North Church of Portsmouth sits at 2 Congress Street, right on Market Square in the heart of downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The historic building and its tall steeple have marked the center of the city for generations, and members are fond of pointing out that what happens inside the steeple is what makes the church what it is. As one longtime member puts it, "When I tell people I go to North Church, they say 'Oh, that's that big steeple downtown.' But I always tell them that it's what goes on underneath the steeple that makes us North Church." "Whoever you are, wherever you come from, you are welcome here" is the line that greets visitors, and the conviction behind it - that there is a seat for everyone at God's table and a home for everyone in God's heart - shapes everything the congregation does.
An Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ
North Church belongs to the United Church of Christ, a progressive Protestant denomination that seeks to provide thoughtful, inclusive, and faithful worship and fellowship to people of all walks of life. Within the UCC, North Church is an Open and Affirming congregation, which means the church officially welcomes and affirms people of any sexual orientation, gender expression, race, creed, ability, emotion, and stage on life's journey.
All people are made fundamentally good and worthy of love and belonging, the church teaches, and the work of people of faith is to spread that love and safety to everyone they meet. In the pews at North Church, members say, you will find doubters and seekers, wonderers and wanderers, life-long Christians and brand new believers. There is no test to pass to belong. Each person brings their own gifts, graces, and growing edges, and all of it works together for the glory of God. As one member says, the congregation is "a gathering place for people with a positive outlook on life. People who would rather light one candle than curse the darkness."
Pastor Jenn Mazur writes that at North Church, "you have no one to please, no task to perform, and nothing to prove. There is already a seat for you." Every Sunday, the congregation takes a moment to pass the peace of Christ to one another - practicing peace-sharing in the sanctuary so that it can be lived out in the world during the rest of the week. "We stand in a long line of witnesses," Pastor Jenn writes, "full of seekers and skeptics, wonderers and wanderers, learners of love, hope, peace and faith." The church's promise is to "continue to show up for love, justice, hope and peace," and the covenant of the congregation is to be bearers of light, love, and joy in the world.
Sunday Morning at Ten
Worship is held every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary at 2 Congress Street, with services typically running about an hour. The atmosphere is deliberately relaxed. Visitors can expect to see people in jeans and t-shirts, button-ups and polos, dresses and leggings, and everything in between. Children color at a kids' space, jump on bean bag chairs, or reunite with longtime friends. The music ranges from hymns of praise and piano meditations to choral anthems and solos from the choir. Laughter, prayer spoken out loud, freshly baked cookies, and the smell of coffee during fellowship hour are all part of the morning.
The Rev. Jennifer Mazur preaches each Sunday and leads the liturgy, and the Director of Music Ministries shapes the musical palette for the service. A typical service moves through gathering music, prayer, scripture readings, sermon, an anthem or special music, prayers of the people, the passing of the peace, and benediction. Worship is also livestreamed on the North Church Facebook page for those who cannot attend in person, so anyone can join from home.
Sunday School begins at 10:15 a.m. and includes a dedicated children's program. The church hires part-time Nursery Teachers to care for children during the 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday School window during the school year. The Sunday School also takes part in occasional community outreach days, sending children and families out into the wider community to share messages and gifts of hope. As one member who grew up in the program remembers, "I have been going to North Church of Portsmouth for over 15 years!! I have grown up in the Sunday School program, done many activities in the Youth program, gone thru the Confirmation and Baptism process and now I work there every Sunday watching the children during service!!"
The People Behind the Steeple
The staff is small and the relationships close. Rev. Jennifer (Jenn) Mazur began her ministry at North Church in August 2022. She is passionate about intergenerational ministry, sharing a word of God's love and inclusion, and welcoming people into the joy of shared community. She believes every day is a chance to remind someone of their own belovedness, and that the role of the church is to be a beacon of love, hope, and possibility. Outside of church, she can be found reading, walking with her husband Ryan and their rescue dog Cooper, or taking in live music around Portsmouth.
Adelyn Nelson serves as Director of Music Ministries. A pianist, music director, and educator with degrees in Piano Performance and Psychology from the University of New Hampshire, she has led music programs at several New Hampshire churches and collaborates with groups like Portsmouth Pro Musica and the Queer Choir of Portsmouth. She also teaches at Phillips Exeter Academy and the University of New Hampshire and organizes events for the Music Teachers National Association.
Dan Lorenz joined the team as Events and Media Coordinator. A music educator at Timberlane Regional Middle and High School in Plaistow, where he directs the Guitar Ensemble and Modern Band and assists the grades 6 through 12 orchestra program, he also teaches guitar privately through the Seacoast Academy of Music. At North Church he coordinates events, sound, lighting, and streaming for both worship and rentals.
Midweek Rhythms
Beyond Sunday morning, the week at North Church is shaped by a handful of regular gatherings that bring different parts of the congregation together.
Bible Study meets every Tuesday from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. in the Gathering Room at the church. Everyone is welcome to come, read a piece of scripture, ask questions, dig deep, and learn how God is still speaking to each of us all the time.
North Church Knitters gather on Tuesday afternoons from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Portsmouth Senior Center at 125 Cottage Street. The group has been busy making scarves and hats for outreach to anyone who might need something warm during the winter, and beginners are warmly welcomed. Knitting skills and needles can be shared by anyone willing to lend a hand.
