About Our Church

Overview

The “grandparent” of Pilgrim Congregational Church was founded in 1685 and we are one of the oldest continuing churches in Nashua. We have been gathering in our current building since 1956. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC).

While we have a long heritage, we are more concerned about the present and future. We seek to be a people of authentic Christian witness devoted to God’s Word of Truth and Shalom—peace, justice, and well-being for all persons regardless of race, color, or creed. Our governance is democratic in principle with each member having right of voice at all committee meetings and right of vote at all congregational meetings.

Looking for more information about us?

• History — More about the history of Pilgrim Congregational Church, from the 1600’s until today
• Organization — Some information about how our local church is organized
• Facilities — For those interested in reserving Pilgrim Church for an event

How We Practice Our Faith

The Scriptures

At Pilgrim Church, we use the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Holy Bible. The National Council of Churches (of which the UCC is a member) has more information about the NRSV. The NRSV Bible is viewable online at oremus.org (if we refer to Bible verses in this site, we usually link to the appropriate page at Oremus).

The Sacraments of Baptism and Communion

We celebrate Baptism and Communion as sacraments, visible symbols of God’s extraordinary, creative, redemptive, enduring love for all. Because sacraments represent God’s wondrous grace and awesome love, we neither presume a specific level of intellectual understanding nor church membership as a requirement for receiving them. We believe openness to God’s grace to be sufficient for partaking of them.

Baptism is a symbol of God’s caring love for every person. Baptism is a prerequisite for full membership in our church. Parents who want to have their children baptized meet with our church minister to discuss the meaning of Baptism and the implications of the promises they make at the time of Baptism. Older youth or adults who want to be baptized meet with our church minister to discuss Baptism.

All worshippers are welcome to receive Communion regardless of age, baptism, or membership status. We believe young children learn about its meaning as they partake of the sacrament in the context of our worship and participation in the educational and mission life of our congregation. Our liturgy does not require Communion to be celebrated at each service; in our congregation, we typically have one Communion service each month (usually the first Sunday of the month).

Words We Live By

In addition to the UCC Statement of Faith, we also have a church covenant, mission statement, and vision statement, all of which were drawn up by members of our congregation (albeit over a span of more than 300 years).

The Covenant of Pilgrim Church

Adopted by the gathered congregation in 1685

“We covenant one with another to seek and respond to the Word and the will of God. We purpose to walk together in the ways of the Lord, made known and to be made known to us. We hold it to be the mission of the Church to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ in all the world, while worshipping God, and striving for truth, justice, and peace. As did our fathers, we depend on the Holy Spirit to lead and empower us. We pray for the coming of the kingdom of God, and we look with faith toward the triumph of righteousness and eternal life.”

Our Mission Statement

Adopted by the gathered congregation in 1988

“As members and friends of Pilgrim Church, we hold it to be our mission to worship God our Creator, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Savior, and to call upon the Holy Spirit, our comforter, to guide us in our Christian walk.

“United as the body of Christ, we seek to serve our brothers and sisters in this church and local community, and to spread the love and word of God throughout the world, as Christ himself has commissioned us to do.

“We gladly accept the cost and joy of discipleship, striving to follow in the footsteps of Christ.

“We pray for the coming of the kingdom of God, and we look forward with faith to the triumph of righteousness and eternal life.”

Our Vision Statement

Adopted by the gathered congregation in 2006

“We see a church growing in …

• Cheerfulness and Joy!
• Members and Friends!
• Age and Ethnic Diversity!
• Caring for One Another through Church Support Group Networks!
• Meeting Human Need through Financial Generosity and Giving of Talents!”

Becoming a Member or Friend

We care about you. If you find sanctuary and meaning in our worship and mission, we hope you will make our church community your spiritual home.

Periodically, we offer an orientation for those interested in learning more about and/or joining our community of faith. If you want more information, or have concerns of any kind, please speak to our pastor, or any usher or Diaconate member. Or feel free to just call the church office, or fill out our online information request form, and we will do our best to help.