Who We Are
A church family that
welcomes all.
In 1904,
a group of like-minded people in the Trowbridgeville (now called Hadwen Park) area of Worcester began to gather for fellowship, study, prayer and worship.
In 1911, they built the first church building, which has been added to and remodeled over the years.
In 1914, they voted to affiliate with the Congregational Christian denomination (the modern-day descendants of the Mayflower Pilgrims), which became the United Church of Christ (UCC) in 1957 when it merged with another denomination.
Today, we are a very diverse denomination, attracting people of all Christian faith traditions as well as those who were not raised in any church at all.
As "congregationalists,"
we hold these things dear
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A people's witness to their faith in and experience of God, which is our guide to faith and practice.
Every generation of believers has the responsibility to reinterpret scripture through prayer and the Holy Spirit so that it is relevant to the demands of a new day. As Pastor John Robinson said to the Pilgrims as they departed for the New World, "God hath yet more light and truth to break forth from the Word."
We in the UCC believe that God is still speaking!
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While Christ is seen as the head of the church universal, congregation members themselves order the life, worship conduct, and property/asset management of each UCC congregation.
No pope, bishop or other church hierarchy has any control over our corporate or any individual life.
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When people join our church, they "covenant" (make a promise) with God through Christ and with one another to live as one people, one church; to work together for the common good.
As a congregation, we also covenant with the greater denomination, the United Church of Christ, to support one another in similar ways. Just as our members are expected to support Hadwen Park Church with time, talent and treasure, Hadwen Park Church and the UCC support each other in the same ways.
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From its earliest days, American Congregationalists held education as one of its highest goals. The founding of Harvard College by our forebears in 1636 and public education for children in Massachusetts in 1647 were intended to fit clergy for leadership in church and community and all people to be good citizens.
Christian education for all ages continues to be one of Hadwen Park Church's top priorities.
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Throughout the history of our denomination and this church, we have sought to minister to the "least of these"—the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick and prisoner. Among our current efforts is ministry to LGBT asylum seekers and operating Our Daily Bread food pantry. We are also working to become a greener congregation.
Open & Affirming
Being an Open & Affirming (ONA) congregation means we joyfully welcome into the full life and ministry of our church people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.
Our Beliefs
With approximately two-thirds of our members coming from denominations other than our own United Church of Christ, the UCC's motto (taken from Jesus' farewell to his disciples, John 17:21) "That they may all be one" is especially apt.
The motto reflects our spirit of unity and inclusiveness and points toward future efforts to heal the divisions in the body of Christ and the brokenness of our human family.
Putting into words what a gathered people believe is always a challenge because beliefs differ from person to person. Our Confirmation Class young people write a statement of beliefs, and these vary greatly from year to year. But in general, we can agree that the UCC Statement of Faith below is the creed to which we aspire. (Because so many of us come from other traditions, we also hold other creeds dear, such as the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed. In the UCC, we do not limit a person's faith or seek proof positive of any particular belief at all). All members are encouraged to consider their own belief system through prayer and study.
Saying all that, if you worship with us, you will find that we are unabashedly Jesus followers, and our services reflect that we are Christo-centric.
Safe Church
Hadwen Park Congregational Church, UCC is committed to creating a community in which members, friends, staff and volunteers can worship, learn and work together in an atmosphere free from all forms of discrimination, harassment, exploitation or intimidation.
The mission of our church is to attain optimal physical and spiritual health, as well as the well-being of all infants, children, adolescents and adults. Therefore, Hadwen Park Church is opposed to discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, immigration status, or disability.
Going Green
We have once earth, here’s how we are working to protect it:
Annual Earth Day special service followed by property beautification
Lenten program on climate change
Reducing our carbon footprint through initiatives such as reusable cups at coffee hour, recycling, and increased energy efficiency in the building
Proud members of the Worcester Congregations for Climate and Environmental Justice
Forming a “Green Team” to achieve UCC certification.
Have Any
Questions?
Give Today
All of the support we receive to keep our doors wide open comes from members and others who believe in our mission and vision.
Will you help?