Category: News

First Congregational Church is grateful to all who were able to attend our Community Asset-Mapping Forum on April 15th. We had a full house of some 30 participants who shared their goodwill and expertise with our church members, other members of the Bristol community and our Partners for Sacred Places consultants, Dana Dabek and Caroline Lauber.

The Forum began with a greeting from our Settled Minister, the Rev. Dr. Nancy H. Soukup, who gave a special thank you to Steve Knapman, the representative from the Bristol Fire Department. It is due to the speedy response and the great skills of the professionals who responded to our fire alarm on October 31, 2025, that a kitchen fire starting in the wiring of an old appliance only destroyed the kitchen. The DeWolf Room, where the Forum was held, only suffered soot and smoke damage and was ready for our community event after a professional cleaning, painting, audio system restoration and new carpet.

Our Forum attendees came from all sectors of the Bristol community—the arts, education, houses of worship, health, human services, neighborhood nonprofits, philanthropy, business, government, and the media—bringing their particular knowledge of the East Bay, their understanding of all of the assets that could be tapped and brought together to meet the unmet needs of our community. We wish we could have stayed far longer to have those conversations with each of them about what needs their organizations are facing and how our church might partner with them to meet those needs. Following this forum, our FCC Asset-Mapping Task Force has reached out individually to each of the 65+ community leaders on our list to encourage them to take the next step. That would be to discuss some of the projects their organization has been dreaming of and explore how we might partner to accomplish them.

The afternoon started with a guided tour of the spaces within our church complex that might be of use for community events, meetings, worship , celebrations or other projects our attendee organizations would like to carry out. The tours were followed by a small group brainstorming session designed to spark ideas and grow relationships among Bristol’s leaders and our church.

Each small group was asked to identify as many of Bristol assets as they possibly could and to note each one down on a colorful post-it note. After that, each group brainstormed ideas for needed projects that could move forward through the coordination of these existing area assets. This process confirmed our common belief that all of the Bristol community will benefit when we work together, creating partnerships that share our assets to address projects these organizations have been hoping to pursue.

Our follow-up to the Asset-Mapping Forum is important to us. We are eager to move the process forward, both for those who attended the Forum and those who were not able to make it. As a result of this Forum, our hope is that all of us— coming from all sectors of Bristol’s nonprofit and for-profit sectors— came to a better understanding of the economic and social value that sacred places represent in communities when those assets are linked with assets outside the houses of worship. Together, we succeeded in identifying literally hundreds of assets, both within our church and within the community. Then we brainstormed and came up with new, exciting and needed initiatives that linked a constellation of assets from all over Bristol, some to space usage of the First Congregational Church.

We are eager to hear what ideas Bristol organizations have for partnering on new projects, creating connections among Bristol’s organizations, each with their own assets, to benefit our larger community. Moving forward for us is about hearing more about each organization’s vision, how they serve the Bristol community, and how our church can support their efforts through our buildings and our members.

More than 30 of our church’s most seasoned members gathered on Friday, February 13 for the annual Senior Luncheon.

It is always a welcome time of fellowship, when we can sit over a plate of delicious food and enjoy hearing the latest news and future plans of our dear friends.

Caterers for the event were the Common Pub. Their food was absolutely delicious and their service was kind, thoughtful and prompt.

We were especially happy to see some members who have been following our services via Live Stream rather than brave the cold winter winds. It was great to see Michael, now 99 years old, and Pat, and Tom.

We are already looking forward to next Valentine’s Day, when we can again let all of our senior parishioners know how much they are appreciated.

The Mt. Hope High School gymnastics team won first place in the 2026 Rhode Island state championship on Saturday night, Feb. 14, at Rhode Island College. Two of the members of this outstanding team are our very own Kara Pisasale and Naty Quezada-Grant.

The Huskies were the unmatched best team throughout the winter season. They finished unbeaten in regular meets and continued their winning record last weekend with a team total of 140.225 to claim the school’s second state title.

The team earned their way into the 2026 New England Gymnastics Championships scheduled for Saturday, March 7, at Fitchburg (Mass.) High School.

Responding to the congratulations directed at her team, Kara Pisasale responded: “Thank you so much! We’re super excited!”

MHHS head coach Nicole Daniello said of Mt. Hope’s entry in the New England State Championships: “We finished No. 1 in the state, so the entire team is going. It’s super exciting.”

