The Roslindale Congregational Church, UCC is a community of faith which operates together. Our polity is implemented by ourselves. We are all, in one sense or another, ministers — who also explore, develop and deepen our own individual relationships with God, neighbor, and our deeper selves.
To achieve this goal we as a congregation:
- Recognize that each person’s relationship with God is unique and cannot be determined by others.
- Acknowledge that every person is made in the image of God and as such is precious and valuable. We make no judgments about a person’s lifestyle, race, culture, or preferences. We are committed to the world in which we live by being good stewards of our resources, serving those in need, and participating in and contributing to our community.
- Seek to be a community in which persons can grow through their relationships with one another; where common interests are shared, and where diverse ideas are respected. This community values persons without regard to their situation or status. We seek to know one another honestly, meeting one another where we are, serving and being served.
- Hope to deepen our trust in a loving and creating God, who made all things, whether or not they are fully understood by us. We embrace the promise that Christ is the one through whom salvation is available to us, by his teachings and example, and by the sacrifice he made on the cross. We experience the power of the Spirit of God who guides, challenges, and inspires us to live fully and with gratitude. We follow Christ Jesus who showed by his life and teaching that the community of his disciples is one that seeks justice and embraces those actions which lead to peace, expressing compassion and mercy.
- Recognize that each person interprets and embraces beliefs according to the personal revelations that God provides through our experiences, through our ability to reason, and through our interpretation of the Bible. The Bible is an inspired and holy collection of humankind’s experiences of the holy. There is wide differences of opinion of the sources, meanings, and ways people understand the stories, teachings, and sayings of the Bible.
- Partake of two sacraments, Holy Communion and Baptism. In Communion we invite all to receive the cup (containing non-alcoholic grape juice) and the bread as remembrance of Jesus, and invitation into his presence. In Baptism we become part of the family of Christ and join together as Christian brothers and sisters, celebrating the enactment of the baptism of Jesus himself, and accepting the joy and cost of discipleship.