"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, weave a beautiful
tapestry of dedication to honor God. Involvement in mission activities have
long been the standard here in Pelham, from the various women's, men's groups
and youth groups. Mission works drive our community with food and clothing
drives, meal preparation for the homeless, sponsoring children in other countries
and participation in fund-raisers have all been woven into 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 have 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. 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."
List of Commitee Members and Groups
We are an Open
and Affirming (ONA) Church. Essentially that means we welcome all
people including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. Notice,
it is a welcome. More than tolerance, we look forward to the contributions
all people of faith have to offer our ministry through their work and prayers.
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.
