FAQs

We’re located in the North Druid Hills area of Atlanta and Decatur, Georgia. Our campus, at 2676 Clairmont Road, is setback from the busyness of Clairmont Road and Briarcliff. You’ll follow a short winding road that takes you out of the hustle and bustle of the city and into a more contemplative space. We’re the large white/glass building at the top of the hill.

Access and inclusion are part of our building design! Our main floor and Sanctuary are fully accessible via wheelchair, walker, or other aid, with a drop-off area at the church doors. As you enter the Sanctuary, you will also find enhanced-hearing devices and large print orders of worship. Two Sundays each month, we offer an ASL interpreter. We also are continuing ways to improve our online/distance worship experience.

They’re two sides of the same coin! The “congregational” in our name refers to the style of government/leadership for our church. We’re mostly led by members or the congregation of our church, much like our forebears who first arrived in the American colonies in the 1630s. The “United Church of Christ” in our name refers to our denomination. Founded in 1957, the UCC is a mainline, Protestant denomination, most commonly found in New England, the Central Atlantic, and the Upper Midwest. But we’re growing in the southeast! At Central, you’ll find folks from a wide range of backgrounds including born-and-raised UCCers, Methodists, Roman Catholics, Southern Baptists, folks who are newly curious about religion, and more!

Kids Space is a space within the Sanctuary that allows some of the youngest among us to engage with the sights and sounds of the worship service, without having to pay direct attention to it! Recent research on faith formation and “faith transfer” shows that kids being present in the worship service is one of the strongest ways for them to “make this faith their own.” Some research is even showing that this is more effective than traditional Sunday School models.

In this space, kids are free to read, draw, make arts & crafts, play with Play-Doh, and form friendships with other church kids. This space also supports parents, so that you are able to experience worship without worrying about whether your child is laughing too loudly, or rushing to chase a crayon from rolling down the aisle. … as a fun fact, you’ll never have to worry about the crayons rolling. In our sanctuary, we only have triangle-shaped crayons, so they’ll never roll! Our Kids Space is led by an awesome volunteer, Marion, and is in full view of our clergy and other staff.

During the 11 AM service, whenever Sunday School is not meeting (normally the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays) children are free to join Marion in the Kids Space. Because it’s in the Sanctuary, there isn’t a set “drop-off” or “pick-up” time. The space is open throughout the service and some kids are in the space the entire time, and others go back and forth between their parents’ pew and Kids Space. Parents are also more than welcome to join their kids.

No! Kids Space is 100% not Sunday school. Kids can certainly choose to read our awesome storybook bible, The Peace Bible, but this space is designed for kids to “make this faith their own.” There’s a lot of research supporting this approach and we’re exploring what that might mean for Central. While there isn’t any direct religious education, in addition to seeing the service, kids are able to see/read our Common Prayer, Doxology, and other common words of worship in the space.

This space is open to potty-trained kids ages 3+, unless accompanied by a parent.

We don’t allow snacks in Kids Space. But, you and your kids are more than welcome to enjoy a snack right after the service at Coffee, Tea, and Conversation.