Category: News

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.

FCC last built a float for the July 4th parade back in 2005. (You can see a video of that float in the “Our History” page of this website.) Led by our 350 Fund mission statement, we were determined this year to reach out to the wider community. Along with our project offering water and bathroom facilities to all parade goers, we decided to again build a float for the July 4th parade. The journey from idea to finished product was eventful — mostly filled with kind people offering their time, their skills and their hard work to turn the idea of our church into a message that would reach out to the thousands of people lining the parade route.

The idea to again build an FCC float for Bristol’s Fourth of July parade was raised at the launch of the 350 Fund on Pentecost 2024. Only this time we were determined to design the float to be used year after year, taken apart for storage in the church basement and reassembled each July. Member and architect Alan Berry immediately stepped up with an offer to design a “to scale” model of the historic Norman sanctuary and bell tower, the first “stone church” in Bristol. Here are a few pics of the transition from design to raw plywood, timber and paint on the lawns and in the basement of the church, to a fully built float standing proud on the flatbed.

ELJ Construction, Inc. kindly agreed to provide a truck, driver and flatbed. Then a construction team, painting team, decorators, and marchers were all recruited. The lawn and basement of the church were chosen as the best site to build the float.

Once the platform, frame and lightweight panels had been cut and assembled, the team of painters got to work. Rolling on primer and top coat, detailing every roofing slate, sponging on every stone, painting in every window pane and doorway.

One by one, the panels were completed.

The walls, the bell tower, the roofing, the buttresses, the platform on which the entire structure would sit.

Banners were designed and made by Hill House Graphics. Flags, buntings and Astroturf were purchased. Everyone worked hard for several weeks in June to build, paint, haul all the pieces of the float up out of the basement to assemble on the flatbed, and finally to decorate the flatbed.

And early on the morning of July 4th, an imposing model of our church rolled away on its flatbed trailer from the grounds of the church to join the 33 other floats, the marching bands, the town dignitaries and all of the other hundreds of marchers who made up the hours-long parade that moved along the red, white and blue center lines of Hope and High streets on a bright, sunny day following a night of intense thunder storms on July 3.

Here is a video of the FCC float as it slowly moved along the parade route, led by our stalwart banner holders, Sam and Brady, and our team of marchers. Many thanks to everyone who created this church float and marched along with it on July 4th!

On the afternoon of Sunday, June 29th, First Congregational Church hosted the 2025 Interfaith Service, part of Bristol’s Fourth of July celebrations every year. This event brings together clergy from the town’s houses of worship in a patriotic, multi-denominational prayer gathering. The service began with rousing bagpipe music from a Highland Piper, the Town Cryer, the trooping of the flag by uniformed members of the Bristol Train of Artillery, the Miss Fourth of July winners, town dignitaries and religious leaders marching down the aisle.

The Rev. Dr. Nancy H. Soukup, Settled Minister of First Congregational Church welcomed attendees, while Nikita Zabinski, Director of Music, and the church choir provided spirited music throughout the service.

Spiritual leaders from all of Bristol’s houses of worship joined in delivering a moving liturgy that explored the contemporary significance of our nation’s founding principles and spiritual beliefs.

The 2025 Interfaith Speaker was Father Robert Marciano who presently serves as Pastor of Saint Kevin Parish and school in Warwick and President Emeritus of Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick. Father Marciano also serves as Chaplain to the Warwick Police and Fire Departments.

FCC is Bristol’s “founding church,” the establishment of which in 1680 enabled the founding of the town of Bristol in the same year. Rei Battcher, a Bristolian, historian, librarian, historical reinactor, and genealogist, and Rev. Soukup read the entirety of the Declaration of Independence, whose stirring text takes on added meaning in a time of challenge to our democracy.

During a reception following the service, FCC refreshments included a cake celebrating the successful completion of the church’s Fourth of July float, a “to scale” model of the historic 1856 sanctuary and bell tower. Rei Battcher provided insights on the role that FCC minister the Rev. Henry Wight played in Bristol’s Fourth of July celebrations.

