Who We Are
Our Mission Statement
Our Covenant
We covenant with one another to seek and respond to the Word and Will of God. We purpose to walk together in the ways of the Lord, made known and to be made known to us. We hold it to be the mission of the church to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in all the world, while worshipping God, and striving for truth, justice and peace. As did our forebears, we depend on the Holy Spirit to lead and empower us. We pray for the coming of the kingdom of God, and we look with faith toward the triumph of righteousness and eternal life.
Our Worship Statement
Worship at Second Congregational Church provides a nurturing atmosphere in which all people are invited to honor and pay homage to God, our Creator, Redeemer and Comforter; to explore and celebrate our quest for God, who loves and cares for all people. It is an opportunity to witness and show commitment and affirmation to the wholeness of the Christian Community, as the power of the Holy Spirit promotes unity in the midst of differences. Our worship experience provides us with opportunities to rejoice in our pursuit of becoming more Christ-like in our daily lives. We are called to Communion, to love one another, to recognize our limitations and to support each other in faith.
Opportunities to meet God in our time of worship come through a harmonious union of prayer and praise, music, sermon, scripture, sharing experiences of God’s grace, our very presence with one another, ritual and sacrament. Worship nurtures our support for each other and adheres to our fundamental common goal of being together as a family in Christ. Worship is meaningful when the people of Second Congregational Church demonstrate Christ’s kindness, compassion and unconditional love, and when a significantly growing number of people who recognize the beauty and uniqueness of the Church’s greater efforts. It inspires individuals to support each other in their own faith journey within the framework of shared faith, and to welcome new members into the Second Congregational community. The worship experience inspires everyone to live more justly and generously, and moves us to serve others in and beyond the scope of Second Congregational Church.
Our Denomination
Second Church is part of the Essex Association of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. Our roots are in the Congregationalism of earliest New England, and our vision and future are grounded in the mission and ministry of the God who is still speaking.
Open and Affirming
Second Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Beverly, Massachusetts, is an Open and Affirming congregation. Our hearts are open; our minds are open; our doors are open to all. We recognize that we are all children of God and so we welcome, respect, and support people of every race, ethnicity, creed , class, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, socioeconomic status, age and physical and mental ability. We welcome you into the full life and ministry, rites and sacraments of Second Congregational Church. Our faith calls us to share God's love in the face of prejudice, injustice, and exclusion, and to express in word and deed our hope for healing, justice, and inclusiveness for humanity.