FAQs
What time is the service? How often do you have communion?
Click here for the times of our services. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month and is open to all, regardless of beliefs or background.
What do people wear to church?
People wear what they feel comfortable in. In Sonoma, people tend to dress more casually, and that is also true for our church.
How can I get involved and meet people?
Attend Sunday morning Zoom service at 8:30 a.m.
Attend Sunday morning in-person service at 10:30 a.m.
Plan to stay for Friendship Hour following worship
Attend a Taizé service, meditation group, or study group
Participate in one of our many outreach projects
Volunteer with Godly Play
Join a Circles of 8 group, come to Family Camp, work in the Thrift Shop
Come sing in the choir or join the handbell choir
How big is your congregation?
We are a medium sized church with an average Sunday attendance of about 70 members.
What are the primary reasons to be at FCC?
- We are a warm, welcoming community
- We have meaningful worship services and inspiring sermons
- We are committed to mission and justice in our own community and beyond
- We are an inclusive church with a special welcome to the LGBTQ community
- We have classes for seekers and skeptics
- We have opportunities for meditation, Taizé services, and spiritual growth
- We engage in Godly Play for children
What does FCC Sonoma believe?
We believe that each person is on his or her own spiritual journey. We walk side by side on our journeys, offering love and support to one another along the way. We take the Bible seriously but not literally. We believe that God is still speaking, and has yet more wisdom and light to be revealed. We are called to listen for the leading of the Spirit, and to put our faith into action to help heal a broken world. No matter who you are, no matter where you are on your spiritual journey, no matter your ethnicity or your race or your economic status or your sexual orientation or any other societal divider, you are welcome at FCC.
What denomination is FCC?
First Congregational Church of Sonoma is part of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a Protestant denomination whose history goes back to the Pilgrims of New England and German settlers in Pennsylvania. Our denomination was the first to take a stand against slavery (1700), the first to ordain a black man (1785), the first to ordain a woman (1853), and the first to ordain an openly gay person (1972). For more information about the UCC, go to www.ucc.org
What does “open and affirming” mean?
First Congregational Church is a diverse group of believers and seekers of God’s direction in our lives. Our mission is to be a Christian faith community that accepts all persons, supports them in seeking deeper meaning in their lives, and prepares them spiritually and intellectually to make a difference in the lives of their families, community, work, and world. We are called to love our neighbors and to act as agents of reconciliation and wholeness. We welcome and value all God’s children.
What is a Congregational Church?
The Congregational Church dates back to the Pilgrims and Puritans who came to America seeking religious freedom. It has a long history of social action with promotion of justice and equality for all people. In 1957, the Congregational Churches joined with other denominations to become the United Church of Christ. Each church within this denomination is autonomous. Each church owns its own building, establishes its own bylaws, and chooses its own pastor. While individual churches within the United Church of Christ receive spiritual strength and enhanced social justice support from the collective denominational community, each church is free to pursue its faith journey as an independent congregation.