Rev. Wight, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, led the way in establishing what are now known as “Patriotic Exercises” – back in 1785. These Patriotic Exercises focused on remembering, honoring and celebrating all that the Revolutionary War veterans had done in establishing our then new nation. Each year after 1785, on the 4th of July, Patriotic Exercises were held to honor the work of those who founded our nation. Rev. Wight himself was the Patriotic Speaker at the Patriotic Exercises for over 40 years. Each year, Bristol begins its famous parade with the Patriotic Exercises, which is why Bristol can claim the oldest 4th of July Celebration in America.

Ever since Alan Berry, our architect, finished the designs for the new FCC Bristol Fourth of July Parade float and Jim Sapp ordered in all the wood and other materials to build it, a busy and talented team has been measuring and cutting and nailing and screwing it all together right on the church side lawn. As of Sunday, June 15, we now have a totally built 10 ft. church tower and a completed church skeleton that looks just like Notre Dame Cathedral! Just another day or two of work and the model of the FCC sanctuary and tower will have its plywood walls applied and be ready for the painters to begin painting on all the stones, windows, doors and roofing slates. Yeah!

A special thanks to Alan Berry, who not only drew up the “to scale” plans for the float, but also cut almost every piece of the complicated structure. Many thanks to our Construction Team, including Alan, Jim Sapp, Chuck Ramos, Ron Gamon, John Tyler, Caroline and Robert Jacobus, Paul Temple and Roger Dubord. Thanks also to Jim and Caroline who have procured all the needed materials for the float and decorations as well as the truck and trailer to pull it. If I have missed anyone, please forgive me.

Plus, a special thanks to our sponsors, ELJ Construction Supplies, who are providing us with a driver, truck and flatbed trailer on July 4th, and Hill House Graphics who donated their design time to improve our church banners.

Janine Beausoleil and Eleanor Ingraham, two of our most loyal members, participated in Special Olympics competitions earlier this month. As usual, they each came away with winning medals.

Ellie won 5th place in the swimming front stroke event and 6th place in the back stroke.

Janine won 3rd place in the soft ball throw and 5th place in the 1200 meter walk.

Ellie and Janine join Cliff, another long-time member, in greeting our incoming members before worship each Sunday. Congratulations to both of you for your athletic victories!

The worship service and fellowship on Sunday, June 8 fit in so many celebrations that it could only have happened on the anniversary of miraculous Pentecost — the official birthday of the church when the Holy Spirit is said to have descended from Heaven upon the heads of the assembled apostles.

Additions to the regular service started with the baptism of Lorenna Virginia Harrington, daughter of members Doug and Lindsey, bedecked in white satin and surrounded by 3 generations of her family and godparents and a congregation already in love with her.

This baptism was followed by a Time of Celebration and Recognition of Our Church School, Graduating Seniors, and Its Teachers. “You Make a Difference” award medals were issued to each Sunday School student and gifts of thanks were given to the many participating teachers. This was followed by a Time of Passage and Recognition for Our Graduating Seniors, when Lyla Birch and Cristina Marino were given large purple and lavender prayer shawls, hand-crocheted by our Prayer Shawl Ministry. Lyla and Cristina have served for several years as our two talented and committed audiovisual experts up in the booth each Sunday, making sure the live-stream worship service goes out to our many off-site viewers. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Next, we gave thanks to Ann and Marty Roussel, who are moving West to be closer to family, for decades of loving fellowship and service. During a Sending Prayer, a few more tears fell, followed by many hugs of fond farewell. When worship had concluded, we all moved out to the church lawn to celebrate the Pentecost birthday of the church with the Annual Church Picnic. Lots of grilled burgers, salads and coleslaw, chips and, of course, cake!

Pentecost is described in the words of the Apostle Peter as told in the book of Acts. “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon all my servants…in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.” In celebration, the fellowship of First Congregational Church came together this past Sunday, from the very young to the very old, to celebrate the Holy Spirit that enables all of us to have visions and dreams of a better, more loving world, and the will to speak out and take action to bring it about.

