Greetings,
I am Pastor Susan Lester. Thank you so much for taking the time to find out more about this lively and loving faith community. I am so excited that you are here today!
First, let me tell you about myself. This is my first congregation-I have been the pastor for 2.5 years now and I am loving every minute of learning about First Congregational and Jamestown. I have a wonderful and supportive husband and two beautiful teenage daughters. We read together, ski together, camp together, and are all shameless sci-fi fans. We have three cats and one snake named Spot. My skills are in worship leadership and teaching, I am desperately afraid of spiders, and my pet peeves are small paperclips and bigotry.
Having been raised in the Reformed Church of America, I am actually a newcomer to the United Church of Christ. I was drawn to the independent nature and government, and the fantastic progressiveness that the UCC embraces.
So, second, let me tell you about the UCC. We affirm all of God’s creation; we think that everyone is beautiful and a loved creature of God-regardless of race, income, physical ability, gender, orientation or any other “difference” we humans can come up with. We also do not pressure any of our members to think alike. We want everyone to ask questions and seek the answers out as a community within scripture and within their own life experience. To us, being a Christian is so much more than having a certain set of values and beliefs. Being a Christian is about the journey; finding God along the way in surprising places and miraculous events.
Welcome to our faith community. Give us a try. I think that you will be surprised at how loving and welcoming we are. Jesus never turned anyone away, and neither do we.
