Author Archives: Sarah Marino

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  4th Sunday of Advent Worship: Christmas Pageant

  Posted on December 18, 2025 by Sarah Marino in Latest News, Worship, Youth

  4th Sunday of Advent Worship: Christmas Pageant Sunday, December 21, 10:00 AM     Gather in all you worshippers to Bethlehem on this Sunday morn, join with the animals and shepherds, the angels and magi to witness again the story of the birth of Jesus as shared by the children of First Congregational Church in […]

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  Green is Good, Greener is Gooder

  Posted on December 17, 2025 by Sarah Marino in Community, Environment, Health and Wellness, Latest News, Ministries/Task Force News, Worship, Youth

  The Justice Ministry would like your participation in a pilot to improve our church’s efforts to reduce trash and improve sustainable practices. We are launching a six month pilot to include composting of our food waste in the building. You will begin to see buckets labeled COMPOST with illustrations of all the things you can dispose […]

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  Christmas Eve Worship: Wednesday, December 24, 2025

  Posted on December 17, 2025 by Sarah Marino in Latest News, Ministries/Task Force News, Spiritual Practice, Worship, Youth

  Christmas Eve Family Candlelight Service Wednesday, Dec. 24, 5:00 PM A beautiful Christmas Eve service with participation from some of our children and the traditional lighting of candles in the darkened sanctuary to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child! Join us in person or online. Download the 5 pm Bulletin Here: 12-24-25 – Family […]

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  Special Christmas Offering 2025

  Posted on December 16, 2025 by Sarah Marino in Community, Giving, Latest News, Ministries/Task Force News, Outreach, Volunteer Opportunities

  “My soul proclaims your greatness, O God, and my spirit rejoices in you.” – Mary’s Prayer, Luke 1:46 Dear Members and Friends of First Congregational Church in Winchester, MA, UCC, The Christmas season calls us to see God’s face in our neighbors. Where do we see Mary, the mother who valiantly protected her baby? Where […]

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  Service of Light

  Posted on December 11, 2025 by Sarah Marino in Grieving in Community, Latest News, Ripley, Worship

  Thursday, Dec 18, 2025 at 7 PM Ripley Chapel (no livestream) The Service of Light, held in Ripley Chapel, is a beautiful reflective ritual of prayer, candle lighting, readings and cello music. The service acknowledges the darkness and difficulty of the season for many and calls forth a Christmas hope that is deeper and more enduring than […]

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  A Festival of Lessons & Carols featuring Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols

  Posted on December 10, 2025 by Sarah Marino in Latest News, Worship, Youth

  Sunday, Dec.14, 10:00 am In the Sanctuary and livestreamed Please join us on Sunday, December 14 at 10:00 am. for First Congregational Church’s annual Festival of Lessons and Carols, a beloved tradition from England where God’s word is proclaimed and contemplated in a special sequence of readings, prayers, poetry, choral anthems and congregational carols and […]

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  Christmas Pageant

  Posted on December 9, 2025 by Sarah Marino in Community, Latest News, Volunteer Opportunities, Worship, Youth

  Sunday, Dec. 21st 10 AM Share in the love, hope, and joy of the Christmas story as the children & youth stage the annual Christmas Pageant during the worship service on Sunday, December 21st. Please sign up for one of the many roles here. Walk on angels, shepherds, and animals are also welcome. Contact Maggie with […]

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  Cuetlaxochitl (Poinsettia) Dedications

  Posted on December 9, 2025 by Sarah Marino in Community, Giving, Health and Wellness, Latest News, Spiritual Practice, Worship

  Orders are due by Wed. Dec. 10, 2025 If you would like to donate a chancel Christmas plant as a memorial, or in honor of someone, please fill out this form. You can mail a check to the church office, use Venmo, or PayPal. (Please indicate “Christmas plants” in the memo field). There are special Flower Offering […]

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  This Week in Worship: 2nd Sunday in Advent (Dec 7, 2025)

  Posted on December 5, 2025 by Sarah Marino in Community, Latest News, Ministries/Task Force News, Worship

  This Sunday, we celebrate the Second Week of Advent and light the Candle of Peace. Our lectionary readings come from the Prophet Isaiah and the Letter to the Romans. We will consider the language of Advent and the peace we can find in this message: “Then a shoot will sprout from the stump of Jesse; […]

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