Roots and Branches groups are organizing for a new year.  That means that you can join a group that meets in a home, at church or on zoom.  Newcomers are welcome!!

Registration opens today and continues until October 7.

Join a Small Group Here

What stays the same… time to connect informally with others at church and talk about the meaning of our shared doubts and faith.

What is new this year. We take a practical topic of faith and pair the poems of Mary Oliver, the wisdom of Brother Lawrence and a scriptural text.

What to expect… a new slant on familiar (or not so) Biblical texts… a fun connection with others at church… a chance to examine your own faith at whatever level you choose.

We hope you can join us! Groups meet eight to ten times from October through April. Try a Roots and Branches group this year!!

Download the Worship Bulletin Here: OOW 09-27-26.docx

Tuesday mornings we meet at 9 am at 2 Mayflower Rd. for a walk on paved streets with hardly any cars.

Thursday mornings we start at 11 am. Meeting place is 82 Salisbury St. and we walk “the flats”.

Both walks are about 30-40 mins. We’d love to see you there!

Roots and Branches is focused this year on faith in ordinary moments. We are bringing the simple thoughts of a seventeenth century monk named Brother Lawrence and a contemporary poet, Mary Oliver, to help us capture faith in every day places in our lives. “Day by Day” (our title for this series) will help you take the ordinary parts of your life and find in them extraordinary power and grace. We have five groups this fall and a place for you. Give one of these “home groups” a try! Sign ups are coming in next week’s newsletter.

• Please complete your child’s registration form using the link below. It helps us make sure we have the information we need to make Sunday mornings great for everyone.

Infant-Preschool – Nursery Information Form

Grades preK-5 – Stepping Stones Information Form

• We need your help, too! Please sign up to volunteer twice during the fall with Stepping Stones. It’s a great way to be part of what’s happening and helps us provide a wonderful experience for the kids each week.

Volunteer Sign-Up – Sign up as a “helper” or talk to me about becoming a teacher.

Youth Groups

Junior Forum (5 PM) and Forum (6:30 PM)* will think about the ways God can provide us guidance and support during times of transition, like, for example, the start of a new programming year together! *To accommodate more schedules, Forum will now meet 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM on Sundays.

This Sunday in worship Jonah experiences the generosity of God and is none too pleased with it. And Jesus reveals something of the nature of God’s generosity in his parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Both stories speak to human hardheartedness in the face of divine grace. Join us on Sunday at 10am on-site in the sanctuary or on-line (we really do hope to have our livestream up and running this week!) for song, prayer, praise and worship.

Download the Bulletin Here: OOW 09-20-26.docx

Celtic roots. Boundless groove. Playful improvisation.

FRIDAY, October 2, 7:30 p.m., From the stunning Ripley Chapel. Live in person and live streamed.

Tickets $20 Live and Livestreamed

Ripley Presents is pleased to welcome the Kathleen Parks Band:

“Kathleen Parks’ voice moves from kittenish to saucy & sassy – perfect to deliver her fun, cheeky lyrics.” Ellen Montondo / “Right Now” Album Review

Kathleen Parks is a fiddler, singer, and songwriter who brings joyful and creative energy to the stage and studio. Her writing leans toward Pop, Folk, and classic Jazz, while her virtuosic fiddle blends and reimagines traditional and modern musical styles with boundless groove, and a playful improvisational spirit. Her deep grounding in Celtic and American roots music blends with her love for pop songwriting, funk rhythms, soulful vocals, and groove-based improvisation, making every performance unexpected yet familiar: a musical journey from beginning to end.

For the last 10 years, she has been heavily involved in touring and recording with her Americana/Jamgrass band Twisted Pine, where she sings, writes, and fiddles.

Over the years Kathleen has shared the stage with some of her heroes such as Paula Cole, Sammy Rae & The Friends, Gordon Lightfoot, Aoife O’Donovan, The Punch Brothers, Jerry Douglas, Sierra Hull, Brian O’Donovan, John Whelan, and others.

“Some might describe the first single from Twisted Pine’s new album, “Right Now,” as progressive bluegrass; others might label it chamber folk, prog rock, jazz fusion or just pop with an experimental bent. But when Parks begins to wail, stepping on a pedal to add a fuzzed-out, freaked-out touch to a jam Stéphane Grappelli and St. Vincent both might smile at, the song hits a whole new plane.” — Jed Gottlieb, The Boston Herald, about Twisted Pine’s latest release

Tickets are $20 General Admission – In Person OR Live Streamed and $5 for Students – in person or live streamed and are available at EVENTBRITE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ripley-presents-kathleen-parks-band-tickets-2001245696751

For more information about the concert, contact Jane Ring Frank, Minister of Worship and the Arts at 857-919-0983 or at jane@fcc-winchester.org.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Ripley Chapel can be found at First Congregational Church, Winchester, 21 Church St. The entry is located on the Vine Street side of the church. Please use the accessible ramp entrance, and Ripley Chapel will be directly to your right as you enter the building.

Download the Bulletin Here: OOW 09-13-26.docx

Read Our Newsletter Here: 9/10/26

Contact Christine at cgtresselt@gmail.com with any questions.