Several years ago we began a series of church-wide discussions on the "Open and Affirming" or "Participation" concept. Building on First Parish's Mission Statement, the Church Council eventually adopted the following welcoming statement, which appears within many of the church's publications:
The First Parish Church is open to everyone and welcomes your participation in our services and activities.
We are a congregation diverse in economic status, ethnic origin, mental and physical challenges, religious tradition, sexual orientation, and many other ways.
We affirm that the love of Christ for each person knows no bounds.
Additionally, our church covenant proclaims:
We promise to come together to share in the worship of a living God and in the celebration of the sacraments given to us by Christ; to walk together as disciples of Jesus, proclaiming his reign in our lives now and forever; to sustain one another in all life's challenges, joys, and sorrows through prayer, love, and fellowship; to join in reaching out together in service to humanity; and to celebrate God's love and joy, found in each of us and in all of us.
