Mission
Statement
Falmouth Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, is a Christian
community of faith which:
* Serves God with love and worship
* Serves our church family with loving mutual support and provides opportunities
for spiritual growth
* Serves all of God's creation with compassion, generosity, justice, and
stewardship
Falmouth Congregational Church United Church of Christ Welcome Statement
“As a community of the people of God,
we minister to all of God’s creation
affirming that we are made one in Christ.
The love of Christ for each person knows
no bounds. As an open and affirming
congregation, we welcome all people
regardless of race, age, marital standing,
gender, economic status, sexual orientation,
and differing physical,
mental and emotional abilities into the
full life and ministry
of this community of faith.”
adopted Spring, 2008
Connections
We are a diverse and vibrant people, connecting with church and community
in countless ways. We all find spiritual renewal in Pastor Dawn's messages
and the gospel lessons of the Sunday services. Musically, the choir and
congregation lift their hearts and voices to God. Our Ministry of Worship
and Covenant builds on that connection through administration of the sacraments,
while our children give flesh to it as they raise funds for the Heifer
Project and others reach out to our wider church family through the Called
to Care ministry.
Many
of us volunteer our time helping others at the Soup Kitchen and the Seafarer's
Mission. A multitude of activities and a dedicated youth group keep teens
connected to each other and to the Church. We all enjoy fellowship through
groups such as the Prayer Shawl Ministry as well as involvement in the Holly Days Fair, bean
suppers, and many committees.
We
connect to the wider community also: Scouts, contradancers, musical groups and support groups all use our Parish House during
the week.
Sunday
School History for 250th Anniversary
If you would like to read a history of our Sunday School, please click
here. The Sunday School History is in an image format, so it may take
a few additional seconds to load.
Falmouth
Congregational Church United Church of Christ History: 1754-2004
The
Falmouth Congregational Church United Church of Christ celebrated its 250th anniversary in
the year 2004. In preparation for the event, the congregation renovated
and expanded this historic building situated next to the Falmouth Town Hall.
Our church has experienced a long and rich history as attested to by thirteen
generations of Merrills and McCanns who continue to be active church members
today.
The
town of Falmouth was incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts in 1718. Falmouth then covered most of what is now Westbrook,
Cape Elizabeth, South Portland, Portland and Falmouth. In 1674 a church
was organized as the Church of Christ in Falmouth, which is the First
Parish Church of Portland today. Because of various wars, the region was
practically deserted from 1690 until 1713, and all records were destroyed.
On July 16, 1718, the First Parish of Falmouth was reorganized.
After
several unsuccessful attempts to form a new parish, Nathaniel Noyes, Icabord
Clark and fifty others petitioned the court in 1753 "to be set off
as a district parish." The first Parish gave consent for this separation
on November 23, 1753. In 1754 the Third Parish Church of Falmouth was
organized in present-day Falmouth. It was voted "that Sixty Six pounds,
thirteen Shillings and Fourpence be raised to Defray Parrish charges the
present year." Earlier, present-day Scarborough had become the Second
Parish.
Three
men preached at the Third Parish from 1754 to 1756. On November 3, 1756,
John Wiswell was ordained and he served as Pastor of the Third Parish
for nine years.
By
1814, Portland, Scarborough and the other towns had broken away, leaving
the boundaries of Falmouth as they are today.
In
1828 some members of the Third Parish Church wanted to form a new parish,
and in 1829 the Congregational Church Conference agreed to permit a division.
Under this reorganization in 1830, the name of the Third Parish Church
was changed to the First Congregational Society in Falmouth, and the Second
Parish Church of Falmouth was organized. The Second Parish Church met
without a building until May 1833 when the "Brick Church" was
dedicated. The bricks for this building were burned on the banks of the
Presumpscot River near the iron bridge of that time. This bridge crossed
the Presumpscot on present-day Allen Avenue Extension. The parishioners
themselves burned the bricks in Reuben Merrill's brickyard. The present
parsonage, located next to the church, was purchased in 1867.
From
1830 to 1935, both the First Parish and Second Parish churches of Falmouth
ministered separately to their congregations. From 1935 to 1943, the two
churches shared ministers.
A
newspaper article from our archives, written in 1938, sheds light on the
history of the First Parish and its eventual union with the Brick Church.
The article states: "the old First Congregational Church, on the
road from Falmouth Corner to West Falmouth, now open only two Sundays
in the year …." On the other Sundays, worship was held in the
Chapel on Falmouth Road near Lunt Road. In 1941 the old church building
of the First Parish Church was razed.
In
December, 1944, the First Parish Church voted to unite with the Second
Parish Church, with the word Parish to be dropped by both churches, and
the united church to be called the Falmouth Congregational Church. This
new entity was incorporated on June 17, 1945.
On
April 26, 1948, a Finance Committee met "to discuss ways and means
of obtaining funds for the proposed Parish House." In the fall of
1955, under the leadership of the Reverend E. Milton Grant, the present
parish hall was built adjacent to but separate from the church. In 1958
renovations were completed in the sanctuary. Classrooms and office space
were added to the parish hall in 1972, under the leadership of the Reverend
M. Ronald Beinema, responding to growth in membership.
On
September 30, 2001, under the leadership of the Reverend Doctor Dawn C.
Berry, the church membership voted to launch a capital campaign to renovate
the chancel, connect the two buildings, and install a pipe organ. This
renovation was completed in time to celebrate the 250th anniversary
in the fall of 2004.
