News Archive

At a special meeting on April 30, the congregation was presented with a Ministries Team model of church organizational structure and governance.  It's a new team-based model that will inspire, energize, and offer welcome to church members and all the friends of our congregation.
What's YOUR ministry?     What's YOUR calling?     What's YOUR passion? [ more ]

Sunday, February 25, 2024--For a wonderful and meaningful worship experience, our young (and young at heart!) people presented "Called," a musical by Mark Burroughs, which resulted in a special donation to the Wallingford Animal Shelter. [ more ]

Sunday, October 29, 2023 was a special Sunday in the life of our church.  We honored the lives of our saints who have gone before during worship, and then the children celebrated Halloween at a party sponsored by our Christian education leaders.  In the meantime, preparations for our Christmas Fair on December 1 and 2 were underway. [ more ]

On Sunday, March 17, 2024, we were blessed to have the Rev. Marilyn Kendrix as our guest preacher.  She shared a meaningful, thought-provoking and inspiring message, guided by her call to social justice. [ more ]

Sunday, March 3, 2024--Since our traditional Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper was postponed due to stormy weather, the Faith Formation team offered a delicious pancake breakfast instead! [ more ]

The Joy of Christmas Fair, held on December 1 and 2, 2023, was an occasion full of laughter, great food, wonderful items to purchase, and yes, joy! [ more ]

Sunday, November 5, 2023--As part of our Open and Affirming journey, the ONA Team invited a special guest, Rev. Shawn Fiedler, to preach and lead conversation following the 10:00 a.m. worship service.  [ more ]

On Sunday, October 22, 2023, our youth and adults who participated in this year's mission trip to Hazlet, New Jersey, led worship and shared their stories and experiences. [ more ]

September 10, 2023--Catch the Spirit Sunday was full of the spirit of community, fellowship and excitement for the new program year! [ more ]

Congregations and houses of worship across Wallingford collaborated to hold a town-wide food drive benefiting Master's Manna on September 16, 2023. Over 3,107 pounds of all types of non-perishable foods were donated by the generous folks of Wallingford. Thank you to all who participated in this wonderful town-wide effort to help those in need! [ more ]

Our church provides scholarships to members of our church family as they go off to higher education.  On June 4, 2023, the Scholarship Committee presented these awards.  [ more ]

Sunday, May 7 -- A good crowd joined us for lunch and conversation as we welcomed three guest speakers. The Open and Affirming Committee hoped to raise awareness of the challenges members of the LGBTQ+ community face in a society that is not yet fully accepting. [ more ]

Sunday, April 23, 2023 -- Thanks to the Board of Family Life for creating a fun afternoon of square dancing and delicious chili! It was a wonderful time of fellowship and laughter for all ages.  [ more ]

January 8, 2023 --  Our Epiphany and Star Gift Sunday celebration was made special with the making of a covenant between our church and the Rev. Dr. Meredith Jeffers, to call her as our new Interim Minister. [ more ]

After a  two year break due to COVID, our Sparkling Church Fair was full of light, fellowship and laughter as we once again worked hard to create a wonderful and joyous event in the life of our community.
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We are pleased to announce that First Congregational Church of Wallingford has called Rev. Meredith Jeffers to serve as our Interim Minister. [ more ]

On Saturday, November 26, church members gathered to decorate our sanctuary in preparation for the Advent and Christmas seasons.  This tradition of the "Hanging of the Greens" is always an occasion of great fun and fellowship. [ more ]

The twinkle of the eyes and the old-fashioned, wire-rimmed glasses? He's got those.
The flowing white beard? He has that, too.
The jolly countenance? The Santa body shape? More check marks.
But what makes Meriden's Tony Corso even more Santa-like is that he'd prefer to fill the role every day of the year. [ more ]

September 18, 2022--Catch the Spirit Sunday was full of the spirit of community, fellowship and excitement for the new program year! [ more ]

Congregations and houses of worship across Wallingford collaborated to hold a town-wide food drive benefiting Master's Manna on September 17. Over 4,600 pounds of all types of non-perishable foods were donated by the generous folks of Wallingford. Thank you to all who participated in this wonderful town-wide effort to help those in need! [ more ]

July 31, 2022 was Rev. Kathy Cunliffe's final Sunday among us as our Senior Minister. Following the 10:00 a.m. worship service, church members, family and friends attended a reception honoring her ministry. Kathy was presented with tributes, gifts, delicious food and our best wishes as we say farewell and she embarks on the next chapter of her life. [ more ]

June 18, 2022 was a great day for our church and our community!  Members of our church marched in the town parade celebrating the 350th anniversary of Wallingford's founding.  [ more ]

