, and often at other times, such as board meetings. For us, The Table is always open. It is the Lord's Table, and not ours. It is Christ who invites, and we gladly serve anyone who hungers for the presence of Christ and the Grace of God.
The Cross of St. Andrew, which appears on the Chalice, is not just an "X"; rather, tradition has it that St. Andrew was crucified, spread-eagle, on an "X" shaped cross.
St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and his cross reminds us of our roots in the "Old Light, Anti-Burger, Seceder Presbyterian Church of Scotland." Our founders, Thomas and Alexander Campbell, were educators and preachers in that church, and they broke away from the closed Table and the restrictive dogma of their church to form a new movement on the frontier of America.
Andrew, an Apostle of Jesus, is the first evangelist portrayed in the New Testament. Soon after Jesus called him as an Apostle, according to John's Gospel, Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and "brought him to Jesus" (John 1: 40-42). Thus, his cross calls Disciples to an evangelistic emphasis on sharing our witness with the world.
The Cross of St. Andrew, which appears on the Chalice, is not just an "X"; rather, tradition has it that St. Andrew was crucified, spread-eagle, on an "X" shaped cross.
St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, and his cross reminds us of our roots in the "Old Light, Anti-Burger, Seceder Presbyterian Church of Scotland." Our founders, Thomas and Alexander Campbell, were educators and preachers in that church, and they broke away from the closed Table and the restrictive dogma of their church to form a new movement on the frontier of America.
Andrew, an Apostle of Jesus, is the first evangelist portrayed in the New Testament. Soon after Jesus called him as an Apostle, according to John's Gospel, Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and "brought him to Jesus" (John 1: 40-42). Thus, his cross calls Disciples to an evangelistic emphasis on sharing our witness with the world.