Theology on Tap happens on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Dough Craft Pizza at 2454 Lafayette Road. Pastor Jenn describes the gathering as a place where people who have had a day - whatever it brought them - can come for prayer, listening, support, and conversation about what God is doing in their lives. There is pizza, pasta, bruschetta, beer, wine, and the chance to fill up a spiritual cup.
Women's Book Group meets on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Portsmouth Public Library, 175 Parrott Avenue, in Study Room 1. The group reads a different book each month, gathers in the library's study room, and welcomes newcomers.
Breakfasts and Fellowship
Two monthly breakfasts anchor the congregation's fellowship life. The Men's Breakfast meets at 9:00 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at Herbert's Restaurant at 1500 Lafayette Road. The Women's Breakfast meets at 9:00 a.m. on the third Friday of each month at The Golden Egg Diner at 72 Mirona Road, which offers plentiful parking and a warm atmosphere. Both are easy, accessible ways to get to know other members of the church over a meal.
The church's quarterly newsletter, "The Bellman," keeps everyone up to date on congregational life, and a weekly email newsletter is available for anyone who would like to subscribe. The choir rehearses before worship on Sunday mornings during the program year, with anthems and solos offered in the service, and anyone interested in joining can contact Adelyn Nelson.
Worship Beyond the Sanctuary
Worship does not stop at Market Square. Pastor Jenn and a small worship team regularly lead services at two partner sites in the area.
Worship at Webster at Rye is held on the second Tuesday of each month at 3:00 p.m. at Webster at Rye, 795 Washington in Rye.
Worship at Wentworth Senior Living is held on the second Thursday of each month at 2:15 p.m. at Wentworth Senior Living, 346 Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. These services extend the congregation's ministry to seniors and others who cannot easily come downtown.
Putting Faith into Action
North Church frames its outreach work with a simple statement: faith is more than words, and it guides actions both in worship and out in the world. Each month the congregation collects donations - food, clothing, financial gifts, and gift cards for those in need - and participates in seasonal collections for Thanksgiving dinners through Seacoast Family Promise, Christmas gift cards and toiletry drives for Cross Roads House, and back-to-school supplies for local children.
Long-standing partners include Gather (formerly the Seacoast Family Food Pantry), which receives regular donations of non-perishable food and personal items; Cross Roads House, which supports unhoused neighbors through gift card collections, toiletry drives, and clothing drives throughout the year; and Haven, a mission partner close to the heart of many in the congregation.
Once a month, a group from North Church prepares a meatball supper for the folks at the Salvation Army in Portsmouth, an effort known as Meatball Mondays. Lunches of Love brings meals to anyone who is hungry in downtown Portsmouth. The church prepares hygiene kits that hang on the outside of the church fence and are available for anyone who needs them - filled with snacks, deodorant, toothbrushes, fresh socks, sunscreen, and notes of affirmation.
Wider partnerships include the CROP Hunger Walk, which fights hunger on the Seacoast and around the world, World Central Kitchen, UCC Disaster Relief Ministries, and Seacoast Family Promise. North Church members also march in the annual Seacoast Pride Parade. The congregation's relationship with the Marondera Church in Zimbabwe is one example of the church's reach beyond New Hampshire.
The Knitters' scarves and hats, the shawls made for folks recovering from illness or surgery, and the knitted gifts given to anyone who is cold are part of the same commitment. Through these efforts, the congregation says, people in need have adequate food, adequate clothing, a meal, or gas to get to work. As Pastor Jenn puts it, the work of faith is to "repair the broken parts of our world by loving our neighbor, standing up for justice, and putting our faith into practice."
The Building on Market Square
For generations, North Church has stood as one of Portsmouth's most recognizable landmarks. The Market Square building is both a house of worship and a gathering place, and the church opens its doors to community life well beyond Sunday morning.
Facility rentals are available for concerts and musical performances, lectures and author talks, educational programs and workshops, community meetings and forums, nonprofit gatherings and fundraisers, memorial services and receptions, cultural and arts events, and private ceremonies. Rental rates are $500 for non-profit organizations and $1,000 for for-profit businesses or organizations; a 50% non-refundable deposit and a $100 refundable cleaning deposit are due upon approval, with the balance due one week before the event. Liability insurance is required for groups not affiliated with North Church, and those needing it can purchase coverage through the Tenant and Users Liability Insurance Program (TULIP). Events involving streaming, sound, lighting, or technical production can request support from the Media and Events Coordinator for an additional fee.
Staying Connected
The church office can be reached at (603) 436-9109 (extension 101 for Pastor Jenn). The mailing address is 2 Congress Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801. A prayer request form is available online for anyone who would like the congregation to lift up a concern in prayer, and anyone interested in meeting with Pastor Jenn can schedule a time directly through her online calendar.
North Church is active on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Worship is livestreamed on the church's Facebook page each Sunday at 10 a.m. Online giving is available through the church's secure giving portal for one-time or recurring gifts, and in-kind gifts such as stocks, bonds, insurance, land, or royalties can be arranged by contacting the office.
At the heart of everything is a simple promise Pastor Jenn has made on behalf of the congregation: "to continue to show up for love, justice, hope and peace."