Weddings
Planning a wedding? The information below will help you get started.
Our Mission Statement reads:
“We are a loving, welcoming church reaching out with the help of God
in service to our community and the world.”
We love our mission statement because it means that we happily welcome the opportunity to perform your wedding service for you. There is no requirement for membership in order to have your wedding at our church. We desire to work with you to help make your wedding a special time of commitment between you, your partner, and God. We are open for hosting and performing same gender weddings.
We do have some guidelines as follows:
Expect that your wedding will be a Christian worship service.
We do not “rent out” our church. It is our policy that the pastor of Sycamore United church of Christ is to officiate at weddings in this church. However, we do welcome the participation of other clergy.
Please contact the church secretary well in advance of your wedding date so that she can let you know if the date you have selected is available.
Please arrange with the pastor for an initial meeting to discuss your plans and arrange for any counseling sessions the pastor may require.
If you desire to have music as part of your ceremony, it is also the policy of Sycamore United Church of Christ that our acting organist will play at all weddings in the church. Information for contacting our organist will be given to you at your first meeting with the pastor.
Please call the church office at 419-927-9707 or email us for more information about
current fees and availability.
The marriage ceremony is a beautiful and symbolic service of gratitude to God, a time when two people and their families affirm God’s love in the love they share.
Our church staff is ready to assist you making your wedding day a joyous, unforgettable experience!
Planning a wedding? The information below will help you get started.
Our Mission Statement reads:
“We are a loving, welcoming church reaching out with the help of God
in service to our community and the world.”
We love our mission statement because it means that we happily welcome the opportunity to perform your wedding service for you. There is no requirement for membership in order to have your wedding at our church. We desire to work with you to help make your wedding a special time of commitment between you, your partner, and God. We are open for hosting and performing same gender weddings.
We do have some guidelines as follows:
Expect that your wedding will be a Christian worship service.
We do not “rent out” our church. It is our policy that the pastor of Sycamore United church of Christ is to officiate at weddings in this church. However, we do welcome the participation of other clergy.
Please contact the church secretary well in advance of your wedding date so that she can let you know if the date you have selected is available.
Please arrange with the pastor for an initial meeting to discuss your plans and arrange for any counseling sessions the pastor may require.
If you desire to have music as part of your ceremony, it is also the policy of Sycamore United Church of Christ that our acting organist will play at all weddings in the church. Information for contacting our organist will be given to you at your first meeting with the pastor.
Please call the church office at 419-927-9707 or email us for more information about
current fees and availability.
The marriage ceremony is a beautiful and symbolic service of gratitude to God, a time when two people and their families affirm God’s love in the love they share.
Our church staff is ready to assist you making your wedding day a joyous, unforgettable experience!
Baptisms
At Sycamore United Church of Christ, we love Baptisms! It is such a joyous time in the life of one’s faith and we would love to celebrate that with you.
Why Baptism?
Perhaps you are someone who has decided to make a commitment to the Christian faith.
Perhaps you have a new child whom you celebrate as a gift from God.
Those are two perfectly good reasons to be baptized.
Following are some answers about baptism in the United Church of Christ and policies regarding baptism here at Sycamore United Church of Christ.
What is baptism?
Christian baptism is that ritual by which persons become part of the Universal Church . It symbolizes the death of the old self and birth of a new self in Christ. It initiates the process of growth in Christ. Baptism is a sign of God’s grace. Baptism is performed only once in a person’s lifetime.
Baptism involves a covenant (shared promises), including God’s faithfulness, the baptized person’s commitment to live out the new life within the church (or adult responsibility for the Christian nurture of the baptized child), and the congregation’s promise of “love, support, and care.”
In the United Church of Christ, baptism is not insurance against damnation: it signifies the wonderful things God has done, not the terrible things God might do. Nor is baptism merely some “right thing to do” for a child. Its significance is made specific in the promises that are part of the ceremony.
Who may be baptized?
In the United Church of Christ, persons can be baptized as infants, children, teenagers, or adults. All that is required is the desire to respond to God’s saving love, shown in Jesus Christ, and acceptance of the covenantal nature of baptism—either on the part of the person, or of responsible adults. There are no age limitations for infant or child baptisms.
Who performs the baptism?
The pastor is responsible, as representative of the Universal Church. Here at Sycamore United Church of Christ, it is our policy that our pastor perform the baptism. Another pastor who may have ties to the family is welcome to co-officiate. Please discuss this ahead of time with our pastor. The sacrament of baptism is central to the life of the church. It is appropriate that it take place in the sanctuary during regular worship. It is otherwise difficult for the whole congregation to be part of the covenant, and the baptized persons to know their new “family.”
At Sycamore United Church of Christ, we love Baptisms! It is such a joyous time in the life of one’s faith and we would love to celebrate that with you.
Why Baptism?
Perhaps you are someone who has decided to make a commitment to the Christian faith.
Perhaps you have a new child whom you celebrate as a gift from God.
Those are two perfectly good reasons to be baptized.
Following are some answers about baptism in the United Church of Christ and policies regarding baptism here at Sycamore United Church of Christ.
What is baptism?
Christian baptism is that ritual by which persons become part of the Universal Church . It symbolizes the death of the old self and birth of a new self in Christ. It initiates the process of growth in Christ. Baptism is a sign of God’s grace. Baptism is performed only once in a person’s lifetime.
Baptism involves a covenant (shared promises), including God’s faithfulness, the baptized person’s commitment to live out the new life within the church (or adult responsibility for the Christian nurture of the baptized child), and the congregation’s promise of “love, support, and care.”
In the United Church of Christ, baptism is not insurance against damnation: it signifies the wonderful things God has done, not the terrible things God might do. Nor is baptism merely some “right thing to do” for a child. Its significance is made specific in the promises that are part of the ceremony.
Who may be baptized?
In the United Church of Christ, persons can be baptized as infants, children, teenagers, or adults. All that is required is the desire to respond to God’s saving love, shown in Jesus Christ, and acceptance of the covenantal nature of baptism—either on the part of the person, or of responsible adults. There are no age limitations for infant or child baptisms.
Who performs the baptism?
The pastor is responsible, as representative of the Universal Church. Here at Sycamore United Church of Christ, it is our policy that our pastor perform the baptism. Another pastor who may have ties to the family is welcome to co-officiate. Please discuss this ahead of time with our pastor. The sacrament of baptism is central to the life of the church. It is appropriate that it take place in the sanctuary during regular worship. It is otherwise difficult for the whole congregation to be part of the covenant, and the baptized persons to know their new “family.”
