DECEMBER 2018- BECOMING A SANCTUARY CHURCH
With the approval and guidelines from the Executive Council, at a special congregational meeting on November 9, 2018, Main Street Congregational Church voted to become a Level One Sanctuary Church.
WHAT SANCTUARY LOOKS LIKE at MAIN STREET CHURCH
- The church has a continued and consistent connection to the Merrimack Valley Interfaith Sanctuary Network – an organization steeped in immigration issues.
- We developed a network of other local congregations for both monetary and volunteer support.
- Our volunteers are trained using our church training manual, modeled after those already in use by other congregations.
- A process for fully vetting potential guests has been developed.
- More detailed plans would be developed for our physical space. No construction would take place unless/until we were to house a guest.
- Involvement of the members of the church in the duties of providing hospitality is on a volunteer basis, just like any other ministry of the church.
2016 MAIN STREET CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC adopts new OPEN & AFFIRMING WELCOMING STATEMENT
As we were horrified and grieved by the violence and hate in Florida, our church met and voted 50-2 to become an Open and Affirming Church with the adopting of our Welcoming Statement – may we love boldly and proudly.
New Welcome Statement
Main Street Congregational Church, UCC embraces the gift of diversity in our church, our neighborhood, and our world. We affirm that all people are created in the image of God and as beloved children of God, all are worthy of God’s love and grace. We welcome the full inclusion of all people in the communion, life and ministries of Main Street Congregational Church, UCC. We celebrate and welcome diversity of one’s faith journey, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, relationship status, physical ability, mental ability, and education. We welcome those who have known the pain of exclusion/discrimination in the church or in society and those who have not. We recognize that there are differences among us and believe that we can love alike even though we may not think alike. We proclaim this statement of welcome – no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, come experience God’s love; go serve God’s world.
Thank you to the Open and Affirming Team for faithful and compassionate leadership throughout this year. And may we be a community who remains welcoming for all – including those who struggled with this vote.
