Every faith story takes unexpected turns, and mine has plenty. I grew up Baptist, learned the rhythms of church life, and then stepped away in my twenties. I called myself agnostic and searched for meaning that made sense in a complicated world.
Stop me if you’ve heard this! Wait, you can’t, so you’ll have to keep reading. One day, a simple UCC commercial grabbed my attention. It didn’t flash or shout—it carried the “God is Still Speaking” message. It told me faith could welcome questions, embrace differences, and trust that God’s love had no boundaries. Something shifted in me. I walked through the doors of a UCC congregation, and for the first time in a long while, I felt like I could breathe.
Later, I enrolled in a Methodist seminary expecting to study UCC theology and polity. Who knew there were so many United Theological Seminaries out there? I thought I had chosen a UCC seminary, only to find myself surrounded by Methodists! Thankfully, God has a sense of humor, and that setting gave me precisely what I needed. I dove into UCC history, learned the stories of those who came before us, and discovered the covenantal ties that shape our denomination. I didn’t just study theology—I found family. I found home.
I have had numerous opportunities to visit members of my church I have served. I can recall when I visited church members in Minnesota. We sat over lunch, shared stories of faith and life, and strengthened the bonds that connect us. Minnesota’s deep Lutheran heritage reminded me that our UCC roots stretch wide, shaped in part by German immigrants who blended Lutheran and Reformed traditions in early union churches. From the start, the UCC has gathered people across divides, choosing covenant over separation and unity over division.
The Marks of Faithful and Effective Authorized Ministers (Marks) often speak about “nurturing UCC identity,” but this work matters more than any phrase can capture. Many people in our pews didn’t grow up UCC. They come from other denominations or have no church background at all, and as a result, they know little about our history, our covenantal way of being, or what sets this tradition apart.
The Marks charge us to understand and represent the values, history, and theology of the United Church of Christ while encouraging unity and covenantal relationships within the wider church. We must do more than know this ourselves—we must tell the story and spark conversation so that our members truly understand what it means to be part of this wider family of faith.
This week, I invite you to share a piece of your own UCC story with your congregation. Tell them what drew you here. Recall a covenantal relationship that shaped your ministry. Name a moment when you saw the “God is Still Speaking” message come alive.
Each story we tell helps our people claim their UCC identity more deeply.
Whether we share it over lunch in Minnesota or at worship service, every story we tell draws us closer to the covenant that makes us the United Church of Christ. A covenant rooted in many traditions, including those early Lutheran and Reformed communities that taught us that unity is possible in Christ.