From a Pizza Parlor to a Hilltop on Sandy Plains Road
Pilgrimage United Church of Christ sits tucked back from Sandy Plains Road in East Cobb, just between Highway 92 and Shallowford Road. From the road, only a small sign hints at the congregation waiting up the hill, surrounded by trees. The story of how that came to be begins more than thirty years ago, when a small group of Presbyterians looking for a new worship experience started meeting in a pizza parlor, then moved to a bowling alley, then borrowed space in another church, before breaking ground at the current site in 1984. What began as a handful of seekers gathering around pizza and prayer has grown into a progressive, Open and Affirming congregation that gathers each week around a single sentence: "No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here."
Two Sunday Mornings, One Open Table
Pilgrimage holds two Sunday services at 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., and the same hymns, liturgy, and sermon appear at both, though the feel differs. The 8:30 gathering is intimate and meditative, with a smaller group of regulars, piano-only music, weekly communion by intinction (the pastor serves bread and offers juice for dipping), and a healing ritual available by request, when the pastor lays on hands and prays for anyone in need. The 10:00 a.m. service carries a traditional shape with contemporary accents: an adult voice choir sings from August through May, the handbell and children's choirs lift up special occasions, and a roster of instrumental and vocal soloists appears regularly. Communion is served at the 10:00 service on the first Sunday of each month. Children ages three through second grade stay for the opening hymn, confession, and a children's sermon, then walk to the Fellowship Hall for Faith Formation, a craft and activity tied to the week's Scripture, before returning to the sanctuary in time for communion, the passing of the peace, and the closing song, "Let There Be Peace on Earth," which the whole congregation sings while gathered in a large circle around the sanctuary. The 10:00 a.m. service is also livestreamed on the Pilgrimage UCC Facebook page.
Open and Affirming Since 1996
In 1996, Pilgrimage voted overwhelmingly to adopt an Open and Affirming covenant, making a public promise of welcome to people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. The congregation has since broadened that promise to include people of every race, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic status, and ability level, declaring itself open and affirming to all marginalized groups. The 2023 Vision Statement names the church as "an open and affirming faith community living out Christ's love through acceptance, learning, service, and action," and the Mission Statement frames the work as growing "in worship, learning and service as a faithful people of God, bringing hope, comfort and friendship to all, welcoming everyone in Christ." Extravagant welcome and radical inclusion are not slogans but practices described in member after member's story on the church's site: people who found a place that "welcomed us with open arms and open hearts," where "all are welcome regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey." The full Open and Affirming Covenant is available to read.
Music from Piano Solos to Handbells
Music has long been one of Pilgrimage's recognized strengths. The 10:00 a.m. service leans on piano accompaniment and the adult choir, but the program also features a handbell choir that performs at major church holidays and special services, a children's choir that appears on selected Sundays, and a steady stream of vocal and instrumental soloists drawn from the congregation and the wider Atlanta music scene. Music Director Jake Daron is a pianist with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Kennesaw State University, where he studied under Dr. Robert Henry and Julie Coucheron. He has performed with the Atlanta Wind Symphony, the Alpharetta Symphony, the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, and the Jennie T. Anderson Theater, won the KSU concerto competition, and earned the rank of Eagle Scout before college. Accompanist Anna Mbiad, also a Kennesaw State piano student, supports the choir and worship services, and Seasonal Vespers on Zoom during Lent and Advent offer about thirty minutes of prayer and quiet reflection for those who want a quieter time with the Divine.
Children, Youth, and Vacation Bible School
Children are woven into the life of the church from their earliest days. A staffed nursery for infants through age three is open during the 10:00 a.m. service, equipped with a pack and play, a bouncer seat, an exersaucer jumper, and toys for toddlers, twos, and threes. Children ages three through fifth grade hear the children's sermon and then head to Faith Formation, where they work on a craft tied to the Scripture of the day. Children ages six through twelve also serve as acolytes. Middle and high school teens are encouraged to take visible leadership roles as greeters, ushers, scripture readers, and Confirmation students, with occasional movie nights, picnics, and other gatherings to round out the program. Each summer, Vacation Bible School brings the congregation together for a week of crafts, missions projects, music, and creative snack times run by volunteers.
Book Club, Spiritual Seekers, and Adult Sunday School
Pilgrimage's adult programs are designed for people who want to wrestle with the questions faith raises. The Book Club meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at the church and is described as lively and welcoming. The Spiritual Seekers group meets on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m., has been gathering for years, and reads widely. Both groups are coordinated through the Christian Education Committee, which also oversees seasonal Adult Sunday School classes and seasonal Vespers. Together, the groups give the congregation a way to broaden the spiritual journey "starting wherever we are, and following Jesus wherever he takes us."
Missions Across Cobb County
Pilgrimage's mission work is rooted in Cobb County and built around a handful of long-running partnerships. The Missions Committee plans the calendar and supports a variety of projects that put Christian beliefs into action. The church partners with MUST Ministries, cooking and serving a hot meal at the MUST homeless shelter on every fifth Tuesday of the month, maintaining a year-round food drive bin at the front doors for the MUST food pantry, collecting undergarments each February through "Undie Sundays," and gathering Thanksgiving food items for holiday meals. Pilgrimage also partners with Family Promise of Cobb County, opening its building several times a year to host homeless working families with hot dinners, overnight hosts, and a team of "Laundry Angels" who wash linens between stays. The Missions Committee supports Lost and Found, a nonprofit working to end homelessness among LGBTQ youth, and runs two annual school-focused drives: the Betty Roth Memorial School Drive for Marietta City Schools students, and the Neva Reitz Book Drive in April for a Title I elementary school in Cobb County. In December, the Angel Giving Tree collects toys and clothing for local schools and organizations serving children of families in need.
The Sanctuary, the Council, and the Interim Pastor
The sanctuary is described by the congregation as a place where God's beauty shows up in stained glass and artwork that adorn the walls, with the feel of the room shifting with the light, the season, and the time of day. The large wooden cross at the front was made from trees cleared from the lot during the 1984 construction; the mosaic cross behind the pulpit was created by members of the congregation during a Lenten journey. Governance runs through a Church Council with one-year terms beginning July 1 and ending June 30, including an Executive Committee (Moderator, Vice Moderator, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Financial Secretary, and Clerk) and chairs for Christian Education, Deacons, Parish Life, Properties, Communications, Stewardship, Missions, and Worship. The Council meets monthly on the second Thursday, in person and via Zoom. PFLAG of Marietta also meets at the church on the fourth Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m., and the meetings are open to the public. Pilgrimage is served by an Intentional Interim Pastor, the Rev. Philip Price. Born and raised in Nova Scotia and originally ordained in the United Church of Canada, Phil emigrated to the United States and became a minister in the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He has served congregations in California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, and Georgia, holds an undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto and a Master of Divinity from Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto, became a U.S. citizen in 2022, and now walks the congregation through a season of rebuilding and discernment as they prepare to welcome their next called minister. He and his wife Vicki have six children and five grandchildren. Giving to Pilgrimage is available online through the giving page or by mail.