“UCC” is an important part of Second Congregational Church’s name. It stands for “United Church of Christ,” the national denomination of which we are a part. “Each congregation or local church is free to act in accordance with the collective decisions of its members, guided by the working of the Spirit in the light of the Scriptures. But it is also called to live in a covenantal relationship with other congregations for the sharing of insights and for cooperative action.”

That means that we as a congregation are called to prayerfully and responsibly make decisions about how we are to act and be, guided, but not bound, by the actions and decisions of the wider church. “In essentials unity, in nonessentials diversity, in all things charity” describes how we live together in faith and action.

By going to the United Church of Christ or the God Is Still Speaking websites, you can get a fuller flavor for the national settings of the UCC.