At 71 Central Square, on the Bridgewater town common at the corner of Church Street and Central Square, Central Square Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, is anchored in both history and active neighborhood service. Its present sanctuary was erected in 1862, yet the church is known less by age than by the way it welcomes people. Sunday worship at 10 a.m., an Open and Affirming congregation, children and youth formation, broad-ranging choir music, a Bridgewater food pantry, emergency assistance, and a thrift shop all form one shared ministry. Music, teaching, emergency aid, and neighbor service are not separate activities at CSCC; they are concrete expressions of a Christian community reaching toward neighbors at home and abroad, sharing faith and resources.
A Church Rooted in Bridgewater's Common
The church's story begins in 1821, when nineteen members withdrew from the First Parish Unitarian to form the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Bridgewater's Scotland section. By 1836, the congregation had grown to 120 members, and the majority voted to move into the center of town. A new church was built for the growing congregation, but it burned to the ground in 1860. The present structure was erected two years later. In 1904, the congregation adopted the name Central Square Congregational Church.
A major change came in 1961, when church members voted to become part of the United Church of Christ. The UCC had been formed in 1957 through the joining of the Congregational, Christian, and Evangelical and Reformed denominations. That history gives the building a long Congregational story while connecting it to a wider Christian body. Today the sanctuary remains the center of worship, teaching, music, fellowship, and service, with the Bridgewater common immediately outside its doors.
Welcome Is Written Into the Church's Mission
The mission is stated plainly: CSCC is a Christian community of people reaching out to neighbors at home and abroad, sharing faith and resources. Its vision begins with welcoming new people into a family of faith and growing in relationship with God and with others. Members come from long-standing Congregational traditions, other churches, different towns and walks of life, and no religious background. The common thread is a desire to grow in Christian community.
Central Square Congregational Church is an Open and Affirming congregation, a designation formally adopted by an overwhelming vote in 2014. Its welcome extends to people of every race and ethnic background, age, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, socioeconomic background, marital status, and faith background. Everyone is invited into full participation in membership, worship, leadership, ministry, fellowship, sacraments, responsibilities, and blessings. The congregation ties that welcome to the mission of Christ and to love, peace, and justice for all creation.
The open table is part of that welcome. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month, and all are invited to participate whether baptized or not, whether they believe a little or a lot, or whatever their faith background. People are not asked to arrive with a particular church history or level of certainty. They are welcomed as they are.
Sunday at Ten: Hymns, Prayer, Reading, and Sermon
Sunday worship begins at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary and is also livestreamed through Facebook and YouTube. The service includes prayer, singing from hymnals, hearing the Bible read, and listening to a sermon. Piano accompanies the singing, and senior and junior choir members periodically add anthems, an introit, and a prayer response. A worship bulletin is available when people enter, making it easier to follow the order and participate in singing and prayer.
Visitors are welcome to wear whatever makes them comfortable. Parking is available along Church Street, in front of the church along the common, or in the Bridgewater Library lot at 15 South Street. Entrances are available on the Church Street side and at the front of the building. Ushers and Rev. Beth Stotts are available to show visitors around the sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, and other parts of the building during Sunday morning.
Time for Fellowship follows worship on many Sundays during September through May. Coffee, muffins, and pie are served downstairs in the Fellowship Hall, creating an informal setting to greet one another and meet new people. A recurring monthly potluck also follows worship, generally on the third Sunday from September through May. These gatherings continue the church's emphasis on sharing faith through shared tables, conversation, and ordinary time together.
Children Start With the Whole Congregation
Children and youth are welcome in the sanctuary throughout worship. Kids Church, formerly known as Sunday School, gathers children of all ages for the start of the service. Following the opening hymn or a brief moment for all ages, children may go with their leaders to the Kids Church Room. There they learn about the life of Jesus and the Bible through games, creative activities, arts and crafts, discussion, and storytelling. Regular attendees, occasional visitors, and children who are simply visiting for the day are all included.
A nursery is also available for anyone who wants to step out of worship for a quieter space. A television in the nursery carries the service, and a greeter can show families the way. The church's youth ministry has included mission trips, service projects, volunteer opportunities, archery and hiking outings, and discussion groups. These activities connect young people with the life of the congregation while giving them ways to serve, learn, and spend time together.
