Each week during our "Share the Message, Share our Message" campaign, a member of our congregation will share their message about why First Congregational is such a special place. Some of these messages will be archived on the menu to the right.
Ann Cartwright
My family growing up was traditionally Catholic. Lots of family prayers, weekly mass and a feeling not necessarily of belonging, but of accepting. It wasn’t hard to leave these  traditions when I left home and started my own life. I never started any others. Organized religion and all the trappings that went with it held no interest for me, I can honestly say – I didn’t miss it.
It wasn’t until a chance encounter, too many years later, with Pastor Denise at the hospice center where my mother lay dying that I felt a piece missing from my life. Her prayers with my family were healing and calming; they opened a door I had forgotten about. We were all grateful for her presence.
So I began a search - to find a place in my life again for God. Not just a sometimes relationship, but a commitment. I really felt that I needed a community of people with which to make this journey.
It was suggested by many that I should find a church that had a great singles group. Why not combine my searches – God and a human companion. So I visited a few churches with friends and on my own. It became apparent that only when they were assured I was an acceptable demographic that I would be truly welcomed. But joining these churches came with too large a price. I felt I would be complicit in what I knew was bigotry and what these congregations considered doctrine. Not, in my opinion, places to cement a relationship with a God I knew to be available to all.
Then I began hearing from Carol and Phil about First Congregational. Their stories of triumphs in the community through the Christian Service committee, work with the deacons, and their enthusiasm about Dave and Catherine’s words and efforts lead me to visit. The icing on the cake is that you welcome everyone. No hypocrisy, no walls, varied scholarship and an environment where questions are encouraged. God is still speaking here.
But it is all of you, your talents, your passion for community and the wider world and your welcoming hearts that led me to stay. From my first visit you made me feel a part of your community. You create a unique synergy that keeps First Congregational an amazing place to find and to continue a relationship with God. It is the right place for me to be on my life’s journey. |
