Membership
CtH Community – Becoming a Member
CtH UCC is a spiritual community (congregation) in the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ. But you make up CtH.
Covenanted members embrace our 25-word mission statement:
Inviting and welcoming all to walk together in the love of Christ, we celebrate, commune and heal as gifted children of the kin-dom of heaven.
We affirm Christ as the universal Love of God, and reach out to love, respect and affirm one another as kin before understanding is reached; then make the effort to understand each other.
The word covenant means “mutual promise,” and marks the outlines of our intention and commitment. Our mutual promises are mutual gifts which co-create the voluntary association called Christ the Healer UCC.
These public or private, your choice; self-promises can be a sentence or two long, or several pages.
Each of us writes down what she or he wants his or her membership to mean and be about. When each individual is satisfied, she or he ritually offers it to the community where it is held in a special covenant box. The moment a person turns in their covenant, he or she is a covenanted, voting member of the church / community – for one year.
Here are a few topics that might be covered in a written covenant:
SPIRITUAL GROWTH – Progress in spiritual development and growth depends upon intentionality, effort, and persistence. Do you have goals for yourself in this area? Are there things you want to give attention to in your health, family, or other areas of life? Declaring your intention invokes the community’s spiritual support. One person may wish to meditate more reliably each day. Another may commit to a study program or artistic endeavor.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT – This is a big spiritual discipline as well as an exercise in clear intention and energy flow. The money we invest in our spiritual community directly relates to the size and quality of CtH’s offerings to the world. As members, we cheerfully accept responsibility for the financial costs of our work and its growth. Money given to Christ the Healer UCC is money dedicated to Deity, and so part of our personal covenant. No one need feel ashamed to commit to a small amount if it is arrived at with an open heart. In a healthy community, those who are more able to give non-judgmentally support those less able, as circumstances often change.
WILLING TO SERVE – Are we willing to be part of the Beacons, another small group, or help with children? Can we do outreach to members through prayer/phone/email, be a fund raiser or enroller of new members, a host for gatherings, a donator of food and material items, help set up and clean up, give rides, count the offering, do office help and so on? As a community, each member serves where they are gifted and called. People should be serving where they have the most interest and enthusiasm.
BELIEFS – Most covenants don’t list everything a person believes. But they can include items of faith that are “troublesome.” If there’s a belief that’s usually assumed among Christians that distresses you, mention it in the covenant. A commitment to study the issue open heartedly and discover what you do believe and why is a wonderful addition.
DISCLAIMERS – A clearing away of old baggage and a future guilt-preventer! “I will not be involved with
the children’s program.” “I can only attend gatherings once a month.” “I do not want to work on a committee this year.” Such statements have a dual purpose. They remind you not to accept invitations or requests that may later make you unhappy with being a part of the community. And, if asked, you can say, “No; it’s written in my covenant,” which cuts all guilt because its part of membership.
GOALS FOR THE YEAR – This category may not be used by everyone, but some love it. It is a list of major short-range goals (for one year) covering the full spectrum of life: vocational, personal, family, etc. This helps to remind us that all of life is a spiritual pilgrimage.
Contact us for more information.
CtH Community – Becoming a Member in Spirit
CtH UCC is a spiritual community (congregation) in the Central Pacific Conference of the United Church of Christ. We have two
kinds of “covenanted” members. Members who attend, and Members in Spirit who live far from our gathering places yet know that their kin-ship with CtH runs deep.
All covenanted members embrace our 25-word mission statement: Inviting and welcoming all to walk together in the love of Christ, we celebrate, commune and heal as gifted children of the kin-dom of heaven.
We affirm Christ as the universal Love of God, and reach out to love, respect and affirm one another as kin before understanding is reached; then make the effort to understand each other.
The word covenant means “mutual promise,” and marks the outlines of our intention and commitment. Our mutual promises are mutual gifts which co-create the voluntary association called Christ the Healer UCC.
Members in Spirit, just like Members who attend, receive the spiritual support of the entire community for the goals listed in their covenant. These public or private (only the convenors see, your choice), self-promises can be a sentence or two long, or several pages.
Each writes down what she or he wants his or her membership to mean and be about. When a Member in Spirit is satisfied, she or he mails it in to be ritually offered to the community where it is held in the same Covenant Box that holds the covenants of attending Members. From that moment he or she is a covenanted Member of the CtH community – for one year.
Here are a few topics that might be covered in a written covenant:
SPIRITUAL GROWTH – Progress in spiritual development and growth depends upon intentionality, effort, and persistence. Do you have goals for yourself in this area? Are there things you want to give attention to in your health, family, or other areas of life? Declaring your intention invokes the community’s spiritual support. One person may wish to meditate more reliably each day. Another may commit to a study program or artistic endeavor.
FINANCIAL SUPPORT – This is a big spiritual discipline as well as an exercise in clear intention and energy flow. It is especially important for Members in Spirit because, unable to attend often, it is the major way that she or he can extend support to the community as a whole.
The money we invest in our spiritual community directly relates to the size and quality of CtH’s offerings to the world. As members, we cheerfully accept responsibility for the financial costs of our work and its growth. Money given to Christ the Healer UCC is money dedicated to Deity, and so part of our personal covenant. No one need feel ashamed to commit to a small amount if it is arrived at with an open heart. In a healthy community, those who are more able to give non-judgmentally support those less able, as circumstances often change.
WILLING TO SERVE – As a community, each member serves where they are gifted and called. Member of CtH should be serving where they have the most interest and enthusiasm. Many of the ways in which it is easy for attending Members to serve are impractical for Members in Spirit. But this need not be a total bar to some from of service where interest and enthusiasm are buttressed by creativity and the blessing of Holy Spirit.
BELIEFS – Most covenants don’t list everything a person believes. But they can include items of faith that are “troublesome.” If there’s a belief that’s usually assumed among Christians that distresses you, mention it in the covenant. A commitment to study the issue open heartedly and discover what you do believe and why is a wonderful addition.
DISCLAIMERS – A clearing away of old baggage and a future guilt-preventer! “I will not be involved with the children’s program.” “I can only attend gatherings once a month.” (Or for Members in spirit, “Once every five years!”) “I do not want to work on a committee this year.” Such statements have a dual purpose. They remind you not to accept invitations or requests that may later make you unhappy with being a part of the community. And, if asked, you can say, “No; it’s written in my covenant,” which cuts all guilt because its part of membership.
GOALS FOR THE YEAR – This category may not be used by everyone, but some love it. It is a list of major short-range goals (for one year) covering the full spectrum of life: vocational, personal, family, etc. This helps to remind us that all of life is a spiritual pilgrimage.
Contact us for more information.