FLAGS FLOWN AT THE FEDERATED CHURCH

Watch our Flags as They Tell Our Story:

                We Provide a Safe Haven

                We Support Social Justice

                We Serve the Infirm

                We Aid the Less Fortunate

                We Honor the Example of Jesus Christ

Federated flies a variety of flags outside the church throughout the year. Our hope is that they convey who we are, what we believe in, and what we value.

 

Below you will find more information about each of the flags that will be seen hanging from our church.

Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottowa Indians

Dates Flown: Duration of 2018 GROUP Work Camp, July 2018

 

In 2018, our Sr. High Youth Group, GROUP, traveled to St. Ignace, Michigan to work with the Mackinac Island Bands of Ottowa and Chippewa Indians.  They helped to refurbish a 1930s structure into a Community Center.


The building was solid but needed a lot of work. Tasks included removing siding/windows, painting, insulating, replacing windows and doors, etc. The kids made a real difference in the life of this tribe.

United Church of Christ Christian Flag

Dates Flown: Continuously

 

The UCC flag flies continuously. There are two flagpoles at the Bell Street entrance to the church, and the UCC flag occupies one. The other flagpole may be occupied by one of the other flags listed here, or may be empty. 

 

The UCC flag conveys that the Spirit of God is here; it is a symbol of who we are in Jesus Christ and it shows the wider community, and ourselves, who we are in our distinctive mission. Because it represents this church’s very reason for being, it is flown continuously.

 

The Federated Church of Chagrin Falls has been a member of the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination church since 1961. 

 

For a brief history of our association with the UCC, go to:  https://fedchurch.org/welcome/

For more information about the UCC, go to:  http://www.ucc.org/

American Flag

Dates Flown: 4th of July, Memorial Day, President's Day and Veteran's Day 

 

The American flag is flown on national holidays, and on special occasions such as funerals for veterans. Some ask why this flag is not flown all the time. Though we benefit in countless ways from living in this country and enjoy the blessing of religious freedom, God is our creator and the source of our lives. The United States is a magnificent gift of God, but it is not the reason we exist as a church. So this flag is flown on patriotic occasions when we specifically honor our country and the people who have served it. 

Gay Pride Flag

Dates Flown: Month of June

 

The rainbow flag or gay pride flag is flown on occasions such as Gay Pride Month every June, and there are rainbow-themed symbols on display at our church at all times. 

 

Federated is an Open and Affirming Congregation (ONA) as defined by the UCC denomination, which means that LGBTQ persons are welcomed and nurtured here. 

 

We have received many questions about the prominent display of the rainbow flag at our church. We display the flag because we do, in fact, welcome members of the LGBTQ community into full participation in our church family, and have had such participation for decades. 

 

The welcome (or exclusion) of LGBT people is a defining issue for many churches today, and it is important that we make it clear, in no uncertain terms, which side of this debate we fall on. This is meaningful for members of the LGBTQ community, who may have been shunned or hurt by churches in the past, for relatives and friends of LGBTQ persons who have seen people they love treated in unloving ways, and for all people looking for communities who value real inclusion. 

 

It is also important to know that the rainbow flag does not define our inclusion and welcome – our welcome is not limited to the LGBTQ community. The rainbow flag merely illustrates our inclusion and welcome, and communicates to all that we “Draw the Circle Wide.” 

 

For Federated’s complete ONA statement, click here.

Flag of the Earth

Dates Flown: Month of April

 

In April, we fly a flag of the Earth at the church's front door to show our solidarity with the Earth and all living things. We show that prayer, education and action are part of our church. One of our priorities is to create a clean, sustainable, healthy environment.

 

Federated has an active Social Justice Ministry, and environmental activism is an integral part.

Pan-African Flag

Dates Flown: Month of February

 

In light of the broader welcome of our Open and Affirming commitment, our church flies this flag during Black History Month.  This symbol represents the fight against racial discrimination, as well as the struggle to achieve equality for the black community at home and abroad. 

 

Federated's Social Justice ministry also focuses on racial activism. 

The flags you see listed here today are just a beginning. Over time we plan to add new flags or display symbols which represent causes we support, or embrace persons with medical afflictions, who are physically challenged, or who have been marginalized in social or economic ways. 


Watch for our flags and return to this page for an explanation of what those flags represent. 

 

In this way we affirm our belief that we are one body in Christ