United Church Of Christ

The United Church of Christ has encouraged member congregations toward greater inclusiveness in worship and related ministries, toward expanded social concern, and toward openness to visitors and new worshipers. The following entry describes how one local church has tried to realize these goals in relation to its worship service.

The worship life of any local congregation reveals far more about that fellowship than one might surmise at first glance. Embedded in the various elements of a standard Sunday morning hour of worship are not only the obvious current approaches to music, prayer, and Scripture, but also the elements which reflect the history, theology, and wide range of expressions of the ministry of that local church and that denomination. Euclid Avenue Congregational Church in Cleveland, Ohio, serves as a representative example in the United Church of Christ because its long history shapes its present in so many ways and because the diversity of its membership reflects the membership in the denomination as a whole. The congregation was founded in 1843 and is currently housed in a building constructed in 1887. The congregation once numbered more than a thousand, but with the decline of the urban community it dwindled into the two hundreds. It now has 246 members and is even growing in the following ways. It has a solid financial base, a large staff, strong programming, and an active mission life. The building houses a number of outside programs in addition to the church's own day-care program. The congregation is active in denominational, ecumenical, and interfaith life. Of special note is the fact that this congregation has an exact balance between white and black members. This racial diversity is celebrated every Sunday morning when the congregation assembles for worship. The worship service has a format that remains tied to the church's congregational heritage, but also reflects its thirty-four years with the United Church of Christ. A narrative of the Sunday worship, with commentary, is instructive for explaining the dynamic interplay between the past and present, between tradition and the changes brought about through diversity, and between worship and the larger context of parish life. Worship begins with the ringing of the steeple bell, followed by organ prelude. The beauty of the sanctuary sets a formal tone, but greeters offer everyone a friendly welcome and provide name tags for everyone. The church makes a special effort to make everyone feel welcome. Guests are invited to fill out a visitor card and to join the congregation for the coffee hour after worship. Visitors receive a letter and often a follow-up visit. The bulletin periodically includes an invitation to join the church; for those who express the desire to join, there is a new member's class. Each United Church of Christ congregation determines its own curriculum for new members; Euclid Avenue Congregational Church offers a brief class coupled with the invitation to join the congregation in what should be seen as a life-long educational journey. As the service begins, the worship leader (usually the senior minister, but at times the associate minister or a lay person) leads a responsive call to worship, based on the lectionary texts and inclusive in its language—a recent intentional change in response to women's concerns within the denomination and congregation. A hymn follows, and then a unison prayer, silent prayer (preceded by pastoral concerns of the congregation), and the Lord's Prayer. By this time most latecomers have arrived (a reality in a diverse, urban church with a large radius of membership). Words of welcome and announcements provide further opportunity to share pastoral concerns and to present a wide range of program options and local mission opportunities. After this informal break, the formal service resumes with an anthem, usually by the traditional choir, but once a month by the volunteer gospel choir. This combination of choirs reflects the diversity of the church's membership in terms of both race and theology. Children are present for all of the above portions of the service (and on other occasions, for the rites of baptism and reception of new members). Children are then invited forward for the word to young worshipers, which relates to the texts and theme for the day. This word is given by the associate minister or by a lay person. Children and students through high school age usually leave for church school, unless they are assisting as ushers, lay readers, or junior choir singers. The church school curriculum is not tied to the lectionary texts, although the United Church of Christ is developing such a curriculum. At this point, the congregation shares in a "?mission moment,?" which may reflect a variety of concerns, from local to international concerns. This portion of the worship service reflects the active social involvement of the United Church of Christ and of this congregation. The focus of the United Church of Christ mission is on the partnership with local people in the sharing of faith and the development of human and material resources. Euclid Avenue Congregational Church's local mission reflects that same focus and especially stresses work in the inner city through food distribution, tutoring, and youth programs. The next portion of the worship service is the reading of Scripture with explanatory remarks. Usually two lectionary texts are read from the New Revised Standard Bible. The sermon which follows is about fifteen minutes in length. In this congregation, the sermons reflect the liberal side of the United Church of Christ's theological tradition and are directed as well to goals of social concern and spiritual formation. The sermon hymn is chosen by the preacher to relate to the sermon theme; it is followed by a pastoral prayer and at times by a denominational statement of faith or responsive Psalm reading. The service then moves toward closure with the offertory and doxology (in inclusive language), a prayer of dedication, a hymn (chosen by the music director), and a responsive commission and blessing. Usually the choir sings a choral amen; the congregation remains seated and silent during the meditative music at the end of the service. The entire service lasts about an hour and a quarter. It is followed by a time for greeting people in the front of the sanctuary or in the parlor where the coffee hour is held. This time is a prime opportunity for further sharing of pastoral concerns with the church staff. Sometimes further educational opportunities follow, usually preceded by lunch. Such educational times enhance community life, and the educational focus often relates back to the content of worship. The mealtime is intergenerational, and child care is provided during the study time. Other churches in the United Church of Christ tend to offer more regular adult Bible studies, studies on current issues, and sermon "?talk backs;?" in addition, other churches sometimes offer more curricula options or form more "?accountability groups.?" The smaller size and geographical spread of Euclid Avenue Congregational Church make it difficult to do these things on a regular basis. Euclid Avenue Congregational Church attempts to make both its worship and its fellowship as inclusive as possible, reflecting the diversity and complexity of God's creation. The building is ramped and equipped with chairlifts; a church van transports people who would otherwise have difficulty getting to the church. During worship, a sound system includes individual units for the hearing impaired, and large print bulletins are provided for the visually impaired. The United Church of Christ has been helpful in encouraging greater inclusiveness, for the denomination advocates ministries to the elderly, the infirm, the mentally impaired, and the physically challenged.