Being the Church Together!

Join us for Faith + Friends playgroup tomorrow on the playground! (info below)

Drop off your Tag Sale items on Saturday, August 29, 10:00 a.m.-noon! (info below)

Worshipping together...

August 30, 9:30 a.m.

Lay Preacher: Emma McCandless

Worship Leader: Kate VanDerzee-Glidden, Senior Pastor

Music: Bethany Schmidt, soloist 

Rev. Betsey Polglase will retire from her role as Minister of Pastoral Care and Visitation, effective September 1. Please join us for worship as we give thanks for her ministry.

September 6, 9:30 a.m., Holy Communion, Labor Day Weekend 

Preacher: Nicole Struth, Director of Mission, Justice + Membership

Music: Ken Kousen, tenor

September 13, Homecoming

ONE SERVICE at 10:00 A.M. (Meetinghouse)

Homecoming Picnic and Youth Rally Day after worship

Preacher: Kate VanDerzee-Glidden, Senior Pastor

Music: The Hot Cat Jazz Band and our Chancel Choir + Choir Camp participants

September 20

TWO SERVICES resume at 8:00 (Micah Chapel) and 10:00 a.m. (Meetinghouse)

Preschool Promotion, Backpack Blessing + First Day of Church School at 10:00 a.m.

Preacher: Kate VanDerzee-Glidden, Senior Pastor

Music: 8:00 a.m. Chris Hart, tenor; 10:00 a.m. Chancel Choir

The First Church Growth & Membership Committee is excited to host our annual BAFON Sundays on Homecoming Sunday, September 13, and again on September 20. Bringing a friend or neighbor to a service is a wonderful way to share in the excitement of all that is First Church! We hope that each member of our community will consider bringing a friend or neighbor.

This summer we are worshipping at 9:30 a.m. in the Meetinghouse through September 6.

Childcare is available and Church School meets during our Sunday service.

Our Sunday worship and other designated services are livestreamed and are also available for viewing later on our YouTube channel. Please let an usher know if you would like a large print bulletin, large print hymnal or a hearing device to use during the worship service. Large print bulletins are available on our website. We offer accessible and limited mobility parking.

Click below to enjoy our August 23 recorded worship service!

This week...

Stop by for our Faith + Friends Playgroup on Wednesday, August 26, from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. for a time of connection, play and grace! Our biweekly playgroup for children and their families meets on the playground. Contact Kelsey Beach for more information at kelsey@glastonburyfirst.org.

Drop off your unwanted items for the Super Giant Tag Sale on Saturday, August 29, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in Schultz Hall. Check our online list of items we are looking for and sign up to volunteer! For more information, please contact Lauren Guiditta at lguiditta@gmail.com.

Getting ready for our fall programs for your kids? You can register online for all our Church School, youth fellowship and children's choirs with one form!

Get ready for Homecoming!

Join us on September 13 for worship at 10:00 a.m., followed by our Homecoming Picnic and Youth Rally Day!

Come kick off our new program year with fellowship, food and fun at our annual Homecoming Picnic! You are invited to sign up online to bring cookies or brownies to share! If you have questions, please contact Nancy Sparks at nancy.b.sparks@gmail.com.

Our Junior High and Senior High Fellowship groups will kick off the program year in the afternoon with family meetings and lots of fun activities! Check your mail and on our website for more information.

Next week and more...

Hike with us on Saturday, September 5, at 10:00 a.m. at Mile of Ledges, Burlington. 3.1 miles, moderate/difficult. This hike has a little bit of everything for the experienced hiker: wooded trails, stream crossings, a pond, caves, a 750’ ascent and a series of boulders and rock features that require scrambling and 8’ drops. This is a technical hike and hiking boots, poles and water are recommended. We will meet at 26 Greer Road in Burlington. For more information, contact Rich Baber at richbaber@yahoo.com or 860-881-0063.

All are invited to enjoy some summer reading and join in with our book groups in the fall! The Thursday Morning Study Group is reading North Woods by Daniel Mason to talk about on September 10 and 24. This novel is about a house located deep in the New England woods and those who inhabit it throughout the years, both people and animals. The Biography Book Group will be back in action on October 15 with a discussion of Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl’s memoir Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging. Born to a Korean Buddhist mother and Jewish American father, Rabbi Buchdahl is the first woman to be named senior rabbi in New York City’s Central Synagogue’s 186-year history.

Register by September 15 if you want to join our annual Intergenerational Mission Trip to Biloxi, MS, from January 10 – 16, 2027. The work is varied, and participants don’t have to have construction skills. Details and registration forms are available on our website. (An online payment option is available, and we kindly ask you to consider covering the transaction fee.) If you have questions, contact Diana Ruddick at 860-463-3049 or dianakate525@gmail.com.

Take us out to the ball game!

First Church baseball fans had a great time on Saturday at the Hartford Yard Goats game!

Happy anniversary, Carol's Closet!

Congratulations to Carol's Closet Paper Pantry on 11 years of ministry! Thank YOU for contributing so many items over the years to help our neighbors in need! Carol’s Closet serves those who are struggling, and supplies are needed – especially toilet paper (four-packs or individually wrapped rolls), paper towels (individually wrapped rolls), tissues, bar soap (individually wrapped or two-pack), shampoo (standard size), laundry detergent, dish soap, cleaning supplies and incontinence products. Please place your donations in the Carol’s Closet basket in the First Church back lobby. Contact Sarah Lieschke-Bodge with questions at 860-685-1926.

Ongoing collection...

For our August food collection, we’re asking for donations for the Glastonbury Links Together backpack program for students, including small boxes of cereal, boxes of macaroni and cheese, canned tuna, canned soup, canned pasta, small bags of chips and other items. Donation baskets are in the back lobby and the Narthex. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Palen at ffp775@aol.com.

Office updates...

Summer office hours: Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., and Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Please be alert for email and text scams: Our pastors and staff would never reach out to you via email or text to ask for help buying gift cards or send you other requests for personal assistance.

First Church of Christ,

Congregational, UCC

2183 Main Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033

www.glastonburyfirst.org, 860.633.4641

We are an open, welcoming and affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ.