News

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…

September is here!  So many things are in transition – some, like summer, drawing to a close even as others, like Sunday School and our community schools, are just opening. Download newsletter

Outdoor Gathered Worship – August 29 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…

Summer Fair!  at Stockbridge First Congregational Church, 4 Main St. Crafts, fresh produce, flowers and plants, baked goods, silent auction and more.  And GRANDMA’S ATTIC is back! DATE: August 14, 2021 TIME: 10:00 AM-2:00 PM LOCATION: Church Green  

This time of pandemic has not been insignificant either in its length or impact.  For more than one full year we have stayed connected, imagined new sources of beauty, and retained our identity as a church family.  It has not always been easy and we have not always done it perfectly – but we have…

In all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke – the term synoptic means “with one eye” to suggest how closely these three texts track the story of Jesus), Jesus offers an enigmatic lesson that is familiar to many of our ears.  He talks about not patching an old garment with a new piece of…

It was an adventure-filled year for Christian Education! From Rally Day (pandemic style), virtual carols, pages of Sunday School lessons online, and even a Children’s Message from North Carolina. As part of a long-standing tradition, each year the church holds a worship service in honor and celebration of the educational programs of the past year.  We…

On June 27 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. Registration is strongly advised, but not required.  By registering, you can be contacted in case worship has to be moved indoors due to inclement weather.  See button below. …

“Now what?  That question is appropriate for every moment, and yet there are moments that such questions take on much greater presence, depth, and import.  Our faith understands believing not as a one-time mental activity, but rather a decision made over and over again in each moment….”   To read more, please download by clicking the…