We are Open and Affirming.
Open and Affirming (ONA) is the United Church of Christ’s designation for congregations, campus ministries, and other bodies in the UCC which make a public covenant of welcome into their full life and ministry to persons of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. At PHCC, we live out that commitment daily! Our pastor’s sermons include stories of LGBT people; our building offers All-Gender restrooms, and our local Trans Support Group meets at the church on Saturday evenings.
We are a Whole Earth Congregation.
Whole Earth (or Earthwise) is the UCC’s designation for congregations who have adopted eco-justice commitments. As a Whole Earth church, we strive to care for our environment by recycling, limiting waste, employing a geothermal heating system, and making decisions based on reducing our environmental footprint.
We are a Just Peace Congregation.
The Just Peace Church vision is a hallmark of United Church of Christ theological identity. For thirty years, the Just Peace Church pronouncement has inspired a grassroots movement of UCC congregations committed to corporately naming and boldly proclaiming a public identity as a justice-doing, peace-seeking church. Grounded in UCC polity and covenantal theology, the position focuses attention on alleviating systemic injustice of all types using non-violence and calls us to offer the message, grounded in the hope of reconciliation in Jesus, that “Peace is possible.”
We are a Global Mission Church.
As a Global Mission Church, we seek to reach out beyond our national boundaries to engage in God’s transforming mission in the world. We join with both UCC and Disciples of Christ congregations to respond to needs around the world and support our global partners in their life-giving ministries. As a Global Mission Church, we actively partner with The Lavistida Center in Santiago de Cuba and correspond with congregations in Japan.
