University Baptist and Brethren Church

Woven together in love, we seek like Jesus to serve God’s world justly, simply, compassionately.

Goal 1
Recognizing that well being includes health of the spirit, mind, and body, we will offer support to all members in the following areas of holistic health:


• Post-hospital support
  
• Support for the terminally ill
  
• Support for caregivers
  
• Nursing support where applicable, i.e. taking blood pressure.
  
• Ministering to each other where there are special individual needs.

Goal 2
We will continue to affirm our longstanding acceptance of persons of diverse Christian beliefs and backgrounds. We will declare publicly that we are a church that welcomes and incorporates into our fellowship all people, regardless of race, culture, sexual orientation, or denominational background. Specifically, we will:


• Continue to encourage and support the purposes and programs of the Sexuality and Faith (SAF) group.
  
• Continue to use inclusive language where it is appropriate.
  
• Continue to be proactive in identifying and challenging injustices occurring locally, nationally, and globally.

Goal 3
We will grow in our willingness to follow God's direction for us, and we will seek ways to nurture and understand our relationship with God. Specifically, we will do this:


• Through small group discussions, covenant groups, spiritual support groups, extended theological studies, and forums, reporting to the rest of our faith community from these events through various means such as the newsletter, mailings, and worship.
  
• Through seeking and finding opportunities to join in ecumenical cooperation where God's mission is already at work.

Goal 4
We will develop greater clarity about the structure of authority and responsibility in the church, so that individual roles and duties are understood and respected and so that the general quality of leadership is enhanced. Specifically, we will:


• Redesign our church's organizational structure to meet the needs of our church in the future.
  
• On an experimental basis, we will provide job descriptions for members of boards and training that will enable new members to move into that board's work immediately.
  
• Create short term ad hoc groups to carry out specific projects.
  
• Include attention to the daily condition of our church home.

Goal 5
As a congregation, we will support outreach opportunities dealing with youth, such as:


• Youth projects and needs, linking our students to programs such as FISH.
  
• Developing ties between the activities of the Board of Missions and the Board of Christian Education in order to educate the children of the congregation about the needs of those served by our missions.
  
• The use of our senior members in assisting youth in school studies, friendly counseling, and service projects.
  
• Continuing to explore viable ministry with college and university students.

www.ubbcwelcome.org/

Contact:

Bonnie Kline Smelzer
411 South Burrowes Street
State College, PA 16801
Phone: 814- 237–2708
E-Mail: ubbc@verizon.net