“Never place a period where God has placed a comma,”
La Selva Beach Community Church is a proud member of the UCC Denomination. The UCC was born in 1957 from a union between Congregational Churches and Evangelical and Reformed Churches, which shared a strong commitment to the freedom of religious expression. Both denominations found their authority in the Bible and were more concerned with what unites Christians than with what divides them. It is not surprising then, that UCC stands for United Church of Christ (which is often confused with other denominations with similar sounding names). But La Selva Beach Community Church and the UCC stand for a lot more than that. Together, we strive to be:
PROGRESSIVE
Your head and your heart are both welcome here
Our faith is 2000 years old. Our thinking is not. We believe in God’s
continuing
testament–that God is still speaking. This is why we are committed to hearing God’s ancient story anew and afresh in our lives and in the world today. We try to remain attentive to God’s creative movement in the world. Religion and science are not mutually exclusive, and your head and heart are both welcomed into our church and faith community. We prepare our members and leaders to be engaged in ministry in the present and future church, and respect other faith traditions and perspectives in an evolving world. Our church strives to be a place of vitality in worship, learning and advocacy.
INCLUSIVE
Known for arriving early on issues of inclusivity and justice
We’re not perfect, but we do try to be faithful and love our neighbors. The UCC is known for arriving early on issues of inclusivity and justice. We were the first to ordain an African American pastor (1785), a woman (1853), and an openly gay person (1972), and the first to affirm same-gender marriage equality (2005). We believe faith requires tenderness and courage–big love that is committed to changing people’s lives not only in our churches, but also in the world around us. We call it religion with relevance.
We believe in extravagant welcome. This is why La Selva Beach Community Church is Open and Affirming. It’s why we insist that God’s communion table is open, not closed, and God’s gift and claim in baptism are irrevocable. We advocate justice for all. We extend hospitality as a sign of God’s inclusive love. We teach that outreach and offering bread to those in search of it is God’s mission. Our perspective is global, not provincial. We work with–not against–people of other faiths.
RESPONSIVE
Committed to service
We believe the church’s mission is to change lives in a positive way–individually, systemically and globally. We work to make transformation possible, but trust in God’s grace. We are committed working for justice, and we believe that lives are changed through global experiences and friendships. Together, with the help and support of our neighbors and denomination, we are committed to service which responds to the needs of the wider community and the world. To that end, we are blessed to invest our personal and financial resources where they are needed most–from providing loving counsel and a warm meal to a neighbor, to disaster relief, refugee resettlement and development aid around the world.
No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.
Worship services are offered on Sundays at 10am and meditation/centering prayer meetings are held on Tuesday mornings at 8. If that seems too formal or too structured, simply introduce yourself at a community event or roll up your sleeves and join us for an outreach project.
Have questions? Give us a call or drop us an email. No matter how we connect–we would love to get to know you better.
