We worship each Sunday for about an hour. Lay leaders assist the pastor, reading the prayers and scripture. The pastor’s sermons, while based on scripture readings, are relevant to today. There is time to share congregational announcements, joys, concerns, and prayers.
Music is important to us: eclectic, rich and varied, it may include traditional Protestant hymns as well as anthems and contemporary hymns sung by our choir, music provided by organ, piano, virginal, or guest musicians who sing or play guitar, flute, violin, or harp.
The prelude, postlude, offertory, and other portions of the service provide musical offerings ranging from Bach or Handel to John Williams, Bob Dylan, Irving Berlin, the Beatles, The Sound of Music or The Wizard of Oz, spirituals, Shaker tunes, jazz, and more.
Our members come from varied religious backgrounds, and as a congregation, we embrace that diversity, enjoy learning about it, and will always welcome anyone to worship with us.
We are a United Church of Christ congregation, a community of faith that seeks to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. The UCC denomination was founded in 1957 as the union of several different Christian traditions: from the beginning of our history, we were a church that affirmed the ideal that Christians do not always have to agree to live together in communion. Our motto “that they may all be one” is Jesus’ prayer for the unity of the church. The UCC is one of the most diverse Christian churches in the United States.
We are a warm and friendly group — new visitors are welcomed and encouraged to attend our after-service fellowship. We draw people (from 30 to 50 on any given Sunday) from Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Oakmont, the Sonoma Valley, and the Santa Rosa area.
Members greet each other warmly as old friends would, as many of our members are just that and have been worshiping together for many, many years. Our congregation is very tolerant and we love to laugh and enjoy life.
Each and every Sunday immediately following the worship service we retire to the social hall for coffee and refreshments. It is here that many visitors and new members truly begin to feel part of the family. This is a time of great joy, laughter, friendship, and love and it renews our spirit for the week ahead. Potluck dinners occur on the second Sunday of every month and are a much-anticipated event. We are very enthusiastic about community involvement and the congregation offers full support to church events.
The congregation enjoys the non-intrusive style of the church and shows reverence and respect for each individual’s search for further spiritual knowledge and a closer relationship to God. Our moments together are a calming presence in what can be otherwise hectic lives.
