A Word from the Minister . . . 

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the First Church in Wenham!

I hope you enjoy navigating our Web Site, but if you really want to learn more about us please join us for worship any Sunday or contact me to set up a time to meet.

First Church is a diverse community united by our faith in God; as an Open & Affirming Church we welcome ALL people. Our congregation enjoys a wide range of personal beliefs, but we are one in following Jesus’ great commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul and to love and care for our neighbors. We welcome everyone and believe that we can learn from one another as we find ourselves in different places in the faith journey. We cherish our children and youth, we value the wisdom and heritage of our elder members, and we offer many opportunities to connect with our church family.

We love music and incorporate it joyfully in all of our worship. We also appreciate silence and approach God in contemplative prayer by listening as well as speaking our concerns and celebrations. We have an active church school and follow Safe Church policies and guidelines. We offer junior high and senior high youth groups along with our 8th grade confirmation class blending fun-filled activities with engaging spirituality. First Church sponsors a monthly Men’s Forum, a weekly Woman’s Enrichment Group, special topic Bible studies, a meditation group,and many, many more activities to help people express their individual spirituality. We share a commitment to missions in the world, in our country and in our community. We have an active Special Grants Committee that awards grants to a variety of non-profit organizations and the Anning Hiram Smith Scholarship for academic scholarships. We also support those who are mentally ill with our Tewksbury Hospital program. First Church has a very active Parish Care Committee and Prayer Team dedicated to supporting members of our faith community in times of need.

First Church is part of the United Church of Christ (UCC) and a member of the Essex Association of the Massachusetts Conference UCC. I was originally ordained in the United Presbyterian Church (USA) and currently have standing in the UCC. I worked with at-risk youth for many years in residential treatment and served as College Chaplain at Endicott College before coming to First Church. I would be happy to speak with you and answer any questions you might have, but most of all, I would like to invite you to come and join us on Sunday morning. We meet for worship every Sunday at 10:00 AM September through June and at 9:30 AM during the summer. For more detailed information on what is happening this week at First Church check our current newsletter available on this Site.

Blessings and Peace, 

Mike

Rev. Michael J. Duda
Senoir Pastor, First Church in Wenham