What We Believe

We believe in you, O God, Eternal Spirit,
God of our Savior Jesus Christ and our God,
and to your deeds we testify:

You call the worlds into being,
create persons in your own image,
and set before each one the ways of life and death.

You seek in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.

You judge people and nations by your righteous will
declared through prophets and apostles.

In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth,
our crucified and risen Savior,
you have come to us and shared our common lot,
conquering sin and death and reconciling the world to yourself.

You bestow upon us your Holy Spirit,
creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ,
binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.

You call us into your church
to accept the cost and joy of discipleship,
to be your servants in the service of others,
to proclaim the gospel to all the world
and resist the powers of evil,
to share in Christ's baptism and eat at his table,
to join him in his passion and victory.

You promise to all who trust you
forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace,
courage in the struggle for justice and peace,
your presence in trial and rejoicing,
and eternal life in your realm which has no end.

Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto you.

Amen.

We do hereby set forth the principles of the Christian faith as commonly held among us.

Believing that other foundation can no one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

It shall be our aim to bring joy to little children, instruction and high ideals to youth, inspiration to men and women in the midst of life, and comfort to those in life's later years; and to labor together for the betterment of humankind.

Our fellowship shall not be dependent upon identity of theological opinion, or of outward circumstance, or of denominational name, but shall grow from a common loyalty to Jesus; a common passion to serve the world; and a common purpose to do justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.

Our ideal is a church of the open mind, the warm heart, the aspiring soul, and the social vision, which ever seeks to express, in all the ways of life, the mind and spirit of Jesus.

Westmoreland’s Declaration of Purpose states:

"Our ideal is a church of the open mind, the warm heart, the aspiring soul and the social vision which seeks in all its ways to express the mind and spirit of Jesus."

To that purpose, through the life and history of our congregation, Westmorelanders have sought to respect the differences among us while attempting to bridge the barriers which have divided and estranged us one from another.

As members of the United Church of Christ we believe that God has bestowed on us the Holy Spirit, binding in covenant all faithful people. As Paul wrote, "There is no such thing as Jew or Greek, slave and free person, male and female, for we are all one in Jesus Christ." Galatians 3:28.

In keeping with our faith and the purpose of this Church and the whole Church:

We Honor each human being as a child of God;

We Believe, through Jesus Christ, God calls all persons to worship together;

We Welcome into our community of faith anyone who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ;

We Acknowledge our diversity as a congregation of the United Church of Christ;

We Respect the privacy of our fellow worshippers; and

We Cherish the family in all its different forms and celebrate all loving and committed relationships.