After the dark shadows and solemn music at the Maundy Thursday Tenebrae service, the family of worshipers on Sunday were filled with the joy of renewed life and fulfilled promises at the two Easter morning services. More than 30 souls from both FCC Bristol and the wider community gathered at 6:30 AM at our new “sunrise” location at the Bristol Boat Launch on the eastern shores of the Bristol peninsula.

The grey sky lightened as the sun shone through dramatic clouds over the bay. Birds sang and treetops swayed in the early morning breezes. Led by the Rev. Dr. Nancy H. Soukup, worshipers shared hymns and hopes for the healing of the world.

At the Easter morning service in the flower-filled sanctuary, the welcoming greetings of “Christ is Risen” and “Happy Easter” were followed by loud trumpet blasts and voices raised in praise. The Prayer of Invocation declared the hopes of all present: “Creator of Life, in raising Christ Jesus up, through, out of, and beyond the chains of death, You opened for us the way to eternal and abundant life. May our Alleluias on this day float high above the ceiling of what we think we know and transcend to the heaven of what we believe—and thus live. Raise us up! Renew our lives! Resurrect our dreams! Through Jesus Christ our Living Savior.”

After the sermon from Rev. Soukup, entitled “Through Jesus We Behold All of Humanity,” the service closed with a prayer of dedication and Holy Communion: “Let us remember that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes early in the morning. May these gifts of blessing be a sign of the love, light, and glory of our redeeming God who has created a world of abundance with all that we need. May we remain thankful for your generosity, O God.”

The full worship service in the sanctuary can be viewed here.

During worship on Sunday, March 30, 2025, Rev. Nancy Soukup and Chair of Stewardship Caroline Jacobus dedicated the memorial window plaques that have been installed on 9 of the 20 window sashes in the sanctuary. The happy coincidence of March 30th being both “Mothering Sunday” and the date of our Annual Meeting gave to this occasion the double significance of our gathering together to recognize the many roles that our church plays in our lives.

First Congregational Church in Bristol is our spiritual home and Mothering Sunday represented a celebration of our homecoming. So it was just the right day to be dedicating the memorial plaques, some in remembrance of beloved family members, some in celebration of our church family. And it was just the right day to recognize those families in our church who so kindly donated toward the preservation of these windows.

Many may remember the old windows in various shades of lavender and pale blue that used to grace the sanctuary walls – with the drafty winter winds blowing in, and the cracked glass, the panes falling out, and the wood dried to a gray brittleness. In 2021 we were fortunate to find New Outlook, a firm of expert historic window preservationists – and we launched a capital campaign which raised $158,000 to fund the restoration of the most damaged windows, those on the south side. Now these windows are weather-tight, the wood frames are sturdy, the glass is flawless. The light shines through to illuminate our lives and our minds, to bring in the nurturing warmth of the sun. Or, as one of our donor families decided to have engraved on their plaque: “May the blessing of light be upon you: light on the outside and light on the inside.”

As each family thought about the words they wanted engraved on their plaque, their hearts were moved to consider what was truly important, whose names did they want to send into the future for generations to see, what hope or message in their lives did they want to memorialize. And there was such variety in what they chose to celebrate: the birth of a grandchild, or the joy in relationships with their children, the appreciation that was felt for the love and support they had received from their parents.

Others celebrated the deep love and appreciation a husband feels for his wife.

Still other plaques call for us to celebrate our joy in preserving the history of our church – another simply celebrates the love that binds together all the members of our FCC family, to make a difference.

I invite all of you to take a tour of the memorial plaques the next time you are in the sanctuary. There are currently 7 plaques on the south facade and 2 plaques on the north facade. There are still 11 window sites remaining where a memorial plaque could be placed. If you feel inspired to create your own memorial plaque, just contact Rev. Soukup or Caroline Jacobus and we can make it happen.