On Easton Turnpike in Fairfield, Connecticut, the First Presbyterian Church of Fairfield has built its identity around a simple slogan: Life is better together. The accompanying motto - Love God. Love people. Change lives - frames everything from its two Sunday worship experiences to its network of mission partners across nearby Bridgeport. The church describes itself as a community that cares deeply for people, and its ministries stretch from infants through retired adults and outward into food pantries, recovery programs, and home-building crews.
Two Worship Styles on One Campus
FPC Fairfield deliberately offers two very different Sunday experiences under one roof, with members encouraged to attend either or both.
Common Ground meets at 9:30 AM in a casual setting with a live band. The contemporary service is designed to feel welcoming: kids are welcome to dance and clap, the music is lively, and the goal is to make scripture accessible and applicable. Common Ground is also where the Adventurers Kids Program runs for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, while infants through age three have their own dedicated early childhood space. Parents can check children in before joining worship.
An hour later, at 10:45 AM, the Traditional Worship Service gathers in the formal sanctuary for a classic Presbyterian liturgy. The service includes Bible readings, prayer, and classic hymns led by the choir under the direction of Director of Traditional Worship Antonia Nedder. The traditional service is also the one that is livestreamed on YouTube every Sunday, and recent sermons remain available on the church's YouTube channel and as an audio podcast.
Coffee hour follows the services as an intentional time to meet neighbors, share a meal, and see how God is at work in everyday life. Dress is described simply as come as you are.
Building Kids and Youth in Faith
Children's ministry is central to FPC's life, and the Adventurers Kids Program anchors it. Through age-appropriate Bible teaching, crafts, interactive stories, and sports, Adventurers introduces children to Christ in a safe, relational, and welcoming environment. Director of Christian Education Megan Anderson, a lifelong Fairfield resident and certified speech language pathologist, oversees the program and combines her professional background with a calling to help kids grow closer to the Lord through scripture, prayer, and worship.
For the youngest children, a separate early childhood space serves infants through age three with its own learning and play area.
Beyond Sunday mornings, the church partners with parents through its on-site Presby Kids Nursery School, a play-based preschool where caring teachers encourage the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth of each child. Adventurers also points families to digital resources, including a free RightNowMedia account that members can request through the church office, which offers Bible-story videos and additional study material.
Women's Ministry: Breakfasts, Bible Study, and ME Time
Women's ministry at FPC meets women in every season of life through three recurring rhythms.
The Women's Bible Study gathers weekly on Monday nights via Zoom, working through multiple studies throughout the year - recent series have included prayer, the Book of Ruth, and the Book of Genesis. The group welcomes seasoned Bible readers and newcomers alike.
Women's Breakfast is held monthly on a Saturday morning and brings women together for breakfast, worship, conversation, and encouragement. Registration is $15, and a guest comes free; childcare is available with advance registration.
ME Time for Moms meets monthly on Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 10:15 AM, both on-site and sometimes offsite. Moms gather over breakfast to study practical topics through a lens of faith. Coordinator Melissa Penza handles sign-ups, and the gatherings are designed to help moms shift from surviving to thriving.
Social events round out the calendar, including a Christmas dinner at a local restaurant and a summer brunch.
Men's Ministry: Breakfasts and a Midday Pause
Men's ministry pairs an in-person breakfast with a midday virtual option for working men.
The Men's Breakfast meets the first Saturday of each month at the church. Conversation centers on growing in faith together, sharing insight and sound advice, and breaking bread.
The Men's Zoom Group meets every Tuesday at 1:00 PM for 45 minutes with Pastor Greg. Designed for working men who cannot attend an in-person group, it offers a simple way to pause in the middle of the workday, grow in faith, and build relationships with other men no matter where they are.
Growing in Scripture Together
Outside of the women's and men's groups, the church hosts a recurring Fall Bible Study open to the wider congregation. Recent studies have walked through the Books of 1, 2, and 3 John, exploring love, obedience, and truth as the essence of fellowship with God.
Midweek, Holy Listening Circles gather on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:45 PM. The evening begins with pizza at 6:00 PM as an informal time to connect, and then moves into prayer, reflection, and shared listening around the upcoming Sunday Scripture. Small groups offer a chance to share what God is placing on hearts and to pray for one another.
Serving Beyond the Walls
FPC Fairfield takes the Love God, Love people call into the wider Fairfield County community through a slate of ongoing mission partnerships.
- Operation Hope of Fairfield: On the second Saturday morning of each month, church members use the church's commercial-style kitchen to cook meals for 30 to 40 people, which are delivered to Operation Hope's community kitchen. The church also provides financial support for Operation Hope's food pantry, affordable housing, and shelter programs.
