The nature of Federated Church is perhaps best explained by our cross:

Our Unique Sanctuary Cross – Still Relevant Today

Federated’s sanctuary cross, installed when our church was built in 1963, remains relevant today with our current Five Core Values.

As requested by Federated’s Building Committee in the early 1960’s, the cross was designed and handcrafted by Clark Battle Fitzgerald, a widely known metal sculptor of ecclesiastical art who resided in Castine, Maine.   What Mr. Fitzgerald designed then remains consistent with our current core values.

We are Christ -centered

We work together

We share Christ’s love through serving others

We are traditional with a twist

We welcome all people

Starting in the center of the cross, we see the “Christos” symbol.  Christ is at the center of our lives.  On our cross, we see Christos is surrounded by four open books – the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  Today, one of our five stated values is “We Are Christ- centered,” and we continue to focus on the teachings of Jesus as related through the four gospels.

Moving to the top of the cross, we see “Oiku Mene”– the symbol for the House of Fellowship/ the ecumenical church, indicating our commitment to Christian unity.  We work together to fulfill our common calling to the glory of the one God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This symbol is a direct link to our core value “We work together.”  Federated is at its best when we are working together to serve Christ, our community and one another.

Moving to the right of the cross, we see an open seed pod, scattering seed to the far reaches of the earth – the symbol for world mission.  This corresponds today to our core value of “We share Christ’s love through serving others.” As God opens our eyes to the needs around us, we share generously of our time, hearts, and resources to make a difference beyond the walls of Federated Church.

At the bottom of the cross, we see the symbol for the Ten Commandment tablets, representing the Old Testament history and tradition. We are thankful for the Hebrew heritage that gives us meaning to our faith.  We are steeped in tradition and recognize our rich past, but we now embrace opportunities to worship and grow in new ways.  “We are traditional with a twist.”

Finally, we come to the left side of the cross, where we see three figures of different races standing together in brotherhood. We welcome people of all races, classes, nations, and denominations–a direct connection to our core value of today: “We welcome all people.”

So, our uniquely designed cross, weighing over 400 pounds and standing nearly 12 feet tall, with each of its symbols remains as relevant today as when it was first installed in our sanctuary more than 50 years ago.  And like our cross, Federated very much continues to be as relevant to our community as we were 50 years ago.  Let us continue to impact our community and each other.