Four-Part Harmony and Junior Voices
The senior choir is a small group of volunteer singers organized across soprano, alto, tenor, and bass voices. It sings one anthem each week, along with an introit and prayer response, using music that ranges from Renaissance and contemporary works to spirituals and jazz. Sight-reading and musicianship are valued, but singers of all abilities are welcome. The choir rehearses at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays and usually participates in the 10 a.m. worship between Labor Day and Memorial Day.
The Junior Choir gives younger members a place in the church's musical life without requiring them to read music. It generally rehearses twice each month at 9:40 a.m. and performs about once each month, occasionally joining the senior choir for a combined anthem. The program is designed to build musical literacy and confidence while giving children ways to express themselves musically and spiritually.
Minister of Music Julia Scott Carey brings substantial experience to both ensembles. She trained at New England Conservatory Preparatory School, the Harvard and New England Conservatory joint degree program, and Boston University, earning degrees in composition and collaborative piano. Her orchestral works have been performed by ensembles including the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops, and her work as a composer, collaborative pianist, music director, and accompanist extends well beyond Central Square.
A Weekly Door Open for Food
The Bridgewater Food Pantry is one of the clearest expressions of the church's mission. It is open on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on the first Monday of each month from 6 to 7:30 p.m., except when a holiday falls on that Monday. The pantry is open to all Bridgewater residents, with proof of residency required at initial registration. Deliveries can be arranged for residents who cannot visit in person because they lack transportation.
The pantry provides supplemental food assistance. The amount available depends on household size and the supply of particular products. Shoppers select their own groceries with help from volunteers. A broad selection of nonperishable foods is usually available, along with selected perishables when supplies allow. The side entrance on Church Street, at the top of the accessible ramp, is the pantry entrance.
Monetary gifts, supermarket gift cards, and groceries keep the pantry active. Needed foods include:
- Peanut butter, jelly, pasta sauce, beans, rice, cereal, tuna, soup, canned fruit, and canned vegetables
- Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, baking goods, flour, sugar, and cooking oil
- Paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, tissues, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, shampoo, and conditioner
Gifts also help pay refrigerator and freezer electricity, winter heat, and cleaning costs. For many Bridgewater households, the Thursday pantry and monthly evening distribution are dependable points of contact with a church that puts practical assistance alongside welcome and fellowship.
When Emergency Funds Meet Real Needs
CSCC's Emergency Aid Fund offers short-term help to community members facing dire circumstances. Assistance may include paying a utility bill or rent directly to a company or landlord, issuing grocery, gas, coffee, or breakfast cards, or helping with an overnight hotel stay when needed. The church also maintains information about town, county, state, and federal resources that may offer longer support. The fund is intended for emergencies rather than continuing long-term financial assistance, and financial circumstances are kept confidential.
The Community Engagement Team works with several organizations that extend the church's reach. These relationships include disaster relief, the United Church of Christ's 5 for 5 program, Warmth in Cold Places and its soup kitchen work, and Church World Service's blanket ministry. Blankets are distributed to people who need warmth and shelter during disaster and hardship. Kids Church has also used a recurring Heifer International program to learn about sustainable giving and raise funds for projects supporting families around the world. Special UCC offerings for neighbor justice, church strengthening, and wider mission add to this network of service.
Central Closet and the Women's Guild
Central Closet Thrift Shop is open most Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a reduced Saturday schedule during summer. Volunteers run the shop and welcome people to shop, donate, volunteer, or simply visit. New or gently used clothing, footwear, linens, jewelry, glassware, household items, toys, books, DVDs, and CDs are accepted. Electronics are not accepted, donations are limited to 20 items per visit, and clothing and household goods are expected to be clean, useful, and in season.
The Women's Guild and Fellowship provides another outlet for service. Women in the church and community gather for fellowship, programs, and shared work, while the guild's rummage sales, soups, sandwiches, and baked goods raise funds for the church and for local, national, and international charities. The thrift shop and guild together show how ordinary household goods, shared meals, and volunteer labor become resources for ministry.
Mental Health Belongs in the Church's Life
CSCC is a W.I.S.E. congregation, with mental health support woven into its community life. The congregation approved a mental health covenant in 2025 after training, discussions, and work that included mental health first aid, book conversations, and attention to depression, anxiety, and the well-being of the whole person. The church also assembled a mental health resource list for Bridgewater and nearby communities.
