"An Open and Affirming Church "
The First Congregational Church of Pelham was “gathered” in when it's members voted to build a Meetinghouse, the first step of a long journey to today. . In 1748, the town of Pelham bought the Nottingham West Meeting House and dissembled it, to be reassembled in the town Of Pelham in 1751.
Today, over 260 years later, the church stands on the same grounds secured by those founding families. And for over 260 years, the members of this Congregational church have participated in the Lord's work in an active and joyful manner.
A look at the history of First Congregational Church of Pelham reveals several threads of service and missions that, when woven together, has created a beautiful tapestry of dedication to honor God. Involvement in mission activities has long been the standard here in Pelham, from the various women's, men's groups and youth groups. Mission work drives our community with food and clothing collections, meal preparation for the homeless, sponsoring children in other countries and participation in fund-raisers have all become part of the life of this community. We have the building blocks for developing future leaders for continuing the Lord's work through an active Sunday School program, Women's Fellowship and strong lay ministry. Participation in the worship life of the church and developing a vision for the future has reached wonderful heights here in Pelham and an enthusiasm for change with respect for tradition has driven our vision of our future.
Today, the church continues to lead and grow. With the anticipation of continued ministry and good works, the First Congregational Church of Pelham UCC has an openness to welcome all who wish to come and join in fellowship. We are a congregation of the United Church of Christ (www.UCC.org), which takes as its motto Jesus’ prayer, “That they may all be one.” We strive for unity at the same time that we celebrate diversity. Church governance, in our tradition, is non-hierarchical. Instead, we emphasize the ways in which the gathered congregation itself seeks guidance from the Holy Spirit. While our tradition affirms local church autonomy, our congregation also derives strength from the covenant bonds we share with other UCC congregations. In the United Church of Christ we emphasize personal faith, guided by the Holy Spirit and scripture, as well as the social responsibility that derives from Jesus’ teaching that we are to minister to others.
As a member of the United
Church of Christ and the Hillsboro Association of the New Hampshire Conference
of the United Church of Christ, the First Congregational Church of Pelham
invites you to come and make history, come and be welcomed, come and worship
as we look to the future hearing the words of Pastor John Robinson as he watched
the Pilgrims depart from Holland toward America in 1620, "...the Lord
had more truth and light to break forth of His Holy Word."
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As an Open and Affirming Congregation, we welcome and accept
all people of any race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, physical or mental
ability, or sexual orientation. We aim to embody Christ’s extravagant
welcome to those he encountered and we openly support full participation of
everyone in the life and programs of the congregation. You can read about
the national Open and Affirming movement here....
The
Coalition ONA Program
There has been much press coverage
about the UCC's ad campaign that highlights the openess of our churches. You
can see the ad's and learn more about the UCC's
"God Is Still Speaking" initiative by following this link:
Worship
Times
Sunday's 10am
Sunday School and Nursery available for Children, Infants and Toddlers.
