About our Church

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#006633" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="063d6c00ddvuru.jpg"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="084a1320.jpg" border=0 width="161" height="50" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About our Church"><U><B>About Our Church</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Prayer Request"><U><B>Prayer Request</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congregationalism"><U><B>Congregationalism</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Worship"><U><B>Worship</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Plymouth People"><U><B>Plymouth People</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Youth"><U><B>Youth</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Membership/Baptism"><U><B>Membership/Baptism</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Weddings"><U><B>Weddings</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Funerals/other Rites"><U><B>Funerals/Other Rites</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Ministers"><U><B>Our Ministers</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermons"><U><B>Sermons</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Solid Rock"><U><B>Solid Rock</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <div> <B>About Plymouth Congregational Church</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>FORTY TWO YEARS YOUNG!</B></div> <div> Plymouth Congregational Church began on February 2, 1964, when a small group of faith filled members of the First Congregational Church felt led to continue the vibrant expression of Congregationalism, which is a rich treasure of spirituality and religious expression in the United States. </div> <bR> <div> <B>THE BEST IS YET TO COME...</B> </div> <div> Plymouth Congregational Church continues today as a treasure, a church that <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Century Schoolbook" >tries to do what God does...meets us where we are. It is also a church that seeks to build up: people, relationships, and societies. During a time when unity is often scarce and religion is used as a wedge or a club, Plymouth Church offers Christian spirituality that is practical, positive, and loving. In becoming human, it is clear that God was people centered. So is Plymouth Church.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B>WHAT DO WE BELIEVE?</B></div> <div> Plymouth Congregational Church is a mainline Protestant church which embraces the Christian faith commonly held by Congregational Christian churches without restricting the freedom of the individual in the interpretation of Scripture. We do not require a formal statement of belief. Our primary emphasis is to assist and be in communion with people whose desire is to effort sincerely to live a life in the spirit of Christ.</div> <bR> <div> <B>The faith commonly held by Congregational churches is; </B></div> <div> <B>Christian:</B> Jesus of Nazareth was sent as the human expression or Son of God, being fully human and fully divine. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Trinitarian:</B> Our ability to fully define God is, at best, feeble.  We do, however, understand God as Creator (Father), Redeemer (Son), and Sustainer (Holy Spirit).</div> <bR> <div> <B>Mainline Protestant</B>: A church of the Reformed tradition, we understand our salvation to come from our faith in God through Christ in the power of the Spirit. We observe two sacraments, Baptism and Communion.  Our tradition at Plymouth Church has been toward infant baptism, however, we are open to believer baptism respecting the diversity of opinion that exists. We celebrate Communion or The Lord's Supper once a month and celebrate open communion.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Congregational:</B> While Congregationalism is historically a mainline Protestant tradition what makes a church Congregational is not its theology but its polity or form of governance. You will find different worship styles and vastly different theological expressions among Congregational churches. One thing that does not vary is the irrefutable tenet that Christ is the Head of the Church. Early Congregationalists sought a church that reflected the democratic values of their government.  As a nation, our power resides in the inalienable rights granted to us by our Creator. From the Creator, God, all power goes to the people, the congregation, and they elect Representatives and Senators to represent them. In the Congregational Way, Christ is Head of the church and authority passes directly to the local congregation. They, in turn, discern or elect ministers, deacons, and trustees. At Plymouth Church, the deacons are responsible for the spiritual matters of the church while the trustees are invested with the financial stewardship of the church and property. The minister is, broadly stated, responsible for the Worship life, spiritual life, and sacramental life of the church.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>