Author: Caroline

Last Sunday’s service, on February 23, was a service to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Interspersed with powerful African American Spirituals presented by the choir and soloists Kyle Louviere, Jerilyn Turner Crenshaw, and Ben Zabinski , were equally powerful messages delivered by members of the congregation and the Rev. Dr. Nancy H. Soukup.

The New Testament reading, from Colossians, urged us: “Above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Members of our Church School provided readings from a host of African American leaders: Harriet Tubman, Wilma Rudolph, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, Dr. Mae Jemison, engineer and former NASA astronaut, the Hon. Shirley Chisholm, James Baldwin, and the Hon. John Lewis. Coming from the mouths of our church youth, these words of hope, persistence, inclusion, resistance, comfort, challenge, and inspiration were all the more powerful. Rev. Soukup’s message, entitled “An Invitation to Trust in Our God,” provided passages from many of the Rev. King’s sermons and speeches. The strength of his vision, his faith, his understanding, his hope for the future even amidst great adversity and injustice were present among the worshipers in the congregation last Sunday. It was a moving service and we are grateful for all who shared their talents with us.

FCC joyfully received six new members this past Sunday, January 5, 2025. They are the participants in the most recent Confirmation Class who have been meeting this past fall to discuss the history, beliefs and policies of the United Church of Christ and of the First Congregational Church in Bristol, founded in 1680.

All of the young women who have just become official members of FCC Bristol have been active participants of this church all their lives and have shown by their many years of self-giving and loving acts of kindness that they deeply understand the mission of Christ’s followers to bring about God’s Kingdom on Earth.

Class member, acolyte and dear friend Teddy assisted Rev. Soukup during the member installation.

The entire congregation gratefully receives these young people into membership at FCC Bristol and looks forward to worshiping, working, and embracing God’s joy with them.

On Sunday, December 22, the children and youth of the church gave us yet one more gift for Christmas. They practiced and memorized and fine-tuned their lines and, during the morning service, they reenacted the age-old story of the birth of the Christ child, the moment when humankind received the greatest gifts of all, the gifts of Hope, of Love, of Eternal Life, represented in Christ’s birth.

Many thanks to all our children, and to all the members of our church family, and best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a joyful 2025.

This past Sunday, November 10, was Stewardship Sunday, the day when members of the congregation bring their pledge cards for their support of the next year’s budget and projects. We were blessed to have as our visiting pastor the Rev. Jametta Alston. Rev. Alston is a lawyer and was the former Child Advocate for the State of Rhode Island, former civil prosecutor with the Attorney General’s office, and former president of the Rhode Island Bar Association before she entered the ministry. Her sermon focused on the role of faith in finding the courage and strength to carry out God’s work. One of the Bible readings came from Mark 12:41-44: “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’ ”

The children in Sunday School focused on the power of faith in Stewardship as they visited our church’s Historic Properties Museum and learned about FCC Bristol’s historic Mite Box, dating from the mid-19th century.

The Rev. Dr. Thomas Shepard was the 10th pastor of the First Congregational Church in Bristol. He served from 1835-1865. It was during his pastorate, in 1856, that the third and current house of worship, the “Stone Church,” was erected. Among Dr. Shepard’s many efforts to carry out God’s Work, the building of our massive church and its promotion of the many missions this church has undertaken bears witness to the power of faith in our combined Stewardship contributions of time, talent and treasure. During Sunday School, the children decorated their own “Mite Boxes.” We are grateful for the faith that inspires our members and friends to contribute in the spirit of this Stewardship.

On October 20, 2024, some two dozen members of the church donned their orange vests. Then they bowed their heads in prayer and blessing of their morning’s work and set out to various locations in Bristol to carry out a ministry of helping others. This is our annual “Church Has Left the Building” Sunday. From toddlers to seniors, groups set out to help out with some home landscaping work for a member who needed our help. Others pulled invasive vines off the back of the church building. Still others foraged the roadsides and parks for litter and other clean-up jobs.

Thanks to everyone who participated. We all got more out of our morning’s efforts — in fellowship, satisfaction, and exercise — than we put in.