On June 12 our Congregation voted, after much discussion and careful consideration, to adopt the Open and Affirming (ONA) designation.
What does this mean?
By adopting the ONA designation, we are publicly stating what we have known about our community of faith all along. It is stated in our weekly welcome to service, and in our covenant, voted into our bylaws in June 2021, which reads as follows:
“We are a church, believing that each of us is created in God’s Image. We celebrate everyone, including people of all ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, cognitive or emotional abilities, education, or spiritual and religious traditions. All are welcome to participate fully in the life, leadership, ministry, and mission of this church as we seek to grow together in a safe and nurturing community of faith. We strive to demonstrate in all ways that “no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!”
Where do we go from here?
The NHC UCC has been notified of our adoption of the ONA designation. Once it has been reviewed, the designation will be added to our church’s description on the UCC website. We will continue to welcome everyone, as we have every Sunday.
The ONA Committee would like to thank everyone for their thoughtful questions and for voting on this important issue.