Bridgeport is…
…a congregation of all kinds of people–women and men; kids and grandparents; families and single people; bisexual and heterosexual, lesbian and gay people; people who gave up on church years ago, and people who just left the one up the street; people who care about the world, and people who are learning to care–people like you.
…thoughtful, compassionate, progressive people, who can expect to be challenged and nurtured by a community that seeks to understand and demonstrate what Christianity can mean right now, in this time and place. We are redefining the idea of church for ourselves and generating opportunities for all kinds of people to remember (or discover!) their faith, and create community together.
Some of us haven’t been comfortable in traditional churches, or we’ve been turned off by simplistic answers, by homophobia, by patriarchal structures, or by hypocrisy and irrelevance. At Bridgeport everyone is welcome in a community that provides a safe, yet challenging environment. We share the essential theological conviction that we must all do whatever we can, whenever we can, to work for justice and peace in the world.
…sharing our experience in the community, organizing around issues of social justice, and caring for the needs of people. We know that there is rarely any struggle worthy of engagement that is not a long-haul investment of time and energy. We come to church to be strengthened, emboldened, reassured, and celebrated in our life work—learning to share the love of Christ in the world.
…an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ and a member of The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns. We welcome into full membership and full participation in the church by persons of every race, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, and economic status.
…a Just Peace church and part of a grassroots movement of UCC congregations committed to corporately naming and boldly proclaiming a public identity as a justice-doing, peace-seeking church
…a New Sanctuary Movement church supporting the rights of immigrants, providing education about immigration issues, and working for comprehensive immigration reform in the USA, working closely with the Oregon New Sanctuary Movement.
At Bridgeport, we sing, we pray, we laugh out loud, and we listen to thought-provoking sermons. We have wonderful music, times of silence, sharing with one another, and good coffee, too. No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!
