We Invite You to Join Us
We invite people of every race, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, ability, financial means, ethnic and spiritual background into the full life and ministry of this congregation.
Here at FCUCC, you’ll find a congregation of diverse ages and backgrounds, people who are coupled and single, gay and straight, young and old. We are an “Open and Affirming” church which means that all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions are welcome in the full life and ministry (membership, leadership, employment, etc.) of our church. We have a single occupant, gender neutral bathroom which is located through the door to the left of the front of the sanctuary.
Folks come to church in suits and dresses as well as in jeans and t-shirts, so feel free to dress however you are comfortable! We feature a variety of music- people in our congregation and beyond share their gift of music throughout worship. We have a chancel choir and a hand bell choir that regularly perform in worship.
If you use a wheelchair or have any difficulty with steps, we have an elevator entrance to the left (south side) of the sanctuary. Follow the sidewalk to the left of the sanctuary to the handicapped accessible door. Just inside is an elevator which will take you up to the back of the sanctuary. Follow the directions in the lift to operate or ask for assistance.
Parking:
Our parking lot is located behind the offices, but it is limited. If you need to use the elevator, or are not able to comfortably walk very far, we recommend you arrive a bit early to get a nearby parking spot. Street parking is free on Sundays and there is a parking garage located less than a block away behind us – across from the courthouse on College Street; they do charge a fee of $2/hour unless there is a sign indicating “Event Parking.” Please do not park in the Baptist Church’s parking lot if you are coming for Sunday worship. You may park at 1 Oak Plaza across the street, however, space there is limited due to renovative work being done to the 1 Oak Plaza building.
Handicap Parking at FCUCC:
There are parking spaces in front of the church, nearest the handicap entrance to the church, that are currently not marked by the City of Asheville as Handicapped spots. If you use the spaces in the back lot you will find the doors locked. The front spaces, available only on Sunday will assure you an easy entrance into the church by the automatic handicap door. There are also spaces available in the County parking lot located on the south side of the church (TD Bank marked spaces are not available to us).
After worship is over, we share Friendship Time where we offer coffee and light refreshments to enjoy in the Friendship Hall, or outside on pleasant days, as a time to get to know one another and catch up. We often have special events happening after worship on Sundays.
We are truly a warm and welcoming community – we hope you will stop by soon and see for yourself!
What is a Just Peace Church?
As a just peace church continuing the work of Jesus, we commit to work towards a world where all persons are treated with dignity and equality, where societies are structured in ways that promote the well being of all people, and where conflicts are resolved through communication and negotiation, without resort to exploitation or violence – and to embody these principles in our life and witness as individuals and as a congregation. Click below to download our full statement.
We are truly a warm and welcoming community – we hope you will stop by soon and see for yourself!
Land Acknowledgement Statement
We respectfully acknowledge that the land upon which First Congregational United Church of Christ (FCUCC) sits and on which we stand is the ancestral land of the Ani’yv’wiya, commonly known as Cherokee. This land is at the center of their lives and spirituality.
We recognize that we use this land at the cost of “violence, oppression, coercion, removal, relocation and broken treaties” perpetrated against the Cherokee people. White European settlers, our governments, and those who profited economically stole the land. We understand that the Doctrine of Discovery imposed a foreign concept of land ownership on the Native Peoples. Across the centuries it has been and continues to be used to justify exploitation of land, air and water.