Marriage Blessings for All: A Gift from God
Welcome! Whoever you are, however you have found us, we are delighted that you are considering a wedding here at Newton Highlands Congregational Church, UCC. We are honored to explore joining with you to prepare for this joyous celebration and blessed day.
This parish is a friendly and inclusive Christian community grounded in the ancient and historic promises of the United Church of Christ. We perform weddings for members and non-members and for mixed gender and same-gender couples.
As an Open and Affirming parish, and with precedent in our practice, we are pleased to welcome every person to discern if this is the right place for your prayerful commitment. We are a traditional place but not one locked in the past.
Wedding preparations here start with conversation and continue as we work with you to choose ways to celebrate God’s blessings in your life. You will have lots of input in the planning of the service.
While we have several requirements, they are simple and predictable: We perform a Christian worship ceremony, which means that scripture and prayers (of your own selection) are included. We require an initial one-hour meeting with a pastor before approving any wedding. We ask you to make your fullest effort in the covenant of marriage–not “until things change” but with a promise “our whole life through.”
To begin, we invite you to join us for Sunday worship to get a flavor of our parish and our sanctuary. And please contact us [LINK] to schedule a meeting with a pastor. Congratulations and best wishes, and we hope to talk with you soon.
Marriage Blessings for Same-Sex Couples: A Gift from God
We rejoice that you are exploring a service of commitment here at NHCC! As an Open and Affirming parish since 1995, and with precedent in our practice, we are pleased to welcome you to discern if this is the right place for your wedding. We hope to serve you and enrich your experience in this process.
Throughout history, even in the Christian Church, there have been blessings for committed life partners who are the same sex. These are documented from pre-Reformation times. At Newton Highlands Congregational Church, UCC, we strive to present the Spirit of Jesus Christ our founder, who embraced many and whose Church is inclusive beyond standard cultural boundaries.
To prepare, we meet together with you as a couple, determine if the Holy Spirit has called us to this celebration, and then plan and prepare for the day of commitment. Since blessing is the work of God, we determine ways in which God will be both worshipped and celebrated in our work together. We discuss both the legal and spiritual dimensions of partnership in preparation for a life together.
To learn more about marriage here at NHCC, please contact us to arrange an initial meeting. When we meet, we will strive to answer all of your questions and welcome you to the fellowship of this good parish on all occasions. Again, congratulations, and let us rejoice in God’s blessings!