We believe that membership in More Light Presbyterians is consistent with UPC’s mission which states that we seek “…creatively –through nurture, education, worship and community outreach –to sustain an inclusive compassionate family of faith; it seeks to promote spiritual growth by awakening souls to God’s infinite mercy embodied in the reconciling love of Christ.” UPC has long be an advocate in our Presbytery and in the national church for shedding more light on the ways our denomination can more fully reflect the truth of God’s expansive love, particularly through our work toward ordination and marriage rights. More Light membership will be a sign of our long history of social justice, inclusion, and diversity and our ongoing commitment to ensuring a welcoming and safe place of worship and service for all. Currently we provide meeting space and support for the LGBTQ+ Project and the Gay Men’s Chorus, we support St. Anthony’s Home (an assisted living residence for people who require support due to being disabled from HIV/ AIDS), our diaconate and session include significant representation from our LGBTQ+ membership, and our session has a policy that it will not consider gender in responding requests for weddings at UPC. We continue to intentionally seek the best practices for embodying God’s love for and celebration of all. We are excited about (finally) officially becoming a More Light Congregation!