Statement of Faith

We believe in you, O God, Eternal Spirit, God of our Savior Jesus Christ and our God, and to your deeds we testify:

You call the worlds into being,
create persons in your own image
and set before each one the ways of life and death.

You seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.

You judge people and nations by your righteous will declared through prophets and apostles.

In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth,
our crucified and risen Savior,
you have come to us
and shared our common lot,
conquering sin and death
and reconciling the world to yourself.

You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit,
creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ,
binding in covenant faith people of all ages, tongues, and races.

You call us into your church
to accept the cost and joy of discipleship,
to be your servants in the service of others,
to proclaim the gospel to all the world
and resist the powers of evil,
to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table,
to join him in his passion and victory.

You promise to all who trust you
forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace,
courage in the struggle for justice and peace,
your presence in trial and rejoicing,
and eternal life in your realm which has no end.

Blessings and honor, glory and power be unto you. Amen.

 Open and Affirming Statement

"The first [commandment] is ... 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:29-31)

Accepting this as the supreme commandment of the Gospel, we, The First Congregational Church of Madison, United Church of Christ, open our doors and ministry to all, affirming and honoring the dignity and worth of each person.

We believe each of us is a unique creation of God.  We welcome people of any age, race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, marital status, physical, emotional, and mental capacity, and those in traditional and non-traditional families.  We are concerned that Christian unity has often been compromised by fear and prejudice.  Let us strive to put our beliefs into action putting aside our prejudices and working to become faithful followers of our lord Jesus Christ, who commanded us to love one another.

In keeping with the recommendation of the Fifteenth General Synod of the United Church of Christ, and that of the annual meeting of the Connecticut Conference, we declare ourselves a welcoming and inclusive spiritual community and therefore, to be an Open and Affirming church.

Mission Statement

We, the members and friends of the First Congregational Church of Madison, Connecticut, are a faith community of Christ's disciples.  We serve God by seeking out and ministering to the diverse needs of our congregation and the wider community.  As a foundation and preparation for our ministry, we will open ourselves to the guidance and nurturance of God's spirit.  Valuing all of God's creation, we will, both as individuals and as a Christian church, share the message of God's love through worship, education and outreach.