All are welcome here!
Here at SBCC, we extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, or even of a different faith. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying newborns, skinny-as-a-rail, or could afford to lose a few pounds. We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli, Steven Tyler, or if you can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up, or just got out of jail. We don’t care if you’re more Catholic than the Pope or haven’t been to church since little Joey’s baptism.
We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome soccer moms, NFL dads, starving artists, students, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food-eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or are still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems or if you’re down in the dumps or if you don’t like “organized religion”: we’ve been there, too (and we’re not always that organized). If you blew all your offering money at OTB, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the world is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or are only here because grandma is in town and wanted to go to church.
We welcome those who are inked, pierced, or both. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down their throats as kids, or got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers, doubters, bleeding hearts… and you!
SBCC VISION STATEMENT:
"SBCC is a community of love, learning, and outreach for individuals and families doing God’s work together. We are an inclusive, evolving family of faith where everyone is welcome; a place to belong."
SBCC MISSION STATEMENT:
"To grow in our love for God & one another and to bring positive change to the world through prayer and service."
A Prayer in These Uncertain Times:
May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country,
Let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around each other, let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our neighbors. Amen
The Stony Brook Community Church is an Open and Affirming Congregation
RENEWING, RESTORING, REVIVING
FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
stonybrookcommunitychurch@gmail.com
