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Thursday, September 10, 2026

This Week in Worship


Join us on Sunday for the start of the program year at First Congregational Church! We return to the sanctuary after a summer of being in Ripley Chapel and we'll do so with a festive worship service with our resident Jazz Band and the kids returning to Stepping Stones and a picnic afterwards to celebrate our coming back together after the summer. We will be livestreaming the service as well so join us in person or on-line at 10am. 



picnic

Sign up to Help with the Church Picnic


Come together with friends and church family for the annual fall church picnic, Sunday, September 13th! Enjoy laughter, connection, and a bouncy house for the kiddos! The church will provide sandwiches, salads, and water but we are asking folks to bring chips, watermelon, dessert or drinks to share. Not a cook? Consider signing up to help with setup, serving or cleanup instead! Sign Up to Help Here!


Children & Youth Faith Formation

Stepping Stones


We’re excited to kick off a new year of Stepping Stones and Nursery this Sunday, September 13! We can’t wait to see everyone and get the year started! A couple of quick reminders:

stepping stones
  • Please complete your child’s registration form using the link below. It helps us make sure we have the information we need to make Sunday mornings great for everyone.

Infant-Preschool - Nursery Information Form

Grades preK-5 - Stepping Stones Information Form



  • We need your help, too! Please sign up to volunteer twice during the fall with Stepping Stones. It’s a great way to be part of what’s happening and helps us provide a wonderful experience for the kids each week.


Volunteer Sign-Up - Sign up as a “helper” or talk to me about becoming a teacher. 



kick off

Youth Kick-Off!


FCCW youth are invited to kick off the new programming year with us at Kings in Burlington for bowling, arcade games, dinner, and dessert on the evening of Sunday, September 13, 2026! Junior Forum: 5 PM - 6:30 PM. Forum: 6:30 PM - 8 PM. Please remember to fill out the permission form if you haven't already. This must be completed before the evening of Sunday, 9/13.

We’re Hiring - Nursery Supervisor Needed!



We’re looking for a caring, dependable adult to serve as Nursery Supervisor on Sunday mornings during worship. This is a wonderful opportunity to help create a warm, safe, and welcoming space for our youngest members and their families. If you or someone you know would enjoy working with young children and being part of our church community, read more about the position here or contact Maggie Keeler (maggie@fcc-winchester.org) for more information.

Health & Wellness Ministry

divine yoga

Divine Yoga

Wednesday 9:30 am Ripley Chapel


Divine Yoga with Christine Tresselt starts Wednesday, September 16th at 9:30 am in Ripley Chapel. This is a community practice, meant for all levels of yogis. Bring your mat and any props for comfort as we move through a 40-minute, gentle flow. A chair practice will also be offered as an option. Following the practice there will be an optional, 15-minute guided meditation for anyone that is interested.


Contact Christine at cgtresselt@gmail.com with any questions.

Voices from the Pews Podcast


Back in 2023, Rev. Maeve, Rev. Will, and Andy Spiegel collaborated to create Wisdom Well, a podcast series that interviewed the elders of our church. Now, three years later, we are excited to unveil an updated version of the project called Voices from the Pews.


Voices from the Pews Podcast believes that everyone has a story to share–even you! While the previous iteration of our project, Wisdom Well, focused on the stories of elders in our church community, Voices from the Pews hopes to expand our focus to include the perspectives of all ages in the church. Indeed, we are seeking to hear and be in conversation with all of the voices from our Sanctuary pews! If you have a story to tell (or would like to nominate a friend!), please reach out to Rev. Maeve Kieran Hammond (maeve@fcc-winchester.org).



Listen to our episodes (with more to come soon!) here: https://fcc-winchester.com/health-wellness-ministry/voices-from-the-pews-podcast/

voices pews

Small Groups

Choir Opportunities


While choir rehearsals are beginning this evening in the sanctuary (7:30 pm, all are welcome!), this is a special invitation to anyone who has wondered about singing in the choir.


THIS FALL, we are offering a unique opportunity: an invitation to sing with the choir in an Open Choir rehearsal/worship service. Sunday, September 27 – 9:00 am on the chancel. ANYONE IS INVITED TO JOIN US, just for the morning or to try us out. We will rehearse, laugh, pray, and sing in worship that morning. If you have ever thought of joining the choir, this is the moment to give us a try. No commitment, no pressure. Just a fun and (hopefully) meaningful morning.

AND, if singing is not your thing, maybe ringing is! The Carilloneers are a wonderful group of dedicated folks, who love to bring the shimmer and sparkle of handbells to our worship services. Contact Jeffrey Mead (meadjeffreyc@gmail.com) if you are interested in participating.

Volunteers Needed for Community Connect Day!


Help us represent FCCW at Community Connect Day at the Farmer’s Market on the Town Common on Saturday, September 19, from 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. We’ll have a church table with a fun activity for families and a chance to connect with people in our community. Can you help staff the table for an hour or two? No special experience needed—just a friendly face and a willingness to chat! A rain date is scheduled for September 26. Sign up today or contact Maggie for more information.


