First Church Stratford holds a “Red Bag” food drive the first Sunday of each month. Our next collection is Sunday, October 5, from 11 AM to 12 PM in the church parking lot. Please bring non-perishable food items, toiletries and/or pet food. Local pantries are empty and in dire need of restocking. Thank you for your continued support of this important mission.

Our Contemporary Worship team will lead worship one Sunday each month! Join us on September 28 at 10 AM for an uplifting and powerful morning of music and scripture. The service will also be available on Zoom (for those on our email list) and Facebook Live.

The Board of Benevolence will hold a Sunday Sheets collection the third Sunday of each month. New or slightly used bedding is accepted (new pillows only). On September 21, please bring in twin sheets and pillowcases. Please place donations on the altar before the service begins. Thank you for your support!

Our annual Church Picnic is on Sunday, September 14, right after morning worship. To sign up to attend, please visit our home page or go to https://firstchurchstratford.short.gy/September14Picnic. You can also stop by Upper Packard Hall during fellowship hour on August 31 or September 7. All are welcome!

Remember, because of the picnic, there will be no parking in the church lot on Sunday morning! There is parking available on Church Street, East Broadway, Main Street and in the municipal lot on Church Street, but PLEASE do not park in the lot that belongs to the stores!

Join us for Kickoff Sunday on September 14! During our 10 AM service, we will welcome our Chancel Choir back to worship and celebrate the beginning of the Sunday School year. Please remember to bring your backpacks, book bags or laptop cases for Blessing of the Backpacks.

Welcome back to Sunday School! The first day of classes is Sunday, September 14. For more information about Sunday School, please email Youth Ministry Administrator Jacqui Owens at fccstratfordyouthministry@gmail.com.

Join us for an evening of nourishment—body and spirit—with dinner and conversation, as we lean into one another’s strengths and learn how, as a congregation, we can help one another. We will kick off our new church season with author Rev. Sarah Lund, who is both thought provoking and fun. Her lived experiences with mental health challenges (hers and others) have become a powerful message of hope and action. 

The author talk, dinner and discussion will held on Saturday, September 13th, from 5 PM to 8 PM in Lower Packard Hall at First Church Stratford (2301 Main Street, Stratford). There is no charge to attend. Please register at https://firstchurchstratford.short.gy/BlessedMindsRegistration. All are welcome!

The Chancel Choir will return to worship on Sunday, September 14. Rehearsals begin on Thursday, September 11, 7-8 PM in the sanctuary. New members are always welcome!

Our Contemporary Worship team will lead worship one Sunday each month! Join us on August 24 at 9:30 AM for an uplifting and powerful morning of music and scripture. The service will also be available on Zoom (for those on our email list) and Facebook Live.

The Board of Benevolence will hold a Sunday Sheets collection the third Sunday of each month. New or slightly used bedding is accepted (new pillows only). On August 17, please bring in twin blankets and comforters. Please place donations on the altar before the service begins. Thank you for your support!

Our Contemporary Worship team will lead worship one Sunday each month! Join us on July 27 at 9:30 AM for an uplifting and powerful morning of music and scripture. The service will also be available on Zoom (for those on our email list) and Facebook Live.

The Board of Benevolence will hold a Sunday Sheets collection the third Sunday of each month. New or slightly used bedding is accepted (new pillows only). On July 20, please bring in twin pillows. Please place donations on the altar before the service begins. Thank you for your support!

First Church Stratford holds a “Red Bag” food drive the first Sunday of each month. Our next collection is Sunday, July 6, from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM in the church parking lot. Please bring non-perishable food items, toiletries and/or pet food. Local pantries are empty and in dire need of restocking. Thank you for your continued support of this important mission.

Our Contemporary Worship team will lead worship one Sunday each month! Join us on June 22 at 10 AM for an uplifting and powerful morning of music and scripture. The service will also be available on Zoom (for those on our email list) and Facebook Live.

Join us as we honor our graduates on Sunday, June 22. During our 10 AM worship service, we will recognize those who graduated from high school or college this year. In addition, we will award scholarships to some of our outstanding church members.

The Board of Benevolence will hold a Sunday Sheets collection the third Sunday of each month. New or slightly used bedding is accepted (new pillows only). On June 15, please bring in twin sheets and pillowcases. Please place donations on the altar before the service begins. Thank you for your support!

Celebrate with us on Sunday, June 8, as we honor the members of our wonderful music program at First Church Stratford. The Chancel Choir will sing its final anthems of the season before breaking for the summer. Don’t miss this special service!

