Welcome
We believe in inclusivity for all.
Who We Are
We are a community of folks drawn together by the love of God to care for an aching world. Our congregation is made up of many faith journeys, gay and straight, cis and trans, immigrants, seekers, searchers, and more. We are a proud member of the United Church of Christ (UCC). We proclaim in faith that God is still speaking in the church today.
Our Mission
To be an inclusive faith presence in Bellevue and beyond—claiming one God with many names and the Christian faith with many paths, offering an open welcome to all, affirming diversity, and advancing the work of justice in our world.
Progressive Christianity
When talking about God, the mysteries of life, and those things that take your breath away, none of us has all the answers. Questions are welcome here!
We engage with the Bible, as the holy word, and seek to bring the best of scholarship, experience, discernment and wisdom to interpretation of scripture. We recognize that together we can hear ways that God is speaking in love in a new way. We take the Bible seriously, but not literally.
We seek to follow Jesus, who called the greatest commandment to love God and and love our neighbor as ourselves. We have a variety of understandings of who Jesus is in our community, and believe that our faith is richer as we wonder and ponder together.
We welcome the Holy Spirit in our community and conversation, as God moves us in justice and love. Bring your scientific exploration, your personal experience, the words of the poets, and the testimonies of the faith—all can help us to discern the voice of the holy.
Our Congregational Commitments
We believe that God is best at work when we engage in conversation together. In our polity, decisions are not made just by the pastors and leadership, but through the prayer and discernment of all of the congregation. We have been proudly Open and Affirming since 1996 and an Immigrant Welcoming congregation since 2020.
Open and Affirming: Our congregation recognizes all people are uniquely loved and valued by God. We welcome diversity of race, abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, religious backgrounds, opinion, marital status, and economic condition.
Immigrant Welcoming: Our congregation seeks to respond to a call from God to welcome our immigrant siblings into the life of our congregation and community, to support their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs as they find their places in this country, and to advocate for justice within the immigration system.
Bellevue and Beyond
First Congregational Church, Bellevue has been located in downtown Bellevue since 1896. The church has seen Bellevue transform from forests, fields, suburbs and now an urban center. Our congregation has a heart for Bellevue and made a commitment to continue in ministry in downtown Bellevue, serving the city and beyond. In 2016 we moved into our current location, a renovated office building transformed into a place of worship and connection. Our building features things new and old, from art from our church members and prior worship space, to new ecological materials of Cross-Laminated Timber, to create a space for awe and community.
Upstairs in our building, we house administrative offices for our community partners Catholic Community Services (CCS) and The Sophia Way for women experiencing homelessness. In our building you can see activities from parent education classes to concerts from a number of non-profit arts organizations. We are glad to be a part of our community of downtown Bellevue and beyond.
More questions?
Email us at welcome@fccbellevue.org or call 425-454-5001.
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I came to FCC Bellevue looking for a place to nourish my own faith and to find an intergenerational community for my family. I very much want my young children to know how to interact with people of all ages and to have trusted adults who are are regular part of their lives. Nine years later, I’m so proud to be part of FCC Bellevue. The way we model our faith for our children, WHILE respecting their faith journeys and their individualism, is beautiful.
