Welcome! The First Congregational Church has a threefold focus in being “church”: by reaching Up, In and Out.

Reaching Up
We do not use the word “up” in a spatially literal way but rather to express our awareness that while God is imminently present, God is still beyond us. This idea encourages us to find a variety of ways of experiencing God both individually and corporately.

Believing, as many of us do, that God speaks not only through the scriptures, the music, and the worship experiences, but speaks to us most often through each other, we especially value the congregation's diversity, whether that diversity is demographic, theological or political.

 Reaching In
We are blessed to have assembled far more than our share of good humored, open, positive, large-spirited people in this community. We do take ministry, spiritual enrichment, worship and outreach seriously, but playfulness and lightheartedness are determinedly and delightfully woven all through the many ways that we come together. The hallways and rooms ring with joy and laughter.

Although we have our vulnerabilities, sorrows, troubles and dilemmas, there is more than enough empathy and understanding to make ours a healing, explicitly accepting community.

Reaching Out
We are keenly aware of our responsibility and obligation as a church to be a good neighbor. Therefore, you will find many of our members actively involved in serving the local community through a variety of ways. Some minister by being members of community boards, volunteering their time at different non-profit agencies, or taking time on a Saturday afternoon to clean a local city park.

We also unite as a church in contributing time, talent, and treasure to needs we become aware of in Mansfield, Richland County, and our larger state, national, and international world.

CHURCH COVENANT - We, the members of the First Congregational Church of Mansfield, covenant together in a shared belief that Jesus revealed God as being present among us: showing God’s intentions for us, unfolding God’s hopes for us and expressing God’s love for us. We therefore embrace the ways and the teaching of Jesus and seek their fulfillment. To that end we commit ourselves to creating a church fellowship that will reflect God’s presence in our individual lives, in our community, and in our world. Together we seek to share relevant worship experiences, to encourage spiritual growth, and to nurture our faith in God. We are determined to grow in our knowledge of God and in our vision of God’s will for us, hoping thereby, to find the strength to sustain us for living our lives in a Christ like manner.

Local Church Constitution

AFFILIATION OF OUR CHURCH: National Association of Congregational Christian Churches www.naccc.org