You can read the full article in the Phoenix HERE.

Council President Amy Halt and Deacon Katherine Harcourt rewrote Clement Moore’s classic Christmas poem to answer our children’s many questions about the church’s recent fire. They turned it into a stirring message of communal caring and action that brought the FCC church family together to meet the challenge of unforeseen disaster. So, with municipal police and volunteer firefighters, instead of shepherds and their sheep,

and with church members responding to an early morning fire, instead of 3 wise men, the words of the revised FCC Night Before Halloween Christmas Pageant, are printed below for your pleasure.

If you would like to see the pageant, click the start button on the video below.

For Closed Captions, click the icon and select English
For Full Screen video, click the icon; press ESC to exit
For an Audio Transcript, use Full Screen, and click the icon

Christmas pageant

Twas the night before Halloween
And all through FCC
Not a creature was stirring
Not even mice in the pantry.
The kitchen was dark
and the dishes were clean,
The children were home asleep
Dreaming of candy on Halloween.
The dishwasher was silent,
Asleep, until “zing” . . .
Was it a power surge that kindled
a flame that made the alarms ring?
And Reverend Nancy in her kerchief
And Nikita wearing his cap
Had been all settled down
For their Hallows Eve nap
When on the church lawn
There arose such an uproar
As the Bristol police and fire department
Tried to get in the door.
The fire alarm was sounding,
Smoke was billowing out
Of the kitchen which was burning.
But thankfully its doors were shut.
The moon that rose over
the bell tower that night
Illuminated all those
Who came to battle the firefight.
But what to their wondering eyes did they see
When the kitchen doors were opened
Exposing all of the casualties?
Well, that wooden coffee cart,
So little and stout,
Was untouched by the flames.
It had no embers to rout.
More rapid than eagles
Some church members came
When called by emergency
Responders by name.
Now Sandie Campbell,
Now Charlie Tupper,
Now Roger and Donna Dubord too.
And Rev Nancy
broke speed limits.
She practically flew!
To the top of High Street
On a night in the fall
They came straight away rapidly fearful of all.
As dry leaves in the yard fluttered on by
What a relief it was to see the bell tower standing so high.
In such a twinkling, life’s hurdles are rough
And FCC has known challenges more than enough.
Yet we drew a collective breath
As we all stood around
In the yard on November 2nd,
what hallowed ground.
What to do, what to do, when trouble’s afoot?
Nancy cursing the stove didn’t cause
All to be covered in soot.
There was so much to do with the upcoming season  
-- Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Jesus is the reason!
We had community commitments
And the Harvest Bazaar
What about the Cookie Walk?
Well now we weren’t going far!
But a church is not just made
Up by a building.
It’s the people within
It’s the love. It’s a feeling.
A church should spread the message
Of God’s love sent down
In the form of a baby.
Not a king with a crown.
So instead of lamenting,
We all went to work.
No time for fomenting.
We didn’t go berserk.
We just relied on the strength
Of God’s love in each other.
With the helping guidance of
Reverend Nancy, Roger, and one another,
We adapted and changed
Our plans to accommodate
The repairs to be made.
We did not curse fate.
So now we all can exclaim:
We have seen God’s love in spite
Of our Halloween Eve!
Merry Christmas tonight!

On November 30th we celebrated the First Sunday in Advent. The first Advent candle — the candle of Hope — was lighted. The worship service was led by the Deacons, as our minister, the Rev. Dr. Nancy H. Soukup, was indisposed. Our hearts and minds turned in anticipation toward the long-expected birth of the Christ child with hope — with trust — for a world where peace reigns, where swords are turned into plow shares, where nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.

The Deacons provided personal reflections on what “Hope” means for them. The choir provided “Three Shaker Songs,” ending with the gentle and affirming melody “Tis a Gift to be Simple.”

We invite you to join us in worship and in fellowship through this season of Advent.

Help us put your entire donation to work by mailing a check to the FCC office at:

First Congregational Church
The Fire Restoration Fund
281 High Street, Bristol, Rhode Island 02809

If you choose to make an on-line donation to the Fire Restoration Fund,
use the button below:

First Congregational Church, UCC, in Bristol, RI is reaching out to ask for your help. Our church kitchen burned down on Halloween night. It is totally gutted. The fire started in a seldom used dish washer. We were fortunate that our fire alarm system connects directly to the Bristol Fire Department. So firefighters arrived quickly. Two other blessings kept the fire from spreading beyond the kitchen—the doors between the kitchen and the rest of the building were closed and the fire began in an appliance that backed up to the 1856 Sanctuary’s exterior stone walls. So while serious smoke and soot damage affected the entire building, we truly feel blessed that no one was hurt, only the kitchen was totaled, and the damage can be repaired. Our immediate need is for $10,000 to cover the insurance deductible – an unforeseen cost that was not in our budget. We hope you will support our efforts as we recover from this fire. All contributions are gratefully received.

