Set at the intersection of Central Street, Church Street, and South Street, right beside Auburn Town Hall, First Congregational Church in Auburn has long been a presence in the old center of the town. Members like to describe the congregation with the phrase that frames almost every page of the church's own materials: "God's church in Auburn Center doing Christ's work in the world." That motto reflects what the congregation is known for - a worshiping community rooted in the United Church of Christ tradition that takes its presence in Auburn Center seriously, with a sanctuary full of music, a steady calendar of fellowship and mission, and a long-running preschool that serves families across the area.
Worship on Sunday Morning
Sunday morning at First Congregational is built around a single, well-attended service at 10:00 AM. The order of worship is familiar to anyone who has spent time in a mainline Protestant church: prayer, scripture, a sermon grounded in the life and teachings of Jesus, congregational hymns, and choral music. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of every month, and the open table is extended to all who wish to take part.
Children begin the service with their families. After the Children's Message, they are dismissed to Sunday School classrooms and return to the sanctuary in time to help lead the blessing for Coffee Hour. A nursery is available for the youngest children, and a "Prayground" at the back of the sanctuary gives wiggly younger bodies a place to move around while staying with their grown-ups.
The congregation offers a number of worship variations through the year. Blue Christmas, a Christmas Pageant, Pajama Sunday with a coffeehouse-style service, an outdoor Easter Sunrise service, Mary Magdalene Sunday, Children's Sundays, and a Here We Grow Sunday are all part of the rhythm, along with summer worship held on the front lawn when the weather cooperates.
Ministry of Music
Music is one of the most visible parts of life at First Congregational. The adult Church Choir leads the congregation in song each Sunday, preparing special anthems for Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the choir room. New singers are always welcome, and the choir is directed by organist and choir director Paulette LaBarre.
The Bell Choir brings a second musical voice to worship, ringing on two octaves of handbells and two octaves of handchimes. Open to high school students and adults, the ensemble rehearses on a schedule to be determined and asks only for a love of rhythm and a willingness to learn. A children's choir, Joyful Noyse, is in the process of restarting and welcomes children age five and up.
Children and Youth
Faith formation for young people is led by Shannon Hartmann, Director of Religious Education. Sunday School runs every Sunday during the academic year for children from Pre-K through seventh grade. Three classrooms, each with a teacher and a volunteer, use a Bible-based curriculum that introduces core lessons about God's love through art, drama, stories, and community.
The Cradle Roll room is available for the youngest members of the congregation and visiting families. Outfitted with a changing table, rocking chair, train tracks, a play kitchen, and toys, it has a speaker that lets parents and volunteers listen to the worship service while caring for little ones.
Middle and high school students are part of Youth on a Mission, the church's youth group. The group has made an annual retreat to Jaffrey, New Hampshire, a tradition that gives teens space to go deeper in faith and friendship. They also partner with Bethel Lutheran Church for service and leadership projects. Every other year, eighth and ninth graders take part in Confirmation, an intensive faith-formation program that culminates in a special Children's Sunday worship in June. All staff and volunteers who work with children and youth complete annual CORE background checks.
Faith and Fellowship
Bible Study meets on Tuesdays from 12:30 to 2:00 PM, led by Pastor Julie. The group is currently working through "Bible Studies for Grown-Ups" by Josh Scott. Members are welcome to bring a lunch and arrive at noon for social conversation before the study begins.
A Women's Fellowship gathers periodically for devotional conversation, outreach projects, and time together over coffee. Throughout the year the church also hosts a wide mix of fellowship events: movie nights on the front lawn using a recently donated inflatable screen, community suppers, yoga sessions, and seasonal gatherings that bring new faces into the building.
Outreach: Local and Far-Reaching
Outreach at First Congregational is broad and hands-on.
Each fall, the church lawn becomes a Pumpkin Patch, operated in partnership with Navajo Nation farmers in Farmington, New Mexico. The patch is open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM from mid-to-late September through Halloween. The arrangement supports Native American employment and provides seasonal income for families on the reservation.
The Saturday Supper is a quarterly community meal co-hosted with Scout Troop 101. Past menus have included a spaghetti supper, a casual hot dog and hamburger night with live music, and seasonal autumn harvest meals.
For more than thirty years, Central Mass Mission has carried on ministry in La Romana in the Dominican Republic. The mission runs mobile medical clinics, construction projects, health education, and children's programming. Pastor Julie has joined nine mission trips to La Romana, and a new team from Auburn is preparing to travel in the coming year.
Congregation members also volunteer with Habitat for Humanity at the local ReStore and take part in Worcester Fellowship, an outdoor church for people experiencing homelessness in downtown Worcester. Volunteers help with bagged lunches and the Thursday Café.
Auburn Comfort Blankets, originally founded in 1997 as a chapter of Project Linus, meets at the church on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The group of volunteer seamstresses makes quilts that are delivered to Seven Hill Foundation, the Edward Kennedy Health Center, Sherry's House, Rose Monahan Hospice House, and the nursery at Turf's Hospital in Boston.
Here We Grow Preschool
Here We Grow Preschool is an educational outreach program of First Congregational Church. It opened in 1989 with a single classroom and has grown into four classrooms serving families from Auburn and surrounding towns. The school is play-based, with small class sizes and experienced, caring teachers who focus on the total well-being of each child. The preschool is run independently under church sponsorship, and a separate email, HWG@AuburnFirstUCC.org, is available for inquiries.
Scouting at the Church
First Congregational sponsors Cub Scout Pack 101, Boy Scout Troop 101, and a Girl Scouts troop. The Saturday Supper partnership with Troop 101 is one of the more visible expressions of that relationship, and scouting families regularly join other church events throughout the year.
Mission and Beliefs
The mission of First Congregational Church in Auburn is to serve God and build a beloved community by providing an open and caring place of worship and fellowship and a diversity of outreach opportunities. The congregation describes itself as striving to be an inclusive community, offering peaceful conversation in a politically turbulent time.
Six commitments shape the congregation's ministry: Grow in Faith through worship, prayer, and biblical teaching; Serve Others through local and global outreach; Raise Disciples who live their faith daily; Build Community that welcomes everyone; Equip Leaders to use their gifts in ministry; and Promote Compassion and social justice in the wider neighborhood.
Leadership
The congregation is served by Pastor Julie, a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Harvard Divinity School who completed her chaplain residency at the University of California, San Francisco. She holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Boston University School of Theology, with a focus on the spirituality of death and dying. Ordained in the United Church of Christ since 2003, she has served as a church pastor and as a hospice chaplain before coming to Auburn.
Shannon Hartmann leads children, youth, and confirmation ministries as Director of Religious Education. Paulette LaBarre directs the music ministry as Organist and Choir Director.
Plan Your Visit
First Congregational is part of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM, with nursery care available and Sunday School for children during the academic year. Parking is available in the church lot in front of the building, on Central Street, and in the Auburn Town Hall lot at 104 Central Street. Visitors are warmly welcomed by greeters who are happy to help direct them to a spot.
Giving is made simple through online donations through Vanco, personal bill pay, mailed checks, Venmo at @AuburnFirstUCC, or gifts placed in the offering plate on Sunday morning. Updates, events, and announcements appear regularly in the monthly Tidings newsletter and on the church's Facebook and Instagram pages. Everyone who walks through the doors of the white church at 128 Central Street finds the same invitation the congregation has extended for generations: come as you are, and join in God's work in Auburn Center.