The First Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ, Boulder, CO

This covenant was adopted by a unanimous vote at the Congregational Meeting on May 23, 2010.

A2A “ACCESSIBLE TO ALL“ COVENANT

We, as members of

the First Congregational Church (UCC) in Boulder, Colorado, in recognition of our human differences and various gifts, desire to become an A2A “ Accessible to All“ congregation. This Covenant expresses our intention to extend God’s extravagant welcome to all persons, seeking to understand, include, and empower people with all differing abilities and disabilities, physical or non-physical, apparent or unapparent, temporary or permanent.

The ancient practice of hospitality is presented in the Bible as a mandate for God’s people. This mandate requires that every body be included in the work and witness of God’s people on earth. The biblical vision of the Great Banquet is of all gathered at a table dedicated to serving all. Barriers that diminish the access of any diminish the wholeness of all.

We affirm the 2005 Disabilities Ministries resolution “Called To Wholeness in Christ,”
as adopted by the 25th General Synod of the United Church of Christ on July 4, 2005, honoring the Accessible to All mandate in the mission of the United Church of Christ. This resolution calls us to embody a philosophy of inclusion and interdependence and to support and implement the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

CALL TO ACTION
We pledge to offer educational opportunities to understand the implications of this covenant. This includes working with our church’s Mental Health Ministry as well as the UCC Mental Illness Network, and the UCC Disabilities Ministry.
We pledge to examine our own attitudes and suppositions regarding the issues of accessibility.
We pledge to do regular audits of our facilities and programs and continue to work toward making them more accessible to all.
We pledge when calling clergy and other staff to be open to hiring persons with disabilities.
We shall be listed in the UCC Directory as an A2A congregation and we will display the blue square with the white A indicating “Accessible to All”
The Church Council shall appoint an Inclusion Team to implement and oversee this Covenant. We will include people on this team who have sensitivity to the challenges and joys of people who have a disability, particularly individuals who have a disability or a loved one who does, keeping in mind the slogan, “Nothing about us without us.”
We will intentionally partner with persons with disabilities, including but not limited to, physical disabilities, mental illnesses/brain disorders, and/or developmental disabilities. We will also work with disability groups outside the congregation to extend our hospitality and to find opportunities to be in shared mission, ministry, and advocacy together.
We commit to recruiting, nominating and supporting persons with disabilities to serve in leadership positions within the congregation as teachers, members of boards, congregational officers, candidates for ordained and commissioned ministry, or representatives to wider church ministries.

This vote affirms that we join in the process of always becoming ever more accessible and inclusive of all of God’s people.