What do we believe?

"Faith is a bird that feels the light and sings while the dawn is still dark." We affirm the Word of God. We believe that the Old and New Testaments: Reveal God Declare our human condition Set before us the testimony of those who knew Are inspired by the truth of the Holy Spirit We affirm the Sacraments as an outward and visible sign of an inward Grace: Baptism invites us to enter the Family of God. Communion invites us to be embraced by the Mercy of God.

There are 7 marks that identify us in the United Church of Christ:

1.  Our motto is from Jesus' prayer..."that they may all be one.
     We work for unity throughout the church and throughout the world.


2.  Like other Christians, we affirm "In essentials unity, in non-
     essentials diversity, in all things charity."


3.  We are a church which affirms that faith is a testimony, not a test.
     The creeds, like the Apostles Creed, and the catechisms of our
     forebearers are their testimonies to a faith which we must make
     our own, but they are not formulas to test what we believe.


4.  There is yet more light and truth to break from God's Holy Word.
     We affirm that the Bible, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
     still speaks to us today and that God is continually at work.


5.  We are a priesthood of all believers.
     We are a people of God, and we believe that clergy and laity are
     equals in a common ministry in the name of Jesus Christ.


6.  We are a church of responsible freedom.  We believe that God
     grants each of us the gift of conscience and we are called to act
     as we believe.


7.  We are a church that is open.  We welcome all persons into
     membership at St. Paul's and into the gift of God's redeeming love.

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