United Church of Christ
Susan’s Story
I have tried different churches over the years.
First I was disappointed by the church of my youth. I didn’t fit in because I wasn’t wearing the prettiest dress or the latest style.
Then in my teens I started going to a church youth group. I bonded with the other kids when I realized how we each had a messy family life. So I joined that denomination in my mid-20s. But as I got older I realized how exclusive that church was. I began to realize how thoughtless it was for church doctrine to say who could or could not participate. What
if I had been born a different person — black, gay, handicapped?
After years of longing for a spiritual outlet, but unwilling to make any compromises, my husband and I were told of Old First (“the church with the animals at Christmas”). Our first visit was a Sunday in Advent 2005 with our baby daughter.
From that first day, there was at last a place where the teachings of Jesus were inclusive, where the promise rings true: No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.