Roots & Branches


Roots and Branches is focused this year on faith in ordinary moments.  We are bringing the simple thoughts of a seventeenth century monk named Brother Lawrence and a contemporary poet, Mary Oliver, to help us capture faith in everyday places in our lives.  â€śDay by Day” (our title for this series) will help you take the ordinary parts of your life and find in them extraordinary power and grace.  We have five groups this fall and a place for you.  Give one of these “home groups” a try!  And look for sign ups soon!!

Ministry Team

Live Streaming Returns!


We have hired a new live stream technician, Drew Chase, who will start with us on Sunday, September 13th and we'll be streaming services throughout the year. We hope that you'll tune in if you can't make it in person and that we'll rebuild our on-line community after a summer of off-line. Here is the link to the livestream. 

Slide Advancement Help Needed


As we return to the sanctuary and livestreaming this fall, we'll be using our screens again and would appreciate you signing up to advance the slides. It's not hard to click through the slides as the service advances and we can talk you through the process to ensure you are comfortable with it. Please consider signing up and note: we need someone for THIS Sunday. Thank you!  

LAST CHANCE to Donate Gently-Used Bibles


Our Bibles4Kenya donation project ends on Sunday, September 13. Please be sure to drop off your gently-used Bibles in the large, plastic donation bin in the church lobby. Thanks to everyone who has donated! It means a lot to the project organizers, and it will mean a lot to the communities who would not have access to Bibles otherwise.

Prayer List


Please keep these people in your prayers. If you have someone to add to the list, we invite you to contact Rev. Will or Rev. Maeve.


-Hope for Sienna, Marianne Iacuzio’s granddaughter.

-Rev. Don Dutton, healing from a broken femur.

-Sophia Procops and her family, in navigating a chronic illness diagnosis.

-Phoebe Goodwin, and her family, as she faces cancer.

-Kendra, Julianne Zimmerman's friend, in the midst of caregiving.

-Chandra, Shashi Narayan Uhlmann's mother, as she settles in long term care.

-Jake Jaquith, Nancy Kneiss's father, for healing from a stroke.

-Tricia Marino, Pam McPherson's cousin, recovering from another back surgery.

-The Kahl Family, at the death of Tom's mother Hilde.

-The Shanahan family (Katie, Alec, Liam, and Logan).

-Healing prayers for Craig MacInnes, as he recovers from a fall, and his wife, Jeanette.

-Andrea, friend of Karen Roberts, that her cancer treatment will be successful. 

-Karen, Caroline Lafferty's aunt, for strength and healing in the face of a cancer diagnosis.

-Ana, who is suffering emotional and economic distress, for comfort and sustenance.

-Healing and strength for Kim Farina's mother, as she battles cancer.

-Ellie Chita's son-in-law, Miguel, as he undergoes chemotherapy.

-Peggy Wargelin, for peace amidst family chaos.

-Kevin Kattwinkel, Susan K. Navien's brother, for healing from oral cancer.

-Pat and his family, friends of the Keelers, for comfort and healing.

-Arthur Cobb for living with Parkinson's and Lucy Sanders for bipolar management. 

-Vanessa, newly diagnosed with previously unrecognized MS, for healing.

-Healing and recovery for Michelle Millben’s mother. 

-Jennifer, daughter of Barbara and Bob Davis, in her cancer treatments. 

-Cooper Sayre, for comfort and healing following his recent surgery.

-Kathy Ciolino, friend of Linda Alexander, in recovery from an aneurysm bleed.

-Healing and comfort for Bruce Lauterwasser's Aunt Joan and her daughter Babs.

-Glenn McPherson, Tony McPherson’s brother, as he awaits a kidney transplant.

Wider Community

NAMI Family-to-Family Course

Saturdays 9:15 am-11:45 am (Starting 9/19/26)


Has your loved one been struggling with mental health issues? A FREE Course for family and caregivers of individuals affected with mental health conditions. We invite you to enroll in NAMI’s Family to-Family 8-week course. The course provides caregiving family and friends with education about mental health conditions, skills workshops, and information about available resources. The 8-week curriculum is taught by local NAMI-trained family members who have lived the journey and relate personally to those seeking knowledge and comfort.


More information/Registration

“Boston: Know Your Number” Enneagram Workshop

Saturday, October 3⋅8:30am – 5:00pm


On Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3, Epiphany will host an Enneagram workshop with Suzanne Stabile, an Enneagram master teacher and co-author of the bestseller The Road Back to You. Suzanne Stabile is a world-leading teacher on the Enneagram and we are fortunate to have here in the Boston area and it promises to be a special gathering. We are simply hosting the event.

 

What is the Enneagram? What is its history? What is my number? If you’re new to the Enneagram, this is the absolute best place to start. If you have been on the Enneagram journey for a while, this is the best opportunity you’ll find for a refresh.

 

Doors open at 5:00 pm on that Friday. Teaching begins at 6:00 and ends at 9:00. Doors open at 8:30 am on that Saturday. Teaching begins at 9:00 am and ends at 5:00 pm. There will be a 90-minute lunch break at roughly 12:30 on Saturday.

 

Tickets are $125 in person or $100 online. 

 

REGISTER/BUY TICKETS HERE

 

Last Week's Worship Service

 

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Sermon: Sermon: "Wanderer, Worshipper, Lover of Leaving."@ 29:23

Podcast


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