You Are Welcome Here

Last year the United Church of Christ produced several advertisements for radio and TV. Perhaps you have seen or heard one? These are available via internet at: http://www.stillspeaking.com/resources/indexvis.htmll. One ad featured two bouncers in front of a traditional looking stone gothic church, letting some people in, notably young well dressed anglo-saxons, and turning others away, including people of color, people with handicaps, and some same sex couples. The camera cuts to a screen displaying "Jesus didn’t turn people away. Neither do we." The ad concludes with a shot showing a large group of smiling people of all ages, skin colors, and physicals abilities. A voice over says: "The United Church of Christ: No matter who you are, or where you are on Life’s Journey, you are welcome here".

This advertisement, a straightforward interpretation of the central message of Jesus: God welcomes all people, generated a surprising amount of controversy. A major network refused to run it, citing political concerns. Another network didn’t run it because they don’t run advocacy ads. It even appeared on CNNs website as one of the top 10 most controversial ads! As it says in Romans, "All things work together for good". The controversy surrounding the refusal of the networks to play the advertisements generated way more attention than the advertisements alone would have.

All of the above is a way of saying that at CCC we try to be welcoming to all people. This is a priority for us, and we continue to work on ways that we can be more welcoming.

My family and I first attended CCC almost 9 years ago, when our children were 2, 5 and 7. Many things attracted us, too many to mention all of them, but here are a few.

• The children’s program was, and remains, very strong.
• Our church is aware of the broader world—it is not inwardly focusing—and encourages participation in, and support of, various local and global missions.
• CCC has no set creed—instead, all members are encouraged in their own faith journey.
• The members and friends of CCC present a tremendous variety in terms of age, religious background, and sexual orientation.
• As a father, it was important for me that my children see a variety of different kinds of people in leadership positions.

I can honestly say that CCC is the first church that I have attended as an adult that I have felt at home. I hope you have the same experience.

Here is a hint. The quickest way to feeling a part of the church is participate as a volunteer. There are many opportunities to do so, from church school teacher, to choir member, to usher, to serving on one of the many boards or committees. A great paradox of giving is that the more you give, the more you receive. I am a richer person for having been a church school teacher, church camp director, board and committee member, and now moderator.