On the Village Green Since 1708
On the Village Green in Falmouth, Massachusetts, the slender white spire of First Congregational Church has marked the center of town for more than two centuries. The congregation was originally gathered on October 28, 1708, by residents who had previously worshipped as a "branch church" of the Puritan church in nearby Barnstable. That gathering grew into the body that, in 1796, raised its fourth meetinghouse on the green and placed in its steeple a bell cast by Paul Revere. The bell still rings over Falmouth. Its inscription reads, "The living to the church I call, and to the grave I summon all."
In 1857 the wooden frame of the church was rolled across Main Street to its present location, raised on a granite foundation, fitted with new slip pews in place of the old box pews, and given a rebuilt steeple and windows. A century later, James M. Hills Hall was added in 1958, and in 1992 the Constance and Raymond Faxon Christian Education Center nearly doubled the building's footprint. The frame of that addition had just gone up when Hurricane Bob swept Falmouth in 1991; the building was rebuilt and dedicated shortly after.
The minister at that time, the Rev. William Bates, served from 1858 until his untimely death in 1859, shortly after the birth of his daughter Katharine Lee Bates. She grew up to teach at Wellesley College and to write the poem "America the Beautiful," first published in The Congregationalist in 1895. She wrote other poems about the church and the village, and returned to Falmouth nearly every year of her life. Over its long history the congregation has been served by twenty-eight ministers, including the Rev. Nanette E. Geertz, the first female minister and the first associate minister in the modern era.
A Long Welcome
First Congregational is part of the United Church of Christ, a tradition rooted in New England Congregationalism. The congregation's stated mission is to follow Jesus Christ by actively nurturing community, advocating justice, and loving all of creation. That welcome is part of the church's official identity and is visible in its signage. The church is Open and Affirming of LGBTQ+ people, of women and men of every sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, and background, and of anyone who comes with doubts and questions as well as anyone who comes with thanksgiving.
To mark its Open and Affirming status, the church adopted a rainbow Ichthys - the ancient fish symbol of early Christians - now printed on bulletins and stationery and displayed at its entrances. The pastor describes First Congregational as the congregation's "finest expression of God's Kingdom on Earth," a community in which "everyone is fully encouraged to work together" and follow Christ.
Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday morning worship begins at 10:00 a.m. from September through June and shifts to 9:00 a.m. in July and August, giving summer visitors and year-round members the same basic weekly rhythm. Each service combines choir music, prayer, scripture, and preaching, and the sacrament of Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month. The communion table is open to all who wish to come forward.
An after-service coffee hour is offered year-round. An elevator is located just inside the entrance off the parking lot for anyone who needs it, and printed copies of the sermon are made available for those who would like one. Services are livestreamed, so members who are traveling or homebound can worship along with the gathered congregation.
The Music Program
Music has long been a signature of worship at First Congregational. The adult choir rehearses on Thursdays from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and on Sunday mornings from 8:45 to 9:30, and sings at every Sunday service throughout the year except July and August. Open to anyone in high school and beyond, the choir presents a blend of traditional church anthems alongside newer compositions and frequently performs at community concerts.
Music Director John J. Dulina, IV, conducts all of the church's choirs and frequently performs on the piano at community concerts and programs. Trained in everything from Gregorian chant to contemporary works, he has conducted performