We know that too many people and their families live with the pain of having believed that “everyone” meant them, only to discover otherwise. We know that church can feel like a risky place to walk into for the first time and be filled with questions like, “Will I really be accepted here?” The answer is yes.
Come see for yourself what it's like to be part of an open and affirming church.
In the UCC, churches that are explicit about their extravagant welcome adopt a process of learning, discernment, and ultimately a public statement that guides their ministry. The UCC calls these Open and Affirming Churches, or ONA for short.
When Decorah UCC became an ONA congregation, we declared:
With God’s grace, we welcome all persons, affirming differences of faith background, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, age, and mental and physical abilities, as well as racial, ethnic, economic, and social status. We welcome all to share in the life and leadership, ministry and worship, sacraments, responsibilities, and blessings of participation in our congregation.
Click below to learn some of the ways we live into these ONA commitments: