What We Believe
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
Love Comes First at First Church
At First Church Stratford, we are guided by three great loves: love of neighbor, love of children and love of creation. As a member church of the United Church of Christ, our purpose is to love God with all our hearts, minds and souls, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are united in our mission to love all, welcome everyone and seek justice for the oppressed.
Three Great Loves
Love of Neighbor
Our Love of Neighbor is displayed through our Outreach missions and commitment to giving back to our local and global communities. Through our partnership with nOURish Bridgeport, church members volunteer each month to help feed the hungry and provide essential supplies to those in need. The Board of Benevolence’s monthly Red Bag Sunday collection benefits Sterling House Community Center, our Main Street neighbor. Our newly formed Ghana Legacy committee is working to rebuild classrooms in Donkorkrom, Ghana, spreading our message of love across the world.
Love of Children
Our Love of Children can be seen each week in our Sunday School classrooms. The children and youth of First Church Stratford are active participants in our church activities. Every month, we join together in the sanctuary for a special Children’s Message. Our students participate in activities and create arts and crafts that correspond to the weekly lesson. Each spring, our children and youth lead us in a special Children’s/Youth Sunday worship service. A highlight of the Advent season is the annual Christmas Pageant, featuring many of our talented kids.
Love of Creation
Our Love of Creation is a focus of our church life. Through our use of digital bulletins and email newsletters, we have significantly decreased our paper usage. Volunteers work to clean up trash and debris from the church grounds and surrounding area. This year’s Youth Sunday service centered on creation, which was integrated into scripture, song and poetry. Children in Sunday School are learning about nature and creation by tending to marigold seeds and growing flowers at home. Later in the spring, the marigolds will be planted near the front of the church building for all to enjoy.