We are an Open and Affirming Congregation
Percentages of People Welcome at First Church (Hint: Everyone. We mean it.)- People of Color 100%
- People with Tattoos 100%
- Lesbians 100%
- Conservatives 100%
- Gay Men 100%
- Youth 100%
- Bisexual Women and Men 100%
- Men 100%
- Children 100%
- Women 100%
- Young Adults 100%
- Singles 100%
- People who are Transgender 100%
- People Who Grew Up in Church 100%
- Seniors 100%
- Liberals 100%
- Middle-aged 100%
- People Who’ve Never Been to Church 100%
- People with Piercings 100%
- Addicts and Alcoholics 100%
- People Having a Bad Day 100%
- Couples 100%
- People Who Can’t Sing and People Who Can 100%
- Everyone 100%
Our Covenant of Welcome
In the UCC, churches have the option of becoming Open and Affirming, abbreviated ONA (pronounced O-en-A—think “Salt-N-Pepa”). First Church chose to go through the ONA process in 1993, when it was a rarity to find ONA churches. (Currently, 30% of UCC churches are ONA, so it’s still not that common!) You can learn more about the Open and Affirming process from the UCC Open and Affirming Coalition.