Below is the video of the Vigil at Amistad Chapel UCC in the UCC’s Church House in Cleveland. Below is a link to the full liturgy. Permission is granted to use any text from this service. Please use the “Comment” feature on this page to…
This page is devoted to images of vigils, prayer services and public rainbow displays in response to the Orlando Massacre. From California to Maine, Minnesota to Florida, ONA congregations responded with grief, prayer, and re-commitment to the values of inclusion, justice and reconciliation that are…
At vigils and prayer services, congregations are reading out the names of the 49 who were killed Sunday at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Most of the victims were Hispanic. It is becoming a common practice for churches to sound a bell for each name….
The following statement was released Monday morning by the Open and Affirming Coalition and the National Officers of the United Church of Christ. Later today, we’ll email suggestions for actions ONA congregations can take in response to this tragedy. Please post your own responses, prayers,…
ONA congregations can reach their LGBTQ neighbors (and straight Millennials who are seeking a church family with ONA values) by proudly displaying a rainbow sign, flag or banner outside the entrance to their church. Here are the latest entries from our ONA Rainbow Sign Contest!…
ONA congregations can reach their LGBTQ neighbors (and straight Millennials who are seeking a church family with ONA values) by proudly displaying a rainbow sign, flag or banner outside the entrance to their church. Here are the latest entries from our ONA Rainbow Sign Contest!…
The Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ is launching this week a campaign to encourage ONA congregations to display their welcome effectively through rainbow images posted at or near the entrance of the church. “Our research shows that ONA churches that…
We’ve just welcomed Open and Affirming church #1300! That means exactly 26 percent of UCC congregations are Open and Affirming. We’re the largest and fastest-growing LGBT-affirming church movement in the world! But 26 percent is not 100 percent. Let’s work together to build an Open and Affirming…
RIPPLES June 12, 2015 Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ Are you ready for marriage equality? The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on marriage equality. If the decision overturns the remaining state laws banning same-sex marriage, UCC clergy and…
Here’s a summary from the PBS website about the “To the Contrary” feature on Open and Affirming congregations in the United Church of Christ: “To the Contrary” on PBS Oct. 12 traveled to churches in Arizona, Minnesota and Washington D.C., interviewing UCC pastors and church…
The Open and Affirming Coalition advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the United Church of Christ and beyond, and equips UCC congregations to become effective witnesses to Christ’s extravagant welcome. Read more