News

At the request of the Board of Mission and Action, the Church Council has approved a community-wide gathering, open to the public, to pray, consider, and plan a response to what is rapidly becoming among the most significant crises in recent memory: the tide of refugees fleeing their homelands and seeking refuge in Europe. On September 20th,…

Once again, we will be participating in Construct’s Annual Walk, on Sunday, October 18th. Construct has been helping the people of the Southern Berkshires for more than 40 years not only by lending a hand, but by changing lives. Their goal this year is to raise $60,000. Every penny raised goes towards Construct’s Emergency Services Fund…

We are pleased to offer a ten-week study on the Gospel of the Beloved Disciple: John. this moving and poetic gospel was the last to be written and has served as inspiration for many. We anticipate offering two different sections. One, led by Pastor Brent, will take a more traditional Bible study approach and another,…

Mary Berle, principal of Muddy Brook Elementary School (MBE) in Great Barrington brought some of her concerns about feeding the children more than one meal a day to our church member Anne Hutchinson over a month ago. The statistics were eye opening: 48% of Muddy Brook students are on free and reduced lunch (up from…

On Sunday, August 9th, The American Boychoir, America’s premier concert boys’ choir, will provide musical worship leadership at the First Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Following their appearance with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra the prior evening, the choir will sing a special prelude (beginning at 9:45AM), choral anthems,…

We in the Berkshires are blessed to have many great places to take a walk or hike, to exercise, ground yourself, find peace, and take in beauty. In the Christian tradition, pilgrimages both take us to sacred places and help us find meaning in the rhythm of walking. This summer, you are invited to come…

Given allergies present among children within our community, the Church Council unanimously approved the reinstatement of the church as a “Nut-Free Zone.” Both internal and external groups that use the church are advised that no foods containing peanuts or tree nuts are allowed within the church. Is is also requested when purchasing food for consumption…

With the growing number of young children in our church, the nursery gets fuller and fuller! We are in need of volunteers to assist our paid care provider, Jodi, from 9:50 to 11:05 on Sundays during worship. Let’s help our young parents be able to participate in worship and give our kids a fun and…

The People’s Pantry in Great Barrington, one of our partners in ministry, is in need of donations to keep the shelves stocked. Currently, the pantry is in need of the following: Non-Perishable Food: oatmeal, cereal, canned fruit, canned meats/fish, pasta, dry beans, canned vegetables, soup, rice, peanut butter. Household: dish soap, toilet paper, light bulbs…

With the backing of the Board of Mission and Action, the Church Council has endorsed the formation of a Green Team to continue our work in making our church more ecologically sustainable. Donna Jacobs will co-chair the group, which will follow guidelines from the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. This is an…

In a Federal courtroom in Boston, one of the more significant trials of our Commonwealth (and our common good) is underway. Opening statements offered a few surprises and perhaps a sigh of relief when the attorney for Dzhokar Tsarnaev began her statement by saying “it was him.” What she said next, however, raised an important…

Lent has often been described as the time in the church calendar when we walk beside and with Jesus on the way to the cross and beyond. This year we will do just that–by engaging these stories side by side and back to back. We will study these texts for meaning, context and history. We…

After many hours of good, hard work, our new logo is done! The new logo, designed by Boston-based design and communications firm Theory One Design, draws upon one of the more distinctive features of our historic sanctuary, the large, clear glass windows. “So many churches use an image of their building exterior as a logo,…

This year we offer a rich and deep Lenten program to help you re-lent, re-focus, re-form and re-charge Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18th We begin our Lenten journey with the reminder that God is God and we are not. Services at 8AM and 7PM. RE-Lent: Weekly Morning Prayer, Feb 25th – Apr. 1st Start your morning…

You are invited to participate in a six-week conversation on Christian spirituality and what it means to love God and neighbor. This group will read and discuss chapters from Waiting for God by Simone Weil, a Christian mystic and political activist. We will focus on such topics as spirituality and mysticism, suffering, love, justice, beauty,…

On January 4th we will baptize the newest member of our church family, eight week old John Robert. In the tradition of the United Church of Christ, baptism is an act of covenant and calling. During worship we will dedicate John to God, make promises to care for him and teach him, and pledge our support…

Music is central to our lives and our faith at the First Congregational Church of Stockbridge. On Sunday, January 11th we will feature renowned singers Marjorie Dix and Maureen O’Flynn in a stunning duet for the offertory. They will sing Domine Deus from Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor. On January 18th our choir will…

Thanks to all who participated in this year’s Christmas Giving Tree, sponsored by the Board of Mission and Action. The outpouring of support and participation was overwhelming, and the tree needed to be re-stocked with gift tags several times as congregants snatched them up. In total we were able to provide 155 gifts to dozens…

Mark your calendars now and start your days in Advent with a brief (20- 30 minute) prayer service.  We will gather and center ourselves, allow for the peace and quiet of Advent to enter our lives as we start our days in prayer.  Come and find peace through flickering candles, the presence of one another…

Help make this a special Christmas season for other families by choosing a tag (or 2 or 3!), with an age-appropriate gift request, from our Christmas tree, located in the Jonathan Edwards room. To take full advantage of the Thanksgiving sales, gift tags will be available for your selection starting on November 23rd. We suggest…