If you have a question that isn’t answered here you may email the pastor for an answer.

1. What do you believe?

Union Congregational Church is a covenantal church which means membership in the church is based on Christian conduct rather than specific Christian doctrines.  It is our believe that people can have honest differences of opinion on theological and ethical questions of the day and still be equally sincere in their desire to follow Jesus Christ.  We value very much freedom of religious conscience.

The covenant that we use in receiving new members is the one that was written by our Puritans ancestors who settled in Salem, MA in 1629.

“We covenant with the Lord and with one another, and do bind ourselves in the presence of God to walk together in all His ways, according as He is pleased to reveal Himself unto us in His Blessed Word of Truth.”

2. How is Union Congregational Church different from the Catholic Church?

While we have great respect for other faith traditions, Union Congregational Church is different in many ways from the Catholic Church.

a.                          We are not a hierarchical church which means there are no bishops or other higher powers that dictate what we must do and what we must believe.  All decisions are made by the members of the congregation.

b.                          We are also a church that believes very strongly in what Martin Luther called “the priesthood of all believers.”  We believe that both the pastor and the people in the pews are called to minister and share Christ’s love by using the gifts that God has given to them.

c.                          We believe in salvation by faith.  In the Catholic Church salvation is through your faith in Christ’s sacrificial love on the Cross and through your deeds here on earth.  As Protestants we believe that it through faith alone.  The deeds do not earn God’s love.  Rather they are an expression of your gratitude for Christ’s sacrificial love and your desire to share that love with others.

3. I’m not a member.  Can I get married in your church?

Yes.  Christian marriage is open to all regardless of their religious background.  Couples planning to get married need to call the church office at least 3 months in advance of the date of the wedding.  You will also be expected to meet with the minister for pre-marital counseling and to plan the service.

Related questions:

a.         Can the photographer take pictures during the cermoney?

The photographer is welcome to take pictures during the processional and the recessional, but not during the ceremony itself.  The wedding ceremony is a service of worship and flash photography detracts from the sacredness of the occasion.  The minister and others participating in the ceremony can pose for pictures following the service.

b.         Can I have my wedding videotaped?

Yes, as long as the person doing the videotaping uses available light and sound and doesn’t move around during the ceremony.

4.  Is it possible to have my child baptized even though I don’t attend your church?

Yes.  Because baptism is a sacrament, it is a visible expression of God’s unconditional love.  Therefore you don’t have to be a member of the church to have your child baptized.

5.  What does it mean to have my child baptized?

The sacrament of baptism is first and foremost a visible expression of God’s unconditional love for the child.  Beyond that the parents also declare their faith and make solemn vows during the ceremony to raise their child in the Christian faith.  If there are god-parents they pledge to assist the parents in raising the child in the Christian faith.

6.  Can I take communion even if I haven’t officially joined the church?

Yes.  We celebrate an open table which means that anyone who wishes to know the risen Christ in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup is welcome.

7.  What does it mean to take communion in your church?

Because we highly value freedom of religious conscience the sacrament of communion means different things to different people.  Most of the people who attend the church though would probably say they believe in the real presence.  What that means is that when we break the bread and share the cup the risen Christ is with us in a very real and mysterious way.  That understanding is different from the view of the Catholic Church which believes in transubstantiation.  That is the doctrine which states that when the host or wafer is consecrated by the priest it literally becomes the body and blood of Christ.