About us
Who we are
First Congregational United Church of Christ is a local congregation of the United Church of Christ, founded in Cedar Rapids in 1879. We are Open and Affirming. Our covenant says the rest.
Our covenant
Including all in the full ministry of the church.
No matter your race or ethnicity; your gender, gender identity or gender expression; if you are young, old, or somewhere in between; no matter your religious or spiritual history; no matter your relationship status or family structure; whether you are straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or yet unsure of your sexuality; no matter your political affiliation or socio-economic status; no matter your past history or mistakes; if you have typical or atypical skills or are just beginning to sense your God-given gifts and talents; however the rest of the world describes you, and however you describe yourself;
you are welcome at First Congregational UCC.
Jesus welcomed everyone. We do too.
Open and Affirming
Open and Affirming, or ONA, is an official designation of congregations in the United Church of Christ affirming the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and non-binary people in the church's life and ministry. The congregation voted to become Open and Affirming in 2016, and it shows on Sunday morning.
Our building
Construction on our current building began in 1928. Grant Wood, then a young local artist, was hired to design the sanctuary in the style of the New England Congregational churches. The sanctuary seats 300, including the balcony. Community organizations are welcome to use the building; the Building Use form on our Life events page explains how, or contact the church office.
How we are governed
The Church Council is the church's advisory and policy-making body, responsible for its general welfare and for appointing the teams that carry out its work. We are congregational, which means the congregation itself owns and is responsible for all property, programs and ministry. Everyone is welcome to serve in ministry in all its forms, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or relationship status.
Our history
First Congregational United Church of Christ was founded on April 17, 1879, when a group gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Price to talk about starting a Congregational church. The first service was held on June 1, 1879, at the Union Opera House.
In 1880 the church received its first home of its own, a wooden building at Second Avenue and Fifth Street SE. Eleven years later a stone building replaced it on the same site.
In 1925, Troop 6 of the Boy Scouts of America was chartered through First Congregational, the first troop in Iowa.
In 1928 work began on our current home, with Grant Wood designing the sanctuary. In 1959 the building was expanded with classrooms and the Colonial Chapel.
You are welcome here
Join us Sunday at 10 AM
The service lasts about an hour, there is a staffed nursery downstairs, and coffee waits in Fellowship Hall afterward. Can't get here? The service is live on YouTube and Facebook every week.