Who We Are

Blooming Grove United Church of Christ is an “Open and Affirming” congregation.  The  United Church of Christ brings local people and churches together with all their differences and encourages them to maintain their unique differences under the Lordship of Christ.
The Blooming Grove United Church of Christ began as a Presbyterian church, becoming a Congregational church in 1833 and continuing until 1957 when the Congregational Christian Churches merged with the Evangelical Reformed Churches to become the United Church of Christ.
Our congregation belongs to the Hudson-Mohawk Association and the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ.  We have people of all sorts as a part of our congregation, from different backgrounds and of all ages.  We enjoy different fellowship activities including church picnics and suppers.
 
 
About the United Church of Christ
Members of the United Church of Christ believe that we are called to carry out Christ’s mission in the world today.  Wherever  there are people without the gospel, people in need, wherever there is injustice, we are there, bound by our Lord to bear witness, serve, help, reconcile and rebuild.  As our participation in the mission of the church the Blooming Grove United Church of Christ sponsors the Blooming Grove Day Care in our educational building; our Women’s Fellowship operates the Country Store Thrift Store on Hallock Drive in Washingtonville with the Washingtonville PTA Health Fund, an effort which helps to fund many worthy projects in our area.

The Country Store Thrift Store is a cooperative effort of the Blooming Grove UCC Women's Fellowship
and the Washingtonville PTA Health Fund.

 

 

The United Church of Christ embraces a theological heritage that affirms the Bible as the authoritative witness to the Word of God, the creeds of the ecumenical councils, and the confessions of the Reformation. The UCC has roots in the "covenantal" tradition—meaning there is no centralized authority or hierarchy that can impose any doctrine or form of worship on its members. Christ alone is Head of the Church. We seek a balance between freedom of conscience and accountability to the apostolic faith. The UCC therefore receives the historic creeds and confessions of our ancestors as testimonies, but not tests of the faith.

Ours is a living tradition in which all members of the community join in a search for truth. Theological study and dialogue are therefore held in high regard in the UCC.  In this tradition, we are proud that in the past ten years we have sent two of our members on into ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ.
 
The Blooming Grove UCC continues to be a focus of community musical activity because of its fine accousitics.  The Orange County Classic Choral Society  began in our church and regularly performs here.  The Festival Theatre of New York makes its home here as well.