101 State Street
Charlevoix, MI 49720
Phone: 231-547-9122
Email: office@chxucc.org

Home

1st Congregational UCC Votes Overwhelmingly to Become Open & Affirming

First Congregational Church of Charlevoix Open & Affirming Logo - hand drawn blue door, purple outline of a person colored in yellow, green, purple and orange doodles and a rainbow filled heart.On Sunday, June 4, after a full year of study, discussion, book groups, panel discussions, and guest speakers, our congregation voted overwhelmingly to become an Open and Affirming church as the United Church of Christ defines it. This vote makes official what our congregation has felt for a long, long time, namely that we want our purple doors to be open to everyone…period. Just as our communion table has a place for everyone, so does the full range of activities and ministries that our church provides. Here is our church’s official statement, the covenant we made with each other and with God when we voted to become Open and Affirming:

We, as participants of 1st Congregational United Church of Christ, Charlevoix, Michigan, seek to follow the life and teachings of Jesus in all we do, so that we may obey the Great Commandment to Love. We will open our purple doors more widely to all people who seek God.

In this particular age, we seek to be especially sure that people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or family configuration will find safety, love and full inclusion among us.  We affirm people in the LGBTQ+ community as children of God and enthusiastically invite their full participation in the life and leadership of this congregation.

We officially adopt the UCC’s Open and Affirming designation.  With the Holy Spirit’s guidance, our family of faith will continue to learn and grow by ongoing education, sensitivity, language, and action to truly become a spiritual home for all people.

We will never exclude anyone on the basis of their gender identity, expression, or family configuration. If you want a church that celebrates and fully includes all people, the church with the purple doors at 101 State St. in Charlevoix may be the right one for you.  Check us out!

This Week’s Service Information:

Online Worship Services

Online Worship Services

Please join us for our live-streaming online worship each Sunday at 10:30 am

Click Here

March 10, 2024

March 10, 2024

March/April Reaching Out Focus:                                    Global Outreach

Have you ever struggled to figure out what to say to a loved one who is suffering or going through a significant loss? We’ll tackle this challenging subject this Sunday at 10:30 am. We’re the church with the purple doors at 101 State St. in Charlevoix. If you can’t join us in person, feel free to catch our livestream by clicking on this line: March 17, 2024.

Did you know that our pastor has a weekly podcast entitled Toby’s Take? It can be found on Spotify, where new episodes drop every Thursday. Follow this link: Toby’s Take. Each episode is less than 10 minutes long, and, as Toby likes to say, “If you give me ten minutes, I’ll give you a whole new way of seeing something.” Check it out.
 
And remember, ALL are welcome to our Open and Affirming church.
 
Streamers! We Need to Hear From YOU!

Streamers! We Need to Hear From YOU!

We need to know who you are and where you are.  You have become such an important part of our family of faith that we really want to connect with you.  More importantly, we want to be able to connect with each other as streaming participants.  We are in the process of setting up a Virtual Coffee Hour for our streamers that we hope will happen once a month starting in December.  To make this happen, we need you to take two minutes right now and email us the following information:

• Your name (along with any family for friends with whom you stream)
• Your email address
• Your physical address

Please simply email this information to office@chxucc.org.  In the subject line, simply write, “I’m a Streamer.”  Then we will send you a zoom link the week before our first Virtual Coffee Hour, which will take place immediately after the worship service that morning.  Toby will be your host and you’ll all have a chance to “see” each other and have some casual conversation. 

If you have already notified us that you are a Streamer, you don’t need to fill out the form again. We have already noted this in your profile and you will get updates and invites automatically.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!  Thank you for being a part of our community!

Scripture Discussion Group

Scripture Discussion Group

Did you know that we have a Scripture Discussion Group here at FCUCC? Every Tuesday from 10a-11a we meet in Ransom Hall and share coffee, snacks, and a lively discussion of the scripture that will be a part of the following Sunday’s service. There are questions that stimulate conversation, and help us better understand the Word and each other. Everyone is welcome!

Feel free to stop in – you will be glad you did! Can’t make it to the in-person group? No problem, we also live-stream by Zoom, and you can also participate that way. Call the church office at (231) 547-9122 to be added to the Scripture Group’s Zoom list.

**Please note that there will be NO Scripture Group Meeting on 3/26/24 – SPRING BREAK!!**

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Our church community seeks to embody God’s Spirit and live the teachings of Jesus. We offer a sense of belonging to each other and to all our neighbors, as we build a just and sustainable world for all.

Contact Us: 

Toby Jones, Pastor:
231-547-9122 ext. 202  | toby@chxucc.org

Stacey Luoma, Office Manager:
231-547-9122 ext. 201  office@chxucc.org

Charlevoix Ministerial Association Info:

231-547-9122 ext. 204

Appointments available:
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11a – 2p

Sunday Services: 

Please join us for in-person worship each Sunday at 10:30 am with live-streaming options available.  

Office Hours:

Tuesday through Thursday:
9:00 am to 3:00 pm. 

If the church doors are locked during regular office hours, please ring the doorbell. 

Skip to content