Here at CCB we express our commitment to our values in tangible ways. Here are some of the commitments we have made as a congregation:

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WE ARE AN LGBTQ+ FRIENDLY, OPEN AND AFFIRMING CHURCH

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We welcome everyone to our service of worship and into the full life and leadership of the church. Whatever your background might be – Gay, straight, single, married, widowed, divorced, rich, poor, healthy, ill, left, right, sure, or unsure – whoever you are and wherever you come from, we welcome you in love as Jesus Christ has welcomed us. In 2006, CCB members voted to become the first church in our area to be designated an Open & Affirming (ONA) UCC congregation, and are advocates for marriage equality and fair treatment of all gender identities. We strive to be a place where all people know they are valued for their unique experiences and gifts. We actively seek to include everyone around our table, just as you are. 

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WE ARE A SAFE CHURCH

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Children and youth are a vital and vibrant part of our community. We want them to have so much fun here that they become the ones pushing their parents to attend. We want them to build meaningful friendships and learn the stories of our faith. We want them to experience the love of God and this community. And, we want them to be safe. We are committed to ensuring that everyone working with children and youth have background checks on file.

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WE ARE A CHURCH THAT SEEKS SOCIAL JUSTICE & EQUITY

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CCB-UCC is very involved with social justice issues and outreach.  We were a founding member of the Detroit Regional Interfaith Voice for Equity (DRIVE), and led various initiatives and forums.  DRIVE was a coalition of churches, synagogues, and mosques that worked together to tackle various social justice issues, each member electing to focus on a specific crisis including, education, police brutality, and water issues. CCB-UCC spearheaded the education problem in Michigan by holding a forum consisting of educators, politicians, and citizens which led to a very detailed report that eventually influenced decisions in our state government.  CCB-UCC also started a tutoring program for children in the Pontiac school system that is still currently very active.  Through DRIVE, CCB-UCC also was involved in the push for justice in the transit system in SE Michigan.

 

CCB-UCC has also teamed with Peace Nick, a non-profit directed by CCB-UCC member and social justice chair Gregory Panzica, to alleviate the water issues in Michigan cities Detroit, Flint, Pontiac, and Benton Harbor.  CCB-UCC is instrumental in fund raising for this initiative and has helped supply churches and charitable organizations with pallets of water, over 2,000 gallons this past year alone. Greg and church member Dr. Paul von Oyen are also members of the People's Water Board of Detroit helping to keep a moratorium on water shutoffs throughout Michigan and continuing the fight for water justice.

Paul and Greg also represent CCB-UCC as members of the Detroit Metropolitan Association (DMA) of the Michigan Conference United Church of Christ working on issues such as racism and public health, opposition to voter suppression laws, a “Get out the Vote” campaign, and women's reproductive rights.  The DMA has worked with various social justice organizations including The Shrine of the Black Madonna (racial justice), National Council of Jewish Women (women's rights), Michigan Interfaith Reproductive Justice Coalition (women’s rights), and the Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network (social justice).

 

CCB-UCC is also involved in several other outreach and social justice organizations including Lighthouse/South Oakland Shelter, CROP Walk, and Stephen Ministries.  CCB-UCC has had an annual rummage sale where all proceeds are donated to dozens of charitable organizations throughout Michigan.

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WE ARE A CHURCH THAT PURSUES ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

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We seek to share Christ’s love, seeking justice and healing for all God’s creation. At CCB-UCC our commitment to environmental justice is deeply embedded in our church’s life through many activities. More detail can be found on our Environmental Justice page.