The Women’s Service League will hold a Bake Sale at the Main Street Festival on Saturday, June 7. We need all the bakers we can find to help us bake. Baked items that sell well are cookies, brownies, muffins, breads and cakes without frosting (the frostings melt in the heat). This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. It ultimately benefits our church by helping to fund our building improvement projects.

You can drop off the baked goods on Friday, June 6 at the church. A member of the Women’s Service League will be at the Church Street entrance to Lower Packard Hall from 3 PM until 6 PM to accept your donations. We will also be in front of the church at 9 AM Saturday morning setting up for the bake sale. If it is more convenient, you can drop them off then. Thank you for your help!

Stratford’s Main Street Festival is on Saturday, June 7, from 10 AM to 4 PM. First Church Stratford will have booths outside the front of the church during the Festival. Volunteers are needed to work in the kitchen, outside and on setup/cleanup duty. To sign up, please go to bit.ly/MainStFestivalVolunteers2025.

Food items and supplies are also needed for the Festival. Please go to bit.ly/MainStFestivalSupplies2025 to view the donation list and sign up. For more information, please contact Amy Elias at msamyelias@yahoo.com.

First Church Stratford holds a “Red Bag” food drive the first Sunday of each month. Our next collection is Sunday, June 1, from 11 AM to 12 PM in the church parking lot. Please bring non-perishable food items, toiletries and/or pet food. Local pantries are empty and in dire need of restocking. Thank you for your continued support of this important mission.

First Church Stratford will partner with Rise Against Hunger for a meal packaging event at our church on Saturday, May 17, from 9 AM to 12 PM. Volunteers will join together to package as many as 10,152 meals to help meet basic hunger needs in our local community. To learn more or sign up to participate, please visit bit.ly/RiseHunger2025.

Join us for a Youth Sunday service on Sunday, May 11. Our Sunday School students and their teachers will lead our 10 AM worship service. Please join us for a very special morning!

Team First Church Stratford is participating in the 2025 CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, May 4. CROP Hunger Walks raise funds to support the global mission of Church World Service, a faith-based organization that works to end hunger and poverty. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised will support hunger relief organizations in the greater Bridgeport area.

All are welcome to walk! An adult must accompany children under 12. The regular walking route is 2.14 miles, but a 1.2 mile route is also available. On the day of the walk, participants are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for nOURish Bridgeport.

To join or support Team First Church Stratford, please visit bit.ly/CROPWalk2025. Lynne Pert will also collect cash and check contributions through May 4. If donating by check, please include the PIN 840005322 on the memo line. Thank you for your support of this important mission.

First Church Stratford holds a “Red Bag” food drive the first Sunday of each month. Our next collection is Sunday, May 4, from 11 AM to 12 PM in the church parking lot. Please bring non-perishable food items, toiletries and/or pet food. Local pantries are empty and in dire need of restocking. Thank you for your continued support of this important mission.

Join us on Sunday, April 20 at 10 AM for our traditional Easter Sunday service. This joyous worship service includes scripture and festive music, concluding with the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. The service will also be available on Zoom (for those on our email list) and Facebook Live.

The Stratford Clergy Association’s Easter Sunrise Service is at 6:30 AM on Sunday, April 20. The service will be held at Boothe Park in Stratford. Join us for a beautiful start to your Easter worship!

Join us for an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 19. The event begins at 11 AM in the church parking lot and on the church grounds. The Easter Bunny will be making an appearance, so there should be plenty of chances for photos. Please bring a basket or bag to hold your eggs as you collect them!

Join us on Thursday, April 17 for our Maundy Thursday service. The service will be held in the sanctuary at 7:30 PM. Online worship will also take place at 7:30 PM on Zoom (for those on our email list) and Facebook Live.

The Women’s Service League will hold a Palm Sunday bake sale on Sunday, April 13. The sale will take place in Upper Packard Hall immediately following the church service. Requested baked goods are various kinds of fruit and nut breads, including banana bread, nut rolls or cranberry bread. Please wrap the bread in clear plastic wrap, attach a label describing the bread type and indicate whether or not it contains nuts. You can also bring the bread to the Women’s Service League meeting on Saturday, April 12 (10 AM to 12 PM), or drop it off before the church service on April 13.

Proceeds of the bake sale will help fund the WSL’s church improvement projects. Thank you for your contributions!

Join us on April 13 for our Palm Sunday service. During our 10 AM morning worship, our Chancel and Festival Choirs will present a Palm Sunday Cantata. The service will also include scripture and hymns, including the annual singing of “The Palms.” Please join us as we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.