News

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…

The Annual Programs Meeting report, including the Call to Meeting and the Nominating Slate, is available here. The Annual Programs Meeting was held via Livestream and gathered on the front lawn on Sunday, May 23 at 11:00am. The Meeting, led by Moderator Cathy Clark, is available on YouTube; just click on the picture below.

Please join us for gathered worship on the front lawn of the church.  Masks will be required, spaces will be marked on the lawn for chairs or blankets, and pre-registration is required. Outdoor services are also livestreamed. Register – May 23 MORE INFO ABOUT INDOOR AND OUTDOOR WORSHIP

May is always a season of great change in the Berkshires.  The natural landscape changes as greens in multitudes of shapes and hues burst forth on the hillsides.  There is a change of pace as visitors flock to absorb many of the blessings we enjoy every day.  Various institutions in the area find greater life…

The First Congregational Church hosted  a mixed media art show fundraiser to support restoration of the historic building on Sunday, May 2. There are still works of art looking for a home!  Call the office to make an appointment to see the remaining pieces.  Soon we will put pictures on the website; stay tuned. Well-known…

Read all about our Easter plans, reports from the Board of Deacons and Service League, and an important message from the Capital Campaign Steering Committee. I have marveled at the way this church has stuck together over this past year. You have shown up in so many ways to be church and to care for…

In honor of Black History Month, the Board of Christian Education presented a series on black sacred music.  African American music is American music, from blues to rock and roll, Motown, jazz, funk and hip hop. Within that, there is a rich heritage of black sacred music that evolved from spirituals to gospel, hymns, freedom…

Holy Week and Easter For more information and registration forms, click here. Palm Sunday Palms are on the way to the church and we want to get them in your hands so that you can wave them triumphantly.  Once they arrive you will be able to pick them up during Office Hours (M-F 9:00-1:00) at the…

Happy Easter, neighbor! The Growth and Fellowship Board is trying out a new idea for the Easter. We are hoping to help our members reach out to others in our church community who are also their neighbors! Here’s how it works: if you want to, sign up to bake a little extra something for Easter. Hot…

There is a future, it is coming, there is reason to hope great things for it.  So that we might be ready for it, let’s commit to a time to remember those things we have learned, honor the ones and the things we have lost, mark the wisdom that has been gained, and celebrate the…

During Lent we will be offering a few things to make worship meaningful and alive: Time with Children – the stories from the Old Testament assigned for Lent are all about our Covenant with God.  String art kits have been sent to our families with kids that we will use each week to bring the stories…

Welcome to the Book Sharing initiative!  We are asking you to pass along to the church family the books that have brought meaning, beauty, peace, and/or joy to you in these times along with a brief description of why you liked it. During office hours the J.E. Room will be open for you to browse,…

We stand poised for new beginnings not just as a nation but as a people of faith. We are the folks, the disciples, called through our words and actions to both show others who we can collectively be and walk with them even as Christ still walks with us into our future.  Do not let…