One Big Family on Cherry Street
Hope United Church of Christ sits on Cherry Street in the small borough of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, a few miles north of the Lehigh Valley's slate belt. From the doorway, the congregation greets visitors with a single phrase that functions less as a slogan and more as a working promise: ONE BIG FAMILY. The building is modest, the community is small, and the welcome is unusually wide. Hope UCC is known for being an explicitly LGBTQIA-friendly congregation in a denomination, the United Church of Christ, that has historically been among the most progressive mainline bodies in the United States.
"Yes" Before You Even Ask
Hope UCC built its welcome statement the long way, by listing the questions newcomers tend to carry through a church door. The list is long on purpose: never been to church, single parent, divorced, divorced and remarried, not raised in the UCC, English as a second language, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, in recovery from addiction, a person with a disability, someone with doubts, someone who does not believe in God, a Democrat, a Republican, someone who has made big mistakes, or someone who cannot put anything in the offering plate. To each question the answer on the page is the same word: YES.
Two sayings from the United Church of Christ are reproduced at the heart of the page. The first is, "Jesus didn't reject anyone; neither do we." The second is the denomination's familiar motto, "No Matter Who You Are, Or Where You Are On Life's Journey, you are welcome here." Around those sayings the church weaves its own welcome in a voice that is intentionally playful: a special hello to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail, or could afford to lose a few pounds; to those who sing like Andrea Bocelli or like the pastor who cannot carry a note in a bucket; to those who are just browsing, just woke up, or just got out of jail. The closing line is the one the church actually asks visitors to test: Join us on Sunday, and see for yourself!!!
Sunday Mornings at 10
Worship at Hope UCC happens every Sunday at 10:00 AM at 701 Cherry Street. The service is offered both in the sanctuary and on Zoom, so anyone unable to attend in person can join the same worship celebration from home.
Two of the church's oldest Christian practices are woven into that weekly rhythm:
- Holy Communion is celebrated every month on the first Sunday. Theologically open and ecumenical in spirit, Communion at Hope is a table that matches the welcome out front.
- Baptism is described by the congregation as a ritual of becoming and of integration, a celebration of individuals coming into the Hope community. The page links to the United Church of Christ resources that frame how the denomination understands the sacrament.
The overall tone of worship is blended. Hope UCC holds onto the historic marks of congregational life - communion, baptism, a called pastor, a connection to a national denomination - while shaping each Sunday with the contemporary, conversational voice seen across the rest of the site.
Five Doorways into Church Life
Hope UCC lists five named ministries on its Opportunities page, each as a doorway for a different stage of life or family situation:
- Marriage Preparation for couples preparing for a wedding, which the church is also available to host.
- Women's Ministry, a gathering space for women connected to the congregation.
- Kid's Ministry, shaped for the children of the church family.
- College Ministry, aimed at young adults navigating college years.
- Pastoral Support, the congregation's ministry of presence for members in need.
Alongside those named ministries, the church's small size and family-first language make space for the kind of informal small-group life - conversations around the table, phone calls, shared meals - that tends to flourish in a congregation this size.
A Pastor Who Welcomes from the Pulpit
Hope UCC is served by Rev. Dr. Emily B. Hall, who carries a combined portfolio as Pastor and Worship Arts Pastor. In a church built around an unusually long welcome list, the pastoral voice is intentionally warm and a little self-deprecating. The welcome page notes that visitors who cannot sing like Andrea Bocelli will be in good company with the pastor, who cannot carry a note in a bucket. The Rev. Hall can be reached through the church office at hopeuccpastor@rcn.com or by phone at 610-863-4474. General inquiries go to hopeuccwg@gmail.com.
Visiting Hope UCC
First-time visitors will find a small, easy-to-navigate congregation with clear and practical information. Sunday worship is at 10:00 AM at 701 Cherry Street in Wind Gap, with Zoom access available for those joining from home. The church is open to weddings, hosts baptisms and monthly communion, and lists its ministries on a single Opportunities page. Giving is supported online through the church's donation page, and the congregation maintains a presence on Facebook and on YouTube at @hopeuccwg.
For a church that puts its welcome list ahead of its programs, the underlying message is simple and stays the same in every corner of the site: come as you are, join Sunday at 10, and find out for yourself what One Big Family means at Hope UCC.