That resource list covers crisis support, local counseling and substance-use services, support for children and families, school and campus assistance, family programs connected with addiction, and grief support. CSCC also maintains a Care Team for practical and pastoral support. The approach reflects the congregation's understanding that caring for neighbors includes mental and emotional well-being as well as food, utilities, clothing, and a welcoming room.
An Accessible Building Shared with Bridgewater
The church building is designed to serve worship and community life. A ramp on Church Street provides step-free access, an elevator stands just inside that entrance, and accessible bathrooms are located on both the first and second floors. Visitors can also enter from the front of the building. Parking near Church Street, along the common, or in the library lot places several accessible routes close to the entrances.
CSCC rents space to community groups, nonprofit organizations, educational programs, and private events. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, recovery meetings, an alternative school, and other community organizations have used the building, while the Fellowship Hall and other rooms support meetings and gatherings. Rental fees are intentionally nominal because the congregation sees hosting helpful organizations as part of being a good neighbor. Maintenance, improvement, and repair of the building require tens of thousands of dollars each year, and careful use by every group helps sustain those low-cost rental arrangements.
From Recorded Services to a Livestreamed Congregation
Central Square's video ministry grew from a practical act of care. Director of Video Evangelism Paul Holmes began recording Sunday worship in 1991, and Pastor Paul Nickerson took one of the recordings to residents of a nursing home. In 1992, BTV began rebroadcasting services and providing additional resources. Around 2015, Holmes began using YouTube, extending the congregation's visibility and creating an enduring archive of worship.
Today the sanctuary service is carried live through Facebook and YouTube, and past services are available through the church's YouTube ministry. The same Sunday morning that gathers singers, families, deacons, and visitors in the sanctuary also reaches people at home and farther away. Online participation has become a lasting part of worship rather than a separate ministry from the life of the building.
The People and Teams Behind the Welcome
Pastor Rev. Elizabeth Stotts, known as Rev. Beth, joined Central Square in August 2012 as preacher and teacher. Her ministry is rooted in radical welcome, thoughtful preaching, and compassionate pastoral care, with a focus on connecting faith to everyday life. Before joining CSCC, she worked in UCC youth ministry and Christian education, taught philosophy and religion, served as a hospital chaplain, and held interim and campus ministry roles. She is blessed by a family and also serves as a hospice chaplain.
Ministry leadership extends across several areas:
- Julia Scott Carey serves as Minister of Music and directs the senior and junior choir ministries.
- Paul Holmes directs video evangelism and the recording and livestreaming of worship.
- Eric Stotts directs Kids Church, welcoming children of all ages and helping families connect with the program.
- Jack Melcher serves as Food Pantry Director.
- Deb Sorgman, Anne Malmquist, Cristi Ciaramitaro, Stephanie Holmgren, Savannah Wells, Liam O'Connell, and Talinn Muurisepp serve as deacons.
The congregation is organized through Spiritual Engagement, Congregational Engagement, Community Engagement, and Property and Finance teams. Volunteers support worship as readers, greeters, and ushers; tend the Christ Candle and sanctuary; teach and assist in Kids Church; work with the pantry and thrift shop; organize meals and fundraisers; and care for the building. Roles are available for different ages, abilities, and levels of commitment, allowing service to become part of belonging rather than something reserved for a small group.
Rooted in Faith and Shared in Fellowship
CSCC treats giving as an act of stewardship and worship. Members and nonmembers may make annual pledges for regular giving over a 12-month period or longer. Pledges are confidential, and no penalty is imposed when circumstances make an earlier commitment unrealistic. Gifts may be given by check, PayPal, debit or credit card, Venmo, bank bill pay, automatic withdrawal, or through the collection during worship. Contributions support pastoral and staff ministry, music, worship livestreaming, Kids Church, youth programs, utilities, building care, the food pantry, and Christian outreach.
The church's life continues around worship through singing, shared meals, fellowship time, music, teaching, service, and the use of its historic building. Its history stretches back to 1821, but its central emphasis remains present: Christian faith expressed through welcome, practical care, abundant hospitality, and the sharing of time and resources. At its heart, Central Square Congregational Church remains a historic Bridgewater congregation with a simple center of gravity, rooted in faith, generous with its resources, and deliberately open to the people and neighbors it hopes to welcome.