Even if you’ve never stepped foot in a Christian church in your life, you may be familiar with some of the values. But unfortunately, the messages of love and understanding sometimes get lost in translation or twisted, and churchgoers are left with a bad taste in their mouths. Feeling judged and unwanted is the last thing anyone should feel when attending a service, so the Clackamas United Church of Christ works hard to ensure that everyone feels welcome there. This congregation, which prides itself on being an inclusive community, welcomes anyone and everyone to attend services, just as Jesus would have wanted.

Reverend Adam Ericksen has been the pastor at CUCC since 2018, and he keeps open-mindedness at the forefront of his church. When earning his Masters in Theological Studies from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, his thesis was titled “Love and Nonviolence in Christianity and Islam,” and his progressive views have ensured that CUCC welcomes all with open arms. 

We reached out to Pastor Adam to hear more about what Clackamas is like, and lucky for us, he was happy to have a chat with Bored Panda. The last time we spoke with him was about two years ago, so first, we wanted to know if there were any updates on Clackamas he could share. 

“Our messages on the sign inspired people from around the world to join our interactive online services on our Facebook Page and YouTube Channel. We have people from our hometown of Portland to Toronto to London to Lima to Brisbane,” Pastor Adam shared. “It's a global online church. Since coming back to our local campus worship services earlier this year, we were excited to keep our online service going.”

We also asked the pastor if he believes this sign has brought many people into his church that may not have otherwise walked through the door. “The sign has been a big influence on our congregation,” Pastor Adam shared. “People from around the Portland area have joined the local church because of the sign. People from around the world have come because of the signs. People often say that they would never enter a church, but that our signs have made them feel comfortable about our church.”

When it comes to where Pastor Adam and his team gets their ideas for the signs, he told Bored Panda they come “from the Bible (especially passages about social justice), from current events, and from progressive Christian theologians,” adding that they’ve had no shortage of ideas yet!

We also asked the pastor if there were any misconceptions about Christianity or the church that he would like to dispel. “The people on the religious right that are homophobic and ‘anti-woke’ are a minority within Christianity,” he noted. “They just happen to be very loud. There are many progressive Christians who are increasing our volume to show support and solidarity in the struggle for ant-racist policies and policies that affirm out LGBTQIA2+ siblings.”

And if you’ve previously had a less than favorable experience with a church, Pastor Adam understands where you’re coming from. But he wants you to know that you’ll always be welcome at Clackamas. “God understands, too. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is to reject the false image of God as a homophobic, racist tyrant,” the pastor shared. “That god is an idol. But if you want to explore God or religion or spirituality, there are many churches in the United Church of Christ and the Disciples of Christ and other denominations that are repenting of the harm Christianity has often caused in our history and working to do better. If you are interested in joining others on that adventure, we would love to welcome you on the journey.”

We’re big fans of the signs Pastor Adam and his team share in front of CUCC, so this isn't the first time we’ve interviewed him at Bored Panda. About four years ago, we were able to get in touch with Pastor Adam, and he shared a bit about how the signs got started in the first place. “People saw our building, but didn't know what our values were,” he explained. “So we started a fundraiser for the sign, and I started posting those messages. People began to stop as they drove by to thank me for the messages. But I didn't know it would have an online impact too."

“Amidst the pain of the world and all the hate, people are thirsty for something deeper,” Pastor Adam continued. “The truth of the Gospel is that all people are loved. The sin is when we start treating certain people and groups as if they are not loved. Jesus was most critical of those who used religion as an excuse to marginalize others. We are merely seeking to follow Jesus in the best way we can."

Before Pastor Adam arrived at Clackamas, their numbers were a bit lower, but he surmised that this was because people weren’t sure what the congregation’s messages and values were. "I decided that we needed to be bold with our message of love and inclusion, especially for those who are marginalized, especially by religion,” he previously told Bored Panda. “My goal is to be part of a larger movement that is reframing or redefining Christianity so that it's based on God's love for all people."

Clearly, as we can see from the virality of the signs outside of Clackamas every week, Pastor Adam has done a great job accomplishing his mission. “There are so many of us who are trying to get this message out and whether we do it in the name of God or the name of humanity or the name of God and humanity -- I say amen, let's do this,” he previously shared. “I just want people to know that God loves them, and we love them and we’re for them. It sounds so cheesy, but that’s the basic message!"

We hope you’re enjoying this list of wholesome and uplifting signs, pandas. While not every church in the world is willing to share such messages, I would guess that Jesus is very proud of those that are. Keep upvoting the signs that you would like to see outside of your own local congregation, and then if you’re interested in seeing even more clever and uplifting messages that Clackamas has shared in the past, you can find Bored Panda’s last article featuring the church right here!