Serving God, Transforming Lives
Open and Affirming
"With God’s grace, we resolve to be an open, inclusive, affirming, and
accessible community of faith."
Quote from FCC’s Open and Affirming Covenant
To read the full covenant, Click Here
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FCC Manchester is an Open and Affirming (aka "ONA") church. Our congregation publicly affirms lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) people, welcoming them fully into the life and ministry of the church. Additionally, our Open and Affirming Covenant promises to fully welcome and affirm people of all ages, all races and ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities, and “other diverse attributes that are woven into the fabric of humankind.”
News from the ONA Team
April 2024
Rev. Randy VanDeventer will join us during worship and for an after worship Conversation on Sunday, April 14 at 11:30 am in the Recreation Room. His focus will be on those who struggle with mental illness. When Randy preached at FCC in August 2023, he shared a story about Jesus that is relatable – where Jesus was learning, reflecting, and experiencing a time of growth in dealing with someone on the margins of society. We can relate – as we deal with our own discomfort, fears, and worries about mental illness that we encounter in our families, with our friends, and in the community.
Randy is an ordained UCC pastor and serves as Chaplain at NH Hospital, an acute psychiatric care facility. As with previous Conversations, he will offer a short presentation, followed by a time for Questions & Answers
and discussion. Once again, the Open and Affirming Committee will offer a light luncheon during our time
of Conversation. To help with luncheon planning, a sign-up sheet is posted on the office window. Everyone is invited to join us on April 14h, whether you’ve signed up or not.
If you would like to join us via Zoom, copy and paste this link in your web browser:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86908406921?pwd=cGtBdVM2amIvK0ovZTMzVTJDaUsxZz09
March 2024
Are you looking for ways to learn, grow in faith, and enjoy fellowship? The ONA Committee is offering two such opportunities this spring.
If you’re a music lover, save the date of Friday, April 5th. The critically acclaimed American Spiritual Ensemble will be performing at Concord’s Capitol Center for the Arts that evening. The Open and Affirming Committee invites you to attend the concert with us. Individual tickets are $43.75, but a 10% discount is available for groups of ten or more. We are offering free van transportation, sponsored by Outreach and ONA Committees. Look for a sign-up sheet on the office window. The deadline for sign-up is Sunday, March 24th. If you have questions, check in with a member of the ONA Committee.
Covenant Partner Randy VanDeventer will join us for an after-worship Conversation on Sunday, April 14th at 11:30 am in the Recreation Room. Randy is an ordained UCC pastor and serves as Chaplain at NH Hospital, an acute psychiatric care facility. As with previous Conversations, Randy will offer a short presentation, followed by a time for Questions & Answers and discussion. See the link for the sermon Randy preached at FCC in August 2023. The sermon was based on Matthew 15:21-28, in which we encounter Jesus our Savior as “both fully God and fully human.” In this season of Easter, his inspiring sermon has much to tell us about Jesus and his time, as well as the marginalized and outcasts in our world today.
Scripture and Sermon Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ6IiNA7VDM
(Listen to the scripture and Randy’s sermon beginning at 32:32).
Once again, the Open and Affirming Committee will offer a light luncheon during our time of Conversation. A sign-up sheet will be posted on the office window later this month. Everyone will be invited to join us on April 14h, whether you’ve signed up or not. We’ll also post a Zoom link so, if you prefer, you can join us online.
The committee will soon start planning for Manchester Pride, coming on June 15th and for observing Pride in worship on June 16th. Our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, March 17th at
11:30 am. Please feel free to join us.
The Prayer of Dedication from February 18th is one that can call and guide us every day:
Caring God, help us to share your love with our world. Help us to be aware of the opportunities to be angels in the lives of another. Help us to see the need of our community and to act in order to lessen the struggle of those around us. Amen.
February 2024
We join with the FCC faith community in extending a sincere welcome to Rev. Christopher Stevens and extend heartfelt hopes and all good wishes for his ministry among us and in our community. November 17 marked six years since our church voted to affirm its Open and Affirming Covenant. While the vote was not unanimous, our committee and our faith community has moved forward, committing to do God’s work together, with resolve.
In that steadfast and purposeful spirit, the committee will Continue the Conversations in 2024. Our first after-worship Conversation will be held on Sunday, February 4th (This event has been postponed). We will be joined by Jace Troie, DEI & Program Assistant of NAMI NH (National Alliance on Mental Illness). NAMI NH is a grassroots organization working to improve the lives of all people affected by mental illness and suicide through support, education, and advocacy. Jace will join us for a wide-ranging conversation. Several of his planned topics are listed below.
• Jace will give an overview about NAMI NH (who they are, what they do, why they are focused on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).
• He has offered to share his lived experience as a transgender man and as someone who has a mental health diagnosis. Jace has faced many challenges, among them being homeless and developing and recovering from a substance use disorder.
• He will provide data and information on local youth mental health and LGBTQ+ community and will include information on risks and protective factors that are important for all youth, young and older adults.
• Jace will talk with our faith community about what it means to be an ally.
As with previous Conversations, time for questions and discussion will be provided. We hope you’ll plan to join us on February 4th after Fellowship Time. Once again, our committee will offer a light luncheon during our time of Conversation. With God’s grace, we will learn and serve together - continuing to grow in faith and understanding of what it means to be open, inclusive, affirming, and accessible to everyone. The Open and Affirming Committee will not meet in December. Our next meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 21st, 2024 at 11:30 am. You are invited to join us.