Meet FCCBristol

Welcome!

First Congregational Church in Bristol is a vital, progressive community of faith with long roots in our community.  Just how long?

We are Bristol’s founding church. We have been here since 1680, formed at the same time as Bristol itself.  One hundred years after our founding, our congregation and its 6th pastor, Reverend Henry Wight,  began what is now known as the Bristol 4th of July Parade and Patriotic Exercises! That was in 1785!

We are now in our third building, built in the 1850s.  Our first building was on the Town Common and our second building stood where the Andrews School is located, on Bradford Street.

Today, our congregation is known for its broad support for our community, and our willingness to speak out regarding social justice issues.

YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN MANY WAYS! HERE ARE SOME:

Sunday services that are relevant, thought-provoking, meaningful and which have a sense of being modern combined with a living example of the best of our traditions.

A strong Christian Education and Sunday School program for children that is growing by leaps and bounds.  Young families in Bristol have discovered our faith community to be a place that truly nurtures their children and the whole family. Our CE director, Helen Sousa, is full of love, creativity and energy.

Music is central to all that we do, and we are blessed by our outstanding Minister of Music, Othniel Clarke, and our talented group of musicians who bring our services alive every Sunday. We would love it if you would share your talents here!

Our Stone Church Coffeehouse hosts concerts nearly every month showcasing the very best folk and bluegrass music our area has to offer.

We founded the East Bay Food Pantry and Stone Soup Thrift Shop at the Franklin Court Assisted Living Facility building on Wood Street in Bristol.  We gave the East Bay Food Pantry a mission to “Engage, educate and empower the East Bay in creating a hunger-free community.” We are proud to say the East Bay Food Pantry has established itself as a separate 501 3 c organization. The positive energy and people of FCC have “given birth” to another vital community resource!

We are proud to be an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ.

If you are visiting our website for the first time, we hope you will choose to join us in person and become a part of what this congregation is doing and envisioning in Bristol.  Today, over 330 years since our founding, we are faithfully and creatively living out the call of God to reach out and make a difference in the World.