February 2002 Newsletter

Glimpses of Our Time Together
Rev. Joe Hoffman
I am writing this article the day after our annual meeting of the congregation which was incorporated into our 11am worship service. It was a remarkable occasion that will become part of the history of this church. What makes it remarkable is not just the vote to become an Open and Affirming church. It is also about how we are community with each other. Let me offer just a few glimpses that I had of our time together. Glimpses of the "stuff in between" us.

I remember the children. So many of Them! As they came down for the children's time, I noticed how hard it was for some to find a place to sit - and to get close enough to put their offering in the plate. They bring us energy and innocence and hope and wisdom. I want us to create the space needed for them to learn and grow and be among us.

I remember the music. The spirit of the singing. The faces of our people singing "Joyful, joyful we adore you, God of glory, God of love ... fill us with the light of day." The drumming and the dancing as we sang Alleluia! Amen. The choir singing "Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit." The hymn after the sermon, "Community of Christ," was one of Paul Limbert's favorites - and I was thinking of him as we sang. And at the end, as we sang "This Little Light of Mine", I was moved by someone adding the verse - "Shine for Henry and Dorothy Smart, we're going to let it shine."

I remember Tom and Colleen joining the church. But the image that stands out in my mind is little Claire Elizabeth charming everyone with her delightful smile and gestures. Wow!

I remember the connections we highlighted with Martha, Chris, and Micah - our missionary family in Argentina. And with Iglesia Unida de Christo, our partner church in Chapel Hill. As I struggled with the Spanish words of the Lord's Prayer, I was glad for the spirit that binds us together across languages, cultures, and experiences.

I remember the Stewardship Report - how Susanne reminded us of how far we have come with our giving over the last few years. And that was followed shortly by the Building Committee Report. Janet and Michael invited us, on behalf of the whole committee, to join in on upcoming forums and surveys. It will be fun (I hope!) to imagine a new space into reality.

And I remember the moment at the end. What felt so much like a holy moment as we waited for the ballots to be counted. Dorri called us to be who we are, to love each other and to care - no matter what the vote determined. The vote was 94 to approve, 15 to not approve. We are now officially an Open and Affirming church. And we are still diverse. And we do not all agree. But we are community. As we sang our final hymn, I looked around the sanctuary again. I saw people weeping. I saw hope. I saw sadness. I saw relief I saw joy. I saw you and me. One people of faith with many different expressions and understandings. And I thanked God for all that we are and will continue to be.

Church Web Page

Have you visited our new church web page yet?

Go to www.uccasheville.org to get the latest news and updates on ministries here at First Congregational. The construction of this page is still underway, under the careful eye of our new Communications Chair, Richard Blomgren. Soon it will be complete. But you can still make a visit now, and hopefully often along the way as the information will be updated regularly.

The church has already received emails from two families who hope to move to Asheville later this year. They have learned about us from the web page and are making plans to visit soon.

Check us out. New on the web page is a list of books and resources you can read to learn more about what is happening in Argentina, where our missionaries serve.

You will also be able to get information on Lenten Dinner topics and updates from the Building Committee in the near future.

Stay in touch. And let us know what you think!

Parking Reminder

Please remember that our parking agreement with Dr. Resnick allows us to use the gravel parking lot beside the church after 6pm weekdays and Saturdays, and all day on Sunday. Other times we ask you to please park in the street or at Morris Funeral Home. Thank you for following this agreement as we try to be good neighbors.

New Members

We welcome Tom, Colleen, and Claire Elizabeth Burnet as new members. They have visited with us since April 2000, so we have considered them to be part of us for some time now.

Colleen grew up in Coldwater, Michigan, received her BA in Social Work from Warren Wilson College, and is a stay at home mom.

Tom grew up in Richmond, Virgina, has a PhD in Civil Engineering from Duke, and is
the Resource Coordinator for the Mills River Watershed Protection Project.

They met in the "Triangle" in 1994; got married in San Diego in '97; learned a little French in France in '98; worked with the Mennonite Central Committee in Burkina Faso, West Africa in '99; and became parents on November 19, 2000 with the birth of Claire Elizabeth.

Colleen's birthday is November 29, and Tom's July 10.

We welcome these friends to our membership.

Note: We have had other new members join our church over the past months that have not yet been introduced in our newsletter. We will catch up over the next several editions!
Anyone interested in membership can contact Rev. Joe Hoffman at 252-8729 or Selena Coffey, chair of the membership committee, at 681-8275.

The Membership Committee will be hosting another Visitor Orientation soon.

Open and Affirming in the United Church of Christ

The 1985 General Synod of the United Church of Christ, which is a national gathering of the denomination every two years - consisting of delegates from associations, conferences, and the national offices of the church - approved by a 95% majority a call that all churches and national church groups adopt a policy of openness to all gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual persons. On Sunday, January 27, our congregation became the 400th church to declare itself Open and Affirming.

We will soon receive a certificate in the mail recognizing this distinction, and will be recognized as well at the next General Assembly gathering.

We become the 7th ONA congregation in the Southern Conference, joining Holy Covenant in Charlotte, North Raleigh UCC and Community UCC in Raleigh, Parkway UCC in Winston-Salem, United Church of Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough UCC in Hillsborough, NC.

Open and Affirming Covenant Statement

For First Congregational UCC, Asheville
We invite people of every race, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, ability, financial means, ethnic and spiritual background into the full life and ministry of this congregation.