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WHAT WE ARE LIKE
A Handbook for Visitors, Friends and New Members

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We are a group of Christians. We are friends and members of a church family that we call the FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, United Church of Christ.

We are one of over 6,000 churches in the nation and one of 116 churches in Northern California who are the UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST, a relatively new denomination formed in 1957 from the merger of two denominations: 1) the Congregational Christian Churches and 2) the Evangelical & Reformed Church.

OUR CHURCH FAMILY IS:

CONGREGATIONAL in government..... meaning, the government of this church family is vested in its members, who exercise the right of full and final control of all its affairs either by direct vote or by delegation to the church Cabinet.

FREE in worship form. We are not bound by rituals. We respect the traditions of the Christian Church and, at the same time, are moved by the Spirit to integrate the contemporary with the conventional.

OPEN to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all things.

INCLUSIVE. We welcome persons of all racial, cultural, economic, educational and ethnic backgrounds.

MISSION:

We, the first Congregational Church of Antioch, are believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, the Son of our loving God. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit we are committed to being a compassionate community of reverent worship, spiritual freedom, human diversity and social conscience. We welcome all to join together in spiritual growth and service to God, our communities and the world.

FAITH:

We believe in God the Creator, infinite in wisdom, goodness and love; and in Jesus Christ, God's Son, our Lord and Savior, who for us and our salvation lived and died and rose again, and lives for evermore; and in the Holy Spirit who takes of the things of Christ and reveals them to us, renewing, comforting and inspiring our souls.

COVENANT:

We are united in striving to know the will of God as taught in the Holy Scriptures, and in our purpose to walk in the ways of the Lord, made known or to be made known to us. We hold it to be the mission of our church family to proclaim the gospel to all humankind, exalting the worship of the one true God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of justice, the reign of peace and the realization of human fellowship.

Depending, as did our mothers and fathers, upon the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, we work and pray for the transformation of the world into the Realm of God; and we look with faith for the triumph of righteousness and life everlasting.

We expect all who are part of our church family to think independently in matters of faith and practice, respecting the honest convictions of all others. We believe that by discussing our personal beliefs with others, we learn from them and they from us and, as a result, we grow strong in our Christian faith and practice.

We believe that our faith is not just a Sunday affair, but a daily affair. It is NOT just an intellectual endeavor, but also one of the heart.

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FELLOWSHIP:

Our church family accepts the obligations of cooperation involved in the fellowship of the United Church of Christ, affiliating with the Bay Association, Northern California Nevada Conference, and General Synod. We have a special partnership with the Disciples of Christ and declare our fellowship further with all churches which seek to promote the Realm of God.

MEMBERSHIP:

The sole requirement for membership is sincere discipleship to Jesus Christ. We ask no one to relinquish any cherished belief upon becoming a member.

SACRAMENTS:

Our church family observes two sacraments:

1. Baptism and
2. The Lord's Supper.

THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF ANTIOCH...

  • was the first church established in Antioch (organized June 12, 1865 with 21 members)
  • was the 12th Congregational Church established in all of California.
  • was made up of people who in 1851 were instrumental in the naming of the town, Antioch, after the Antioch in Syria where Jesus' disciples were first called Christians.
  • took an early stand to include people of all races in accepting into membership Thomas Gaines, a Black American, in 1875.
  • housed a Chinese school in the 1870's.
  • met as early as 1877 with the local Christian Church to find a "basis of union." nearly closed its doors at the turn of the century only to be revived through the tireless work of the "Busy Sisters," now known as the Women's Fellowship.
  • as early as 1921 called its first woman minister (Bertha J. Harris).
  • grew in the 40's & 50's until in 1958, it had 309 members.
  • became part of the United Church of Christ in 1961.
  • moved to its present facility in 1968.

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OUR DENOMINATION

IDENTITY:

The UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST is a united and uniting Church. Our motto comes from John 17:21, "that all may be one." We are part of the Consultation on Church Union (COCU), and thereby continue conversations with several other denominations in the effort to make Christ's Church one. We are currently in a special partnership with the Disciples of Christ exploring ways to work more closely together.

Some of us are conservative, and some are liberal. Some of us emphasize faith, and some of us are social activists. Some of us support a very strong military, and some of us are pacifists. We are Filipino, Black, White, Oriental, Chicano.

We are of the "reformed" tradition. Such people from the Reformation period in the 16th century as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli are our forebearers.

Our roots are in parent denominations from Germany, England, and the United States. There are four parent denominations: 1) the German Reformed Church which came to the U.S. in the 18th century; 2) the Congregational churches which came in 1620 to settle the New England colonies which later became the 13 states; 3) the German Evangelical Church which came to the U.S. in the 19th century; and 4) the Christian Church which originated in the U.S. from Methodist and Baptist background.