On June 5, 2022, joy and the Holy Spirit filled our sanctuary when we once again celebrated Confirmation in the Sanctuary as eight young people joined our church as official members. [ more ]

On the morning of Saturday, November 27, the church was filled with fellowship and joy as we gathered to hang the greens and decorate our Christmas tree in preparation for the Advent and Christmas seasons. [ more ]

September 12, 2021 was the date for "Catch the Spirit Sunday," our celebratory kick-off to another exciting program year. As part of our celebration, we had a Blessing of the Backpacks, and following worship, we gathered on the Parade Ground for food, fellowship and the opportunities to learn about our ministries. [ more ]

The 14th Annual Family Life Golf Tournament to support breast cancer awareness and research and the Family Life Center Fund was held on Saturday morning, October 9 at Miner Hills Family Golf in Middletown, CT.  It was a wonderful success. [ more ]

Thank you again for your generosity!  Our Oct. 16 clothing drive to benefit the Spanish Community of Wallingford (SCOW) and local families who have immigrated to Wallingford from Ecuador was a great success. [ more ]

Our "Back-to-School Supply Drive" on Saturday morning, August 21, supporting the Meriden-Wallingford Department of Children and Families, was a wonderful success, thanks to your generosity. [ more ]

Thank you for your generous support of our "School is Back, Give 'Em a Snack for their Backpack" "snacky" food drive on September 18, supporting Master's Manna. We collected 395 pounds of food and snacks, stuffing a SUV! [ more ]

Congratulations to our graduating High School Seniors!  On Sunday, June 13, our church was able to present Scholarships to our Seniors as they head off to higher education. [ more ]

While were not able to meet or worship in person, the Trustees took advantage of the empty building to tackle much needed renovations.  After the Annual Meeting on June 13, the renovation of Congregational Hall was revealed. [ more ]

On Sunday, January 10, we celebrated the Service of Ordination for Connor Filkins virtually. While the format was different, it was a joy to witness this important moment in Connor's life and the life of our congregation. Congratulations, Connor, and we wish you every blessing in your ministry to the church of Jesus Christ!

If you missed it, you can still witness the service by clicking here.

We celebrate this wonderful and sacred milestone in Connor's life with him and his family and offer thanks to God for the journey of faith that has brought him to this special day!

"Do not be afraid; for behold—I am bringing you good news
of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is the Messiah, the Lord."

Please join us as we celebrate this holy and sacred time!

We have several opportunities for worship, including a "Blue Christmas" service, as well as Christmas Eve and Epiphany services.

My deep prayer for each of you is that even in these unusual times, as we miss one another and our beloved traditions, may you look for signs of the blessing of the Christ Child and discover anew the hope, peace, joy, and love because of his presence in our lives. Yours in Christ, Pastor Kathy [ more ]

It's time for implementation of our Mission, as affirmed in our Vision and Mission Statements resulting from the Jeremiah Project. [ more ]

The community of the First Congregational Church of Wallingford has been on a faith-filled journey to discover God's call for our church in this place and time. The Jeremiah Project is based on the scripture from Jeremiah 29:10, "I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you a future with hope." A renewed Vision and Mission will serve as inspiration and guidepost for our decisions and actions moving forward.

The weekend of June 20 and 21, 2020 was Affirmation Weekend, when we had the great blessing of being able to affirm our Core Values, Vision and Mission Statements as the culmination of the Jeremiah Project.  You can click on Online Church or our Facebook page to watch a short video presentation.  [ more ]

The Board of Christian Education sponsored a contactless Food Drive on May 16 to support elderly church neighbors in need and Master's Manna.  We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our church family--over 1,245 pounds of food was collected and donated! [ more ]

The Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, sponsored by our Deacons, was held on Tuesday, February 26 at 6:00 p.m. It is always a festive evening, starting with delicious pancakes and sausage. Then the fun really began with the Pancake Flipping races! [ more ]

On Sunday afternoon, March 8 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. in Congregational Hall, the Board of Family Life sponsored a Chili Cook-off and Barn Dance, which was a wonderful event, full of laughter, great food and fun dancing.  [ more ]

The 2019 Advent and Christmas Season at First Congregational Church was filled with joy as we experienced the holidays through the lens of the beloved Christmas carol classic, "Joy to the World" as it turns 300 this year.

There was an abundance of making a "joyful noise to the Lord" with wonderful musical offerings from our experienced choir members to the youngest children. [ more ]

During this season of thanksgiving and "breaking bread together", we give thanks for all of our blessings and the meaningful ways our church impacts our lives and the lives of others, and we recommit ourselves through the gifts of our time, talent, and treasure.  And we celebrate by sharing a meal! [ more ]