10. WHAT IF CHURCH IS LIKE SPINACH...?
You know, like something that you hated as a kid but you love as an adult because you eat it in ways that suit you much better. Guess what?  A lot of people are having the same sort of experience with church . . . At FCC Natick, things are often quite different and worth checking out.

9. VARIETY...
Churches which are a part of the United Church of Christ tend to tailor themselves to fit the people they feel called to serve in their local community. FCC Natick is no exception!  We celebrate a wide variety of musical traditions, expressions and values that have integrity and purpose. From conservative to liberal, we’re not short on variety!

8. NO APOLOGIES...
You are what you are, and so are we — we like ourselves just fine. At FCC Natick, you’ll find a church where you will fit in, be nurtured and challenged to grow.

7. NO WAITING...
You don’t have to become a member to be active in UCC churches like FCC Natick. If you want to get involved, we’ll help you find a place to help fulfill your need to give — whether or not you decide to join.

6. NO BOXES…
God can blow the lid off any box, unfold it and turn it into a dance floor. We tend to be the “out of the box” people.

Among the many firsts in our denomination, the United Church of Christ was the first mainline church

• to take a stand against slavery (1700)
• to ordain an African American person (1785), 
• to ordain a woman (1853),
• in foreign missions (1810),
• and the first to ordain openly gay lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons (1972).

We value education for all people. We founded Harvard and Yale, as well as many historically black colleges, six of which remain affiliated with the UCC to this day.

5. ONE GOD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM FOR ALL…
When we baptize you into our community, we promise that we will never take it back — no matter what you discover about yourself or what others discover about you along life’s journey. We believe that baptism places each of us into the “body of Christ” and lasts forever. Some are baptized as infants, others as adults. Some are sprinkled. Others are immersed. Some reclaim their baptism from a previous church life. For each of us, however, baptism is big enough, strong enough and cleansing enough to last forever. We believe that everyone — old, young, straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, physically or emotionally challenged, rich or poor, sure or unsure, lost or found, Democrat or Republican, has a place in the body of Christ.

Baptism is like a badge that says, “You belong" and no one can take that away from you.

4. GOOD NEWS PEOPLE…
We believe that No. 5 is good news!

3. “PARTY” CHURCH…
God is having a party and we are all invited.

• At God’s party our spiritual hungering is fed and our thirsting is satisfied. 
• At God’s party we get strength, stamina and community support that helps us through the tough times that come to everyone.

Feeding our spiritual hunger helps reduce those, “I can’t believe I’m so stupid” moments — but we’ll never eliminate them all. That’s why we need friends and companions and not judges (no offense to judges) for the journey.

2. SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE...
It’s not about commandments. It’s about relationships – even with God.

The most important relationship is our relationship with God. Second most important is our relationships with the rest of the human family. In balance, these relationships produce justice amid injustice, kindness in the face of meanness, and the humility of self acceptance that comes as we sense the presence of a God who knows our inmost thoughts and loves us uncontrollably — just as we are.

Spiritual journeys can be like the exercise equipment we buy and leave under the bed. Without coaches and workout partners, most of us don’t stick with it. We’re the “Journeys Wanted” people.…Bring yours!

And #1.  WE’RE WAITING FOR YOU!
At FCC Natick, we focus on the things that matter.  It doesn't matter to us if you grew up in a church or never set foot in one before.  You matter to us.  We welcome you as you are, because we believe that we are all embraced by God's inclusive and extravagant love.