Table of Contents:Purpose
Theology
Covenant
Worship
Music
Heritage
History
Purpose
The purpose of the Congregational Church of Mercer Island is to worship God, to preach, teach and bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to celebrate the Sacraments, to render loving service to humanity, to appreciate and respect all of God’s creatures and creations, and to strive for righteousness, justice and peace.
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Theology
We have no formal creed. No single set of words is used as a test of any person’s faith. Each person is responsible for his or her own beliefs, and the formation and shaping of a life to go with those beliefs. This is not to imply that we take our faith or beliefs lightly. It is to state that we take them too seriously to limit any person’s spiritual path to any other person’s language or experience. We seek unanimity in spirit in matters of belief and purpose through the sharing of every member’s authentic search for and expeience with the Holy Spirit.
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Covenant
The Covenant In the Congregational tradition, a responsibility for faith (what we believe) and practice (what we do about what we believe) rests upon each individual member. We do not depend upon a priesthood, upon any governing body of the Church, or upon creeds established and handed down from the past, though they may help and inform us. We are each responsible for the ongoing life and witness of the Christian faith. But our tradition also reminds us that no individual can journey alone or discover very much of the path without drawing heavily and gratefully on the experiences and insights of other members of the Body of Christ - past and present. While we claim our freedom and responsibility in the United Church of Christ, our hope is that we and our fellow pilgrims will choose humility and diligence in our freedom, and that we will study, pray and act together in a manner worthy of our faith.
Therefore, membership in this local Church is by covenant. Each member writes his or her own covenant, and this covenant is renewed or revised each year. It is specifically intended that each member assume responsibility for his or her own theology, discipline (way of life) and support (time and money given to the Church). Because we are imperfect, our covenants will have errors large and small, and we will not keep our covenants as perfectly as we would like. But together, with the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will be built up into the Body of Christ. Covenants vary in length from a sentence or two to several pages. Some people put down a few words which remind them of all they have pondered and prayed over. Most people discover that the more clearly they write out their covenants, the more they themselves enter into and benefit from church life - both spiritually and relationally.
Each member is given a packet with three parts: Part I—declaration of desire to be a covenanted member; Part II—a checklist for activity within the church, and Part III—financial commitment.
PART I The Nature of My Personal Covenant with God and with this Faith Community (Elements of my personal history that affect this year’s covenant. In my covenant with God/Christ/Spirit I…........ In my covenant with this church I…......... ) This is a good place for articulating your beliefs, your goals for the coming year, concerns we need to be aware of, spiritual disciplines that are part of your faith life, as you wish.
PART II
This is a checklist of activities, ministries, and opportunities for spiritual development. You choose the ones that you will lead, support, or participate in during the year.
PART III
It is necessary to gather pledge information to support the Church's operating budget for the coming year. This form is used by members who choose to make a financial covenant with the Church. Contributions may be made weekly, monthly or periodically as desired. Some members like to use the offertory envelopes that are available on the entry table during December and January. If you make payments in cash and wish them to be tracked, you will need to use the offering envelopes.
Contributions to the Church are counted and tracked by the Financial Secretary. A quarterly statement will be mailed to you showing your total pledge payments to date, along with any amount not yet paid. If you do not wish to receive quarterly statements, please indicate this preference in the space below. For tax purposes, a year-end contribution report will be mailed in January. If you have any questions about pledges, please feel free to contact the Financial Secretary.
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Worship
Worship is a time of connection to God, a time to praise God and a time to connect to one another. Visitors are always welcome. Also, children are welcome in worship. On the first Sunday of each month, the children have their own children’s worship service concurrently with regular worship. Most Sundays, children begin worship with their parents, breaking after the children’s message roughly midway through the worship service to attend church school classes. Childcare is provided for the youngest members in a comfortable nursery within easy reach of our sanctuary. There is a very informal fellowship time after every worship service for members, visitors, children and friends to continue the connection and community time begun in worship.
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Music
We strive to make our worship service a time of spiritual connection, offering the opportunity to connect to community and to God. At the Congregational Church of Mercer Island, music is an integral part of the worship service and for many serves as a significant spiritual and emotional part of worship. The choir is itself a community dedicated to creating an outstanding musical experience each Sunday. Our music combines a vast array of musical traditions including classical, traditional folk, praise, and contemporary gospel. The choir is accompanied by piano. In addition to the choir, music includes solo performances and occasional performances by musicians playing, for example, violin and cello. Occasionally, we are joined by a conga drummer, a rock guitarist, or a string bass player, varying according to the gifts and interests of the congregation.
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United Church Of Christ/Congregational Heritage
The United Church of Christ (UCC) formed in 1959 as a union of several different Christian traditions, the Evangelical and Reformed and the Congregational. UCC churches are self-governing, as is the Congregational Church of Mercer Island. All decisions regarding the church are made by vote of church members in a meeting of the congregation. A quorum, defined as 20% of members, must be present for congregational actions. The call of a new pastor is issued by vote of the congregation. Budgets are adopted annually by a vote of the congregation. Between annual meetings the policy and financial decisions of the church are made by a Church Council, which is made up of elected committee chairs and the pastor.
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History of Congregational Church of Mercer Island
In 1963, the Washington North Idaho Conference, United Church of Christ put in motion the steps towards realizing a new church on Mercer Island by allocating funds and seeking out a sponsoring committee. A sponsoring committee of fifteen Mercer Island residents was formed. The conference purchased a parcel of land on Island Crest Way for the future church. Permission was granted for early services to be held in Island Park Elementary School. In February 1964, the sponsoring committee called the Rev. Jim Gilliom as the first pastor of the Mercer Island United Church of Christ. Worship services were held at the Island Park Elementary school until the new church was completed in 1969. The new building was designed by Don Frothingham, a Seattle architect. The church building extensively uses Northwest materials and takes full advantage of natural lighting, bringing the trees and sky into the sanctuary. It was also designed so that the sanctuary could be used for a variety of events and the church has made its space available for rental to non-profit groups. Over the years of the church’s history, membership has ranged from approximately 250 members to around 100 members. The Congregational Church of Mercer Island has had four pastors since its inception. The Reverend Jim Gilliom served as pastor from 1964 to 1971. The Reverend Robert L. Haertig served from 1972 to 1980. The Reverend Bruce Van Blair served from 1981 to 1996. The Reverend Michael Bush served from 1994 to 2001. The Reverend Anni Stedman served as Interim Pastor from 2001 to 2003. CCMI has called the Reverend Doctor Samuel Sawitski as the new settled pastor. He started October 15, 2003.
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