- Bishop Jean Williams Food Pantry in Bridgeport: Volunteers serve monthly on the second Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, distributing groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables, and other necessities to those in need.
- Habitat for Humanity: Members build homes in Bridgeport on scheduled build days. No experience is necessary, and the church organizes both adult and family-friendly opportunities through Habitat's Youth United program.
- Beyond Limits International: Volunteers travel to Bridgeport each Tuesday from 3:00 to 6:00 PM to help with an after-school program for 20 to 30 children ages four to twelve, tutoring, playing, and serving a meal.
- Bridgeport Rescue Mission: Members collect clothing and non-perishable food for the mission, support its fundraising efforts, and volunteer on-site to demonstrate the love of God to the hungry, homeless, and addicted throughout Coastal Fairfield County.
- Rise Against Hunger and partnerships with Pivot Ministries round out the local footprint, including a recent effort to pack 10,000 meals.
Closer to home, congregants serve one another through a Meal Train for major life events, an FPC Roadrunners car-ride ministry, and an ongoing Prayer Support team. Volunteers can also be trained to lead a GriefShare group.
Care for Every Hard Season
FPC offers a structured care ministry that meets people in their pain. Pastoral care appointments are available for those seeking spiritual guidance, encouragement, or another perspective. A Prayer Request form invites anyone to share a concern; a team lifts each request in prayer.
For those grieving the loss of a loved one, the church periodically facilitates GriefShare, a friendly, caring group that walks participants through one of life's most difficult experiences. DivorceCare is offered for those navigating separation or divorce, with both in-person and online groups available.
The church also helps families plan funeral services that honor the life of a loved one and offers guidance through the many decisions involved.
What FPC Believes
FPC Fairfield keeps the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the center of its life. Its stated beliefs begin with the conviction that each person is created in the image of God and loved unconditionally by Him, and that through faith in Jesus alone, we are invited into an abundant, meaningful, and joyful eternal life.
The church teaches that Adam and Eve's sin fractured all of creation, yet God does not reject us despite our sin. We are called to serve, love, and forgive our enemies and to comfort and care for the poor, afflicted, and oppressed. Jesus, it teaches, is the Way - the one sent so that we might be forgiven and turn back to God. The Church itself is understood as the community of people who know and love Jesus and care for others.
The mission statement ties these beliefs together: We exist to glorify God by deepening our relationship with Jesus, living out the Gospel, and sharing His love with all.
The Team Behind the Welcome
Five leaders shape the life of the church each week.
Rev. Gregory Penza serves as Minister. Originally from New Jersey, Greg and his wife Melissa relocated to Fairfield in 2020 with their four children to be part of what he describes as the new thing God is doing at FPC. His greatest desire is for others to experience the love and life change he has found in Christ.
Megan Anderson, Director of Christian Education, is a lifelong Fairfield resident and certified speech language pathologist who combines her professional skills with a calling to help children grow closer to the Lord through scripture, prayer, and worship.
Antonia Nedder, Director of Traditional Worship, is a classically trained pianist and vocalist with a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School. She sang with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the official chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for eight years, and has built a thirty-year career in liturgical music ministry. At FPC she also appears with the Common Ground Band and leads Discipleship Committee prayer services.
Erik Lindemann, Director of Ministries, brings more than a decade of pastoral and organizational experience and a Master of Divinity from Denver Seminary. He previously served at FPC from 2015 to 2020 as Discipleship Director for student and small group ministries before returning to lead staff and volunteer leaders in implementing the church's vision.
Rick Lewis, Director of Contemporary Worship, is widely recognized in Fairfield County as the band leader of Green Eyed Lady. A former nationally touring musician and recording-studio owner, Rick answered a call into full-time missions with Youth With a Mission and Mercy Ships before founding Home Church New England in 2012. He has held pastoral ordination since 1997.
Visiting and Getting in Touch
First-time visitors are invited to request a welcome tour, sign up for a first worship service, or simply drop by on Sunday. Worship times are Common Ground at 9:30 AM and Traditional Worship at 10:45 AM, with the Traditional service livestreamed on YouTube at 10:45 AM for those unable to attend in person. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Giving is available online through the church's Realm portal, by check, or by texting fpcfairfield to 73256. The church also accepts Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs and grants from Donor-Advised Funds.
Anyone can submit a prayer request through a form on the church's site, listen to recent sermons on the FPC Fairfield YouTube channel, or subscribe to the audio podcast on Apple Podcasts to follow along with the teaching week to week.