FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH of Ravenna, Ohio

ABOUT US

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PASTOR

FIRST, WE WANT TO SAY THANKS FOR CHECKING US OUT.   WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT GOD IS DOING AT OUR CHURCH AND WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.  

When Jesus shared his last meal with the disciples in the Upper Room, he gave the bread and the cup to all of them; even to the one who would deny him; even to the one who would betray him.


When he fed the 5000 on the hillside, he fed them all without asking about their church membership or their faith history or gender identity or their sexual orientation.  All were fed.


It's in that same spirit that we strive to be a congregation of extravagant welcome.


When you worship with us, we won't ask you if you have been saved.  But we may ask you how your life is invested.  At the start of his ministry, Jesus announced that he had come to bring good news, to proclaim release, and to free the oppressed.  To that end, we also strive to feed the hungry, to shelter the homeless, to welcome the stranger, and to do justice in the world.


Together we share in the cost and joy of discipleship as we seek to embody God's love in all the world.


Pastor Jerry Kruse

WHO IS UCC

The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a distinct and diverse community of Christians that come together as one church to join faith and action.  With over 5,000 churches and nearly one million members across the U.S., the UCC serves God in the co-creation of a just and sustainable world.  The UCC is a church of firsts, a church of extravagant welcome, and a church where "…they may all be one" (John 17:21).


The Church of Firsts

Since 1957, the United Church of Christ has been the church of firsts, weaving God’s message of hope and extravagant welcome with action for justice and peace. Together, we live out our faith in ways that effect change in our communities.  The UCC's many "firsts" mean that we have inherited a tradition of acting upon the demands of our faith.  When we read in Galatians: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus"—a demand is made upon us. And so we were the first historically white denomination to ordain an African-American, the first to ordain a woman, the first to ordain an openly gay man, and the first Christian church to affirm the right of same-gender couples to marry. We were in the forefront of the anti-slavery movement and the Civil Rights movement.  Our response to the demands of our faith is woven into the history of our country.


A Church of Extravagant Welcome

Today, we continue to change lives throughout the world. We work alongside more than 200 mission partners. We labor ceaselessly to fight injustice, in the United States and abroad. We instill our vision into our youth and young adults, forging leaders who will imagine new dreams. And we sustain and develop church leaders, pastors, and our local churches to live their faith in exciting new ways.  We believe in a God that is still speaking​, a God that is all-loving and inclusive.  We are a church that welcomes and accepts everyone as they are, where your mind is nourished as much as your soul.


We are a church where Jesus the healer meets Jesus the revolutionary, and where together, we grow a just and peaceful world.

MEET OUR STAFF

FRAN GREGORY

Christian Education Director

JONATHAN FLOYD

Community Activities

JOIN US THIS WEEK

WORSHIP SUNDAYS AT 10:15 AM

Come as you are comfortable.  Whether you like a suit and tie or jeans; whether you like high heels or sandals, come as you are comfortable.  Sometime we sing new hymns and more often we sing traditional hymns; but even if you've never been in a church before, we try to make our worship user-friendly.  And when it's time for communion on the first Sunday of each month, all are welcome to partake regardless of age or church affiliation.