The professional “disaster cleaners” are working to open up the Sunday School wing, the sanctuary, and the DeWolf Chapel by Christmas. The kitchen, which must be totally replaced, will take a bit longer. This has happened at the busiest time of year during the holiday season when we hold some of our most important fundraisers for our annual budget. We are finding ways to carry out our missions and events in spite of the fire, but we could really use your help in meeting all of the unbudgeted expenses that unfold after a major fire.

First Congregational Church in Bristol has been serving the East Bay community in Rhode Island since its founding in 1680. During those 345 years, our church family has faced many challenges and grown stronger and more resilient as we have worked together to rebuild, repair, and refine our faith and commitment to God’s work.

If you have ever worshiped at First Congregational Church in Bristol, or attended the candlelight Christmas Eve service, or if you have enjoyed our award-winning “Stone Church Coffee House” monthly folk music concerts, or come to our Harvest Moon Bazaar – an event that is now in its 96^th year, or our Christmas Cookie Walk, or if you are a history buff or in love with historic architecture, we invite you to contribute to our newly established Fire Restoration Fund.

Fire does not just destroy. It can transform, it can illuminate, it can inspire. While we share the decades of memories of our church family’s fellowship in that now smokey and darkened kitchen, we look forward to the brightly restored kitchen that will surely arise from the ashes. We thank you for any gift you feel able to make toward the restoration of our church building.

On Thursday, November 13, the Deacons of the First Congregational Church worked with the Blount Soup Company to give away 300 pints of delicious soup to anyone who showed up, as well as to organizations around Bristol who serve low income clients.

Volunteers from the church set up shop at the front gates of the church property, having received cartons of Chicken Noodle and Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice soup donated by the folks at Blounts in Warren and labeled for Panera. Some was taken up to the Benjamin Church Senior Center to be distributed among clients at their facility. Some was taken to the Franklin Court Senior Residence. Most was given to individuals from all around the East Bay who drove up and made their choice. Some even went to passersby who were walking their dogs. Who doesn’t like a delicious bowl of hot soup on a crisp autumn day?

By 2:30pm, all 300 pints of soup had found new homes with people who will enjoy the generosity of the Blount Soup Company. We thank everyone at Blounts and all of the church volunteers who made this fun event possible. And that includes Lynne, who provided a delicious chili and cornbread lunch for all of the volunteers. We’re looking forward to doing this again.

The Special Service of Thanksgiving for our church that took place this past Sunday, November 2, was not because it was November and the 3rd Thursday is coming up. Our congregation held this special worship service in the courtyard because we had a fire on October 31 that destroyed the kitchen. We feel so grateful that no one was hurt and that the fire was contained to the one room. Until the facility has been professionally cleaned by specialists who deal with “disaster cleanup,” everyone is staying out of the building. Hence, our worship service on the lawn.

The sun was shining and keeping us all warm in spite of the brisk autumn temperatures. The Rev. Nancy H. Soukup opened the service with a lengthy announcement, explaining what had happened and how fortunate we were that the seemingly flimsy swinging doors that separate the kitchen from the rest of the church complex managed to contain the fire. Members of the congregation’s Facilities Committee and others arrived on the scene and were able to confer with the Bristol firefighters who came in the middle of the night to put out the flames. How fortunate we are that we have an alarm system that is connected directly to the emergency fire responders. We are so grateful to the firefighters for their extraordinary service to our church and to our community.

Roger Dubord took up the mic to provide more details about the speedy assessment and plans to get our kitchen back into shape for our fall events.

The singing of “Amazing Grace” and “We Are One in the Spirit,” acapella, brought all of the members together in thanks for the preservation of our historic sanctuary, chapel and Sunday School buildings. First Congregational Church, Bristol’s founding church in 1680, has faced many challenges in its 345 year history and, with God’s Grace, we have grown stronger in our faith and thankfulness as we have come together to meet them.