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Our History
Worship Services
Church Office
Sunday
School
Youth Groups
Confirmation
Adult Activities
Choir
Mission Activities
Spiritual Support and Fellowship
Peace Vigil
Committees
Other
Activities
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Our History
The First Congregational Church of Richmond was
organized September 24, 1801 by two missionaries
from Connecticut. There was no church building until
1813 when twenty-nine Congregationalists, five
Baptist, five Christians, one or two Methodists, and
twenty-one Universalists became proprietors of the
Richmond Meeting House, now known as the Old Round
Church.
In 1849, the Congregationalists decided to build a
church of their own, located at the present site of
the Congregational church.
At a May 1903 church meeting, it was decided that it
was better to build a new church than repair the old
one. The members decided to raise some of the needed
money by selling some of the land. A new church
street was developed, now called Church Street.
The present building was completed in 1904, a porch
was added by 1918, an in 1984 a new addition was
dedicated. This building includes offices and Sunday
School rooms. One September 24, 2001, Richmond
Congregational Church celebrated 200 years of
ministry in Richmond and also the renovations to the
foundation, kitchen, and dining area.
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Worship Services
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Our Sunday
worship service begins at 10:00am (September
- June), 9:00am (July & August).
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Communion is served on the 1st Sunday of every month.
All are invited to share in the sacraments of
bread and grape juice. -
Our sanctuary is handicap
accessible. Enter the church through the
Church Street ground level entrance. Use the
handicap elevator to reach the sanctuary. -
After the Children's Sermon, children ages 4 to 12 attend
Sunday school until 11:20am.
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Nursery care
for small children is offered from
10:00-11:20am.
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Fellowship hour follows worship, with plentiful
refreshments and good conversation.
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Church Office
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Regular Hours for
the Administrative Assistant: Tuesday-Thursday, 8:30am
- 3:00pm
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How the Reach the
Pastor: specific office hours are Tuesday, 1 -
4:30pm; Thursday and Friday, 9:00am - noon. If these
hours are not convenient for you, please feel free to be
in touch to set up a different time to meet. Alice can
be reached at the church
(802) 434-2053 where you can also leave a
confidential voice message for her or by email:
alice@rccucc.org.
Call the church
office to:
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Arrange space for group functions -
Arrange weddings or funerals
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Reach the pastor for spiritual support or assistance
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Sunday
School
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Sunday school for children ages 4 to 12
is held every Sunday, September - May.
Children begin in worship and leave for Sunday
school classes after the Children's sermon.
-
Nursery care for
small children is offered from 10:00-11:20am. -
During the
summer months, special activities are planned
for the children.
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Youth Group - Grades 9-12
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Youth Group usually meets the
first three Sundays of the month from 5:30 to
7:30pm. We have dinner together which everyone
contribute to and talk about our next community
event, play games, read a letter from the bible.
Upcoming Events:
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Joining the Meet the
Pastor gathering on February 20
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Retreat at Weston Priory
planned for March 11 and 12
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Hosting the Friday Food
Affair on March 25
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Blood Drive April 30
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Lead Sunday worship,
which we will also write, on Mother's Day, May
8th.
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Year end barbecue in
May
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Participate in the Night
Light services which are held once a month.
Night Light is a youth church service of
contemporary Christian music, readings from the
bible and guest speakers. It is for the
youth, by the youth and put together by the
youth. It has grown to include 8 churches in the
area!
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Confirmation - September 2010-June 2011
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Confirmation
classes are offered at RCC every other year and
are open to anyone in grade 7-12 who wishes to
explore their faith. This is a year-long class,
which will end with the service of confirmation
on June 12, 2011. The next confirmation class
will start in September 2012.
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Adult Activities
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Choir
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The Adult choir sings one Sunday
a month, usually the 3rd and on special occasions,
such as Christmas Eve. Generally, rehearsals are 2
Wednesdays a month, normally the 2 Wednesdays before
the choir sings, as well as that Sunday morning before
church.
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The Folk choir also sings once a
month, usually on the forth Sunday. They only
rehearse on that day, starting one hour before
church. There is no age limit for the folk choir.
The schedule of when each choir
will sing, along with rehearsal dates and times can
be found on the church calendar.
People interested in joining the
choir can either contact the choir director, Geoff
Bennington via email at:
geoff.bennington@gmail.com or simply show up at
rehearsal.
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Mission Activities
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Friday Food Affair at Five is held every
Friday evening beginning at 5:00pm in the church
dining room on the lower level of the building
(enter on Church Street) and is handicap
accessible. This is a community event open to
anyone who would like to come. We gather for a
meal and conversation. Meals are prepared by a
group of volunteers and food is donated. Meals
are Free. If you would like to become involved
in this project, please contact the church
office for more information. -
Equal Exchange’s Interfaith Coffee Program
In November, 2006, the Richmond Congregational
Church joined the UCC Coffee Project, which is a
partnership with Equal Exchange’s Interfaith
Coffee Program. For the past four years we have
been part of a life-centered economic model
which puts people and the environment before
profits – a model rooted in the principles of
justice, equity, cooperation and sustainability.
With our purchases of Equal Exchange products,
we have been helping farmers and their families
in Latin America, Africa and Asia, gain more
control over their lives, earn a fairer share of
income and have access to credit and technical
support. For each pound of coffee, tea, cocoa or
chocolate purchased by UCC congregations, Equal
Exchange also makes a contribution to UCC
programs that support ministries in economic
justice. In addition, we have been able to
supply the Hospitality Committee with the fairly
traded coffee, tea and cocoa we enjoy during our
Sunday coffee hours and other church events.
Through the Interfaith Coffee Project, we and
hundreds of other congregations are helping to
create a more equitable world.
Other Mission activities include:
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Community Christmas baskets for local families
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Summer Fun and Food Camp for area children
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CROP Walk for hunger relief
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COTS Walk for homeless shelters
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Heifer Project
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Children in Africa support through weekly children's offerings
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Other mission projects as initiated by Mission Committee, pastor or members
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Spiritual Support and Fellowship
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Prayer support through an organized prayer chain
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Short-tern pastoral counseling and spiritual direction
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Fellowship events are held throughout the year
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Church Suppers are sponsored during the summer and the Chicken Pie Supper occurs in October every year
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Holiday Market is held in December
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Rummage Sale - Typically held in the spring and fall. Watch for dates in the newsletter and Sunday Bulletin
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Knitting Group knitting group,
currently we do not have regular meetings,
however are planning to get together in
February. Our knitters keep on stitching though
and when a shawl is completed, the group blesses
it before it is sent on its way. Contact JoEllen Swaine
(jeswaine@comcast.net) if you know of
someone in need of a prayer shawl or for more
information about the Knitting Group
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Peace Vigil
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Join us every Thursday
evening from 5:30-6:00pm. We have been
holding a vigil for peace on the front porch or
the front lawn of the church since the beginning
of Lent in 2005. It is a very informal meeting.
People bring a candle to light and often
something in the way of readings and prayers. If
you are concerned about the current state of the
world and would like a place to gain some peace
of mind, maybe you would like to join us. All
are welcome!
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Committees
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Trustees
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Deacons
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Music Committee
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Memorials Committee
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Mission Committee
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Christian Education
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Stewardship
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Pastoral Relations
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Hospitality/Bereavement
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Supper
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Other Activities
The church also provides space for:
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