HISTORY:

We believe that one of the best ways to know what we are like is to look at some of the deeds, motivated by faith, that are part of our history. So we share this brief history of our parent denominations.

THE FOREBEARERS OF OUR UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

  • celebrated the first Thanksgiving. (Pilgrims were Congregationalists)
  • hosted the Boston Tea Party. (Old South Congregational Church, Dec. 16, 1773)
  • hid the Liberty Bell when the British stormed Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War. (Zion Reformed Church of Allentown, PA, 1777)
  • founded the first religious magazine in the world.
  • founded the first home missions effort in America.
  • founded the first sustained missionary effort to native Americans. (Pilgrims to the 'Indians") (Cherokees in Tennessee in 1818)
  • founded over 500 schools and colleges for the newly freed slaves after the Civil War.
  • built orphanages, hospitals, homes for the aged & handicapped in the 1800's. (96 health and welfare institutions in the U.S. today are related to the U.C.C.)
  • were first to ordain a woman into the Christian ministry in America. (Antionette Brown, Sept. 15, 1853 near Rochester, NY)

IT WAS THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST THAT...

  • took up arms in 1742 because the majority (English) denied the minority (Germans) the vote in public elections. (German Reformed Church in Philadelphia) spoke out against slavery in 1700 (Henry Ward Beecher, a minister and his sister, Harriett Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin).
  • saw one of its members write a book promoting equal rights for women as early as 1838. (Equality of the Sexes and the Condition of Woman by Sarah Grimes).
  • established the first University in America. (Harvard, 1636)
  • established the first college for Native Americans. (Darmouth, 1769)
  • established the first college for women. (Mt. Holyoke, 1837)
  • established the first co-ed college. (Oberlin, 1834)
  • spawned 14 signers of the Declaration of Independence, including John Hancock.
  • ordained Andrew Young, Mayor of Montgomery, Alabama and formerly a close associate of Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • sent ex-slave Betsy Stockton to Hawaii in 1822 as a missionary charged with conducting a school for farm workers and their families.

BUT, THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST ALSO...

  • as Congregationalists were mainly responsible for the witch hunts of 18th century America.
  • as German Evangelicals were more concerned during the Civil War that seminary classes were interrupted when their building was used as a prison camp, then in speaking directly to the issues of the Civil War.

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THE FORMATION OF THE U.C.C.

  • 1931 Merger of the Congregational Churches and the Christian Church to become the Congregational Christian Church.
  • 1934 Merger of the German Reformed Church in the U.S. and the Evangelical Synod of North America to become the Evangelical & Reformed Church.
  • 1944 Procedure approved for a Basis of Union of the Evangelical & Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches.
  • 1957 Uniting General Synod
  • 1959 First corporate reading of the United Church Statement of Faith at the 2nd General Synod.
  • 1961 U.C.C. constitution and bylaws adopted at the 3rd General Synod.

FAITH:

We believe and teach that Christians can think differently about the details of religious belief, and about details of dealing with social issues, and still live together harmoniously in the United States.

We believe and teach that we have the only true faith, but we have never claimed that we are the only ones who have it!

STATEMENT OF FAITH of the UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

We believe in you, O God, Eternal Spirit, God of our Savior Jesus Christ and our God, and to your deeds we testify:

You call the worlds into being, create persons in your own image, and set before each one the ways of life and death.

You seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.

You judge people and nations by your righteous will declared through prophets and apostles.

In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Savior, you have come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to yourself.

You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.

You call us into your church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be your servants in the service of others, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory.

You promise to all who trust you forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, your presence in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in your realm which has no end.

Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto you. Amen.

To learn more about the history, beliefs and current happenings within the United Church of Christ, select this link and go to the National UCC Web site.

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WE INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE

Worship with us:

Our worship is the time each week that we gather together as the whole family of First Congregational Church of Antioch. It is a time of celebration, sharing, inspiration, challenge, and hope for new and renewed life.

Grow with us:

The many regular yearly activities of our church family are listed on the insert of this booklet. Current information about specific activities is found in the weekly church bulletin and the monthly newsletter. If you are not on the mailing list and would like to be, call the church office (7574094) or put a note on our "Get Acquainted Pad." We believe faith is a growing experience. So we reject dogmatism and seek the fullest use of both intellectual and emotional powers. Grow with us in your participation.

Share with us:

Your ideas are important to us. We believe truth emerges out of honest sharing of insights and beliefs. We do not seek uniformity. We have no test of creed for membership. We prize the enriching experience of growth in fellowship which comes from sharing our differing and similar convictions and viewpoints; and we seek together for deeper insight and clearer vision of how we fit into God's plan.

Join with us: (Membership procedure)

1) Indicate your desire to join to the minister who will arrange the date with you for acceptance into membership.

2) Attend a membership class to

a) receive information about the church and its activities,

b) decide how you want to be a part of the church and

c) meet others who will be joining.

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