I'm New

What to expect

In the Bible, the word “church” doesn’t mean the building, the leader or the entertainment.

“Church” means assembly.

The Church is the people—a body of believers. We’re a church dedicated to learning and doing the will of God.

Our congregations vary in size from a few dozen to several hundred. We come from all kinds of backgrounds, but share a vision—to preach the Gospel and prepare a people.

Our outreach and Sabbath services are Bible-centered, teaching directly from the Word of God. Whether your local congregation is big or small, you’ll find a caring pastor who offers biblical teaching and personal counseling so we can grow together.

Jesus Christ reveals God the Father

Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection makes your eternal life possible. He came to reveal the Father. God is a personal Being of supreme love who wants you to be part of His family for all of eternity!

We study and believe the entire Bible.

We believe the entire Bible represents God’s full message to humanity. All Scripture—both Old and New Testaments—is important (2 Timothy 3:16), and God’s Word is living and authoritative for all Christians.

Discover more about our faith and principles—read our Fundamental Beliefs for a detailed explanation of what we believe and teach.

Locations

We have hundreds of congregations around the world worshiping on the biblical (Saturday) Sabbath. Find a congregation near you and talk to a pastor.

Find a Congregation Near You

What Are Our Services Like?

We have hundreds of congregations in the United States and around the world. Many of our congregations meet in rented halls because we focus first on proclaiming the gospel to the world and providing congregational support through caring pastors.

Bring your Bible and read along with us

We encourage everyone to bring a Bible with them and follow along. Our pastors typically use the New King James Version in preparing sermons, although many different versions are referenced when useful.

We open and close our services with prayer

We seek God’s guidance in all we do—especially in worshiping Him! The congregation is first led in a short prayer, asking for God’s guidance and inspiration on the service.

We worship God with music and singing

Our services include opportunities for singing Christian hymns and music. And, musicians in the congregation often perform vocal or instrumental selections in honor of God.

We preach straight from the Bible

We normally present two Bible-focused messages in each service that show how to live God’s way of life.

The sermonette is about 15 minutes long, followed by a sermon that runs up to an hour. Sometimes if the pastor is traveling, a pre-recorded message or live webcast may be offered.

We have special Bible classes for children and teens

Many congregations have volunteers who teach Christian principles in a fun and interactive environment. We provide workbooks and study guides for children and teens online as well.

Come join our family-oriented fellowship and worship

While many congregations do have classes for teens and children, we do not have a separate service for them. We encourage the whole family to sit together for services to learn and worship God together. Parent rooms for nursing or for putting a child down for a nap are available. Ask the local pastor if you need help.

Eating together is a great way to grow closer and enjoy a good time every Sabbath. Most congregations share snacks or even meals before or after services.

Many congregations offer social events like potlucks, game nights and sporting events. The Church is a family, and families grow when they spend time together.

Watch our live webcast

If you can't make it in person, you can join in by watching online. We webcast live each Saturday from various congregations.

Sabbath Services Webcast

Resources For You

Study materials to help you get closer to God

United Church of God is the sponsor of Beyond Today, which produces a variety of biblically based content including an informative weekly television program, an enlightening and educational magazine and many other study tools to help you improve your life and learn more about your Creator.

Check Out Our Study Tools

Ambassador Bible College

Ambassador Bible College offers a nine-month biblical studies program. Classes are taught at our home office in Cincinnati, Ohio. You can listen to ABC classes online as well.

Our local congregations periodically host ABC Continuing Education seminars where instructors present course samples over a weekend.

More About Ambassador Bible College

Serving our communities

The Church’s sponsored charity, Good Works, focuses on helping Church members and their communities in emergencies or in offering a helping hand to developing areas.

We also partner with LifeNets International in offering education scholarships to young people in developing nations and in providing relief for areas hit by natural disasters.

Many local congregations also offer outreach programs in their local community. We also provide opportunities to serve locally, abroad and in your local congregation. Young people can volunteer to serve in international areas through our Youth Corps program.

Visit Our Outreach Page

Regional activities

The Church sponsors regional activities throughout the year hosted by our local congregations.

Check out our events calendar to see when the next Winter Family Weekend, Women's Enrichment Weekend or Focused Education Seminar will take place near you.

If you have teens or pre-teens, learn about our summer camps program. The mission of United Youth Camps is to instill biblical values in teens and preteens in a fun and uplifting environment.

Visit Our Events Page

What We Believe

We believe that God is building a family. He wants all of mankind—including you—to be part of that family. We're committed to recapturing and practicing true biblical Christianity and sharing God's awesome plan with the world. We strive to follow the same teachings, doctrines and practices of the early Church.

Beliefs of the United Church of God

Our History

The United Church of God began based on two missions: 1) Telling people about God's incredible plan and 2) making sure congregations and caring pastors were available to help people in their Christian journey. We strive every day to fulfill these two missions.

More About Our History