We are an Open and Affirming, Stephen Ministry congregation, dually affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.
Mission Statement
To share Christ’s light and welcoming, open and loving message with all people.
Welcome Statement
First Congregational Church of Akron unconditionally affirms all people as we live out our call to follow Jesus Christ and his teaching of inclusive love.
We welcome people of every race, age, nationality, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, family circumstance, socio-economic status, physical and mental ability, or spiritual background. We invite all who are seeking God’s presence in their lives to participate fully in our church life, ministry, and leadership.
We strive to be a safe place, free from the fear of judgment, where wounds can heal, differences are cherished, and inclusivity is intentional. We commit ourselves to the struggle against injustice, discrimination, violence, and hatred, in order to foster a world of peace and wholeness.
God loves you. Christ invites you. We embrace and celebrate you.
To learn more about our Welcome Statement or our stance as an Open and Affirming church, click here.
Our Core Values
Acceptance: First Church seeks to be a safe place where all are welcomed regardless of human or social distinction. Having been accepted as we are, we are open to others.
Spirituality: First Church seeks greater understanding and connection, individually and collectively, with God and with one another.
Community: First Church seeks to unite individuals and families into a network of fellowship and compassion within the congregation and beyond. We view Family as a form of Community and Fellowship as an expression of Community.
Bedrock Beliefs
God is Love: We believe that God extends unconditional acceptance, forgiveness, concern and care to all.
Mission: We believe God is the cause and mission is the effect. We receive God’s love and extend that love to others, in word and deed, within and beyond the congregation.
Spiritual Growth: We believe that faith is not static but dynamic. We seek, through prayer, study, worship, service and life experience to deepen and broaden our individual and collective understandings of, and reliance upon, God.
Worship: We believe that through worship, whether in personal devotional time or within the gathered community, we connect with God. The acts of worship bring us comfort, challenge and courage to discover, nurture and live out our individual and corporate spirituality.