News

Hope. Worship during Lent will be grounded firmly in hope. The Old Testament stories drip with hope and they will be the basis for my preaching. The Gospel stories reveal hope through the stories of Jesus, and they will be front and center in our time with the children (of all ages). Music will include…

This year we bring the lens of hope to our Lenten work of prayer, reflection, and preparation.  It is a theme that resonates through the Biblical story and in our own times too.  Hope was in the whispers of the people of Israel who dared to wonder if Jesus was the one to bring restoration…

Catch up on the mid-winter news! The memory of the joy and gift of Christmas is still fresh. There are hopeful signs that even this current wave of the pandemic may be receding.  How will we individually and collectively be prepared to open to the new possibilities already here and that might be just around…

The January 23 worship service focused on the life and work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in particular the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”  It was written in longhand on April 16, 1963. Confined to his cell for participation in non-violent demonstrations against segregation, Dr. King was responding to a public statement…

Right now, it is natural to feel a bit discouraged. Ice storms, pandemic surges, discord in our political landscape, and the desperate need for things to start getting better! It is a perfect time to turn to Good News (which is what the word “Gospel” means) and the perfect Gospel for this moment is Luke.…

We have partnered with the Universalist Unitarian Meeting of South Berkshire to help with the Resettlement Task Force project.  In December we learned that an Afghan family of five are arriving to live in Pittsfield. There is still an opportunity to provide household goods and various items – thanks to all who have already donated. …

We will worship indoors  at the church starting at 10:00am.   Livestream will be available. Please read updated (1/12/2022) protocols, clicking on button below. All persons remain masked inside the church, regardless of vaccination status. Restrooms will be available. There will not be a formal coffee hour, but people are welcome to gather following worship to…

CHRISTMAS EVE THANK-YOU’S, by Cindy Brown Beloveds (as Rev JaQuan Beachem has so lovingly called us), Many, many thanks for everything you all contributed to make our church’s Christmas Eve worship service an experience full of love and beauty. The sharing of your time and talents and the treasure in your hearts is much appreciated.…

Catch up on the news from First Congregational Church! Download January newsletter

Click here to enjoy Ronnie Cunningham reading the famous O. Henry short story. “I’ve been attending this church for a number of years and received the gift of love and affection from so many, that I would like to make this my Christmas gift to you.”

Christmas Eve ServiceDecember 24 at 5:00pmLivestream and Gathered There will be a joyous Christmas Eve service at First Congregational Church!  We will have gathered service in the sanctuary. The service also will be livestreamed; a recording will be available afterwards on YouTube.  Please note these important details: The capacity of the sanctuary will be limited to 150 persons.  Reservations not…

So, let us enter the dark of the year fruitfully.  It is a sacred time and the essential half of the cycle of life.  We can use the darkness as a resource, a place of healing and rebirth, a time of rest and renewal, enabling the growth that comes with the return of the light.…

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Giving Tree.  The list has been completely filled out! Merry Christmas to all, Board of Mission & Action

During Pastor Brent’s sabbatical from October-December, the church will hold a series of discussions on three separate, but related, questions.  We’re calling those discussions, led by Rev. John Nelson, the Sabbatical Sessions, and they are taking shape in a way we hope will lead to honest and open discussion among the congregation and with Pastor…

Prayer:  Give us strength for the tending of this garden, O God. Grant us such balance in our living that the earth springs to bloom in our tracks and all the world knows that you dwell here, in our overlap. Amen. DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER

Join a small group each week to discuss the previous Sunday’s sermon! The Board of Christian Education is organizing small groups with the goals of learning more about God, our community, and ourselves with focused attention on the sermons given by our visitors from Andover Newton Seminary and, equally importantly, to build and strengthen our…

Here we are!  Embarking on a time of sabbatical that has been carefully and lovingly crafted.  A time that is meant for both the church and me to have some time of separation and reflection that leads to conversation and rejuvenation.  I hope and pray that we make the most of it. Download October Newsletter…

Last Sunday, after worship, the Capital Campaign Steering Committee hosted a Q&A session.  This is available on YouTube, just click here.  To see the two-page Feasibility Study Summary click here. The Capital Campaign Steering Committee would like to invite you to attend one or both of our upcoming Capital Campaign Question-and-Answer Sessions. This will be…

We will worship outdoors  at the church, on the front lawn, starting at 10:00am.  Please read “Updated Info” (button below).  Livestream will be available.  If it is raining, worship will move indoors, following all current Covid protocols. These include all persons being masked inside the church, regardless of vaccination status. We are looking for volunteers to read and to…

Group Spiritual Direction this Fall Do you wonder to what God is calling you at this point in your life?  Would you like to deepen your prayer life?  Would you like to dwell more often and more consciously  in the presence of God?   If your answer to these questions is yes, we invite you to…