Service & Justice

“Christ has no body but yours, no hands, feet on earth but yours.” –Teresa of Avila

The Christian faith demands that we bring all our resources to bear as we seek to walk in the way of Jesus: our hearts, our heads, and our hands. Our faith in a loving and compassionate God must ultimately find expression in the good, hard work of service and justice. People at the First Congregational Church take that calling seriously. This is one of the ways that we become the body of Christ.

Our local and global Christian service ministries are coordinated by the Board of Mission and Action. Ongoing ministries are described below, and you’ll find much more on the church events calendar, including seasonal service opportunities like the Construct Walk to Prevent Homelessness, our edible church garden, the Christmas Giving Tree, and the Walk Out of Darkness (suicide prevention).

Explore our Service & Justice Ministries

People's Pantry

Each month on communion Sundays (first Sunday of the month), we respond with an active prayer of thanksgiving, processing offerings of food and money which feed hungry mouths through the People’s Pantry in Great Barrington. Members of the church also volunteer regularly at the Pantry.

Cathedral of the Beloved

Several times a year, volunteers from the church participate in “Cathedral of the Beloved,” an ecumenical, community meal held every week, rain or shine, in the front yard of St. Joseph’s Church in Pittsfield.

We prep food at the church and then serve a meal for 70-80 people. Volunteers are always welcome, whether chefs, transportation crew, or servers.

A woman crochets while another woman smiles

Service League

With faithful dedication, the Women’s Service League fashions handmade crafts which are sold twice a year (at the summer fair and Holly Fair), all while engaging in lively conversation over coffee, tea and snacks. Proceeds from the group’s work go to support the church, the community, and the wider world. The Service League is open to women from the church and the community at large, and generally meets on Mondays from 10AM to 1PM. See the Events listing for specific dates.

A green prayer shawl and a blue prayer shawl on a wooden table

Prayer Shawl Knitting Group

Our prayer shawl knitters engage monthly in a time of conversation and contemplation as they knit stitches of love, hope, and healing into prayer shawls which are given to people in times of trial or celebration. See the Events listing for dates and times.

Little Eden: An Edible Church Garden

Our edible church garden, tended by church volunteers, contributes fresh produce to Berkshire families in need, both individually and through The People’s Pantry in Great Barrington. The garden was developed through assistance from Greenagers, a Berkshires nonprofit that provides jobs for youth in farming, agriculture and conservation. With gratitude for what we have been given, we seek to share a portion of that bounty.

Image of hand painted cloth with the words "What's Possible" embroidered on.

Green Team

Using guidelines from the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, our Green Team works toward making our church more ecologically sustainable. This is a faith-based, justice-driven means to examine our carbon footprint and consider what we can do to become better stewards of God’s creation.

Visit

Worship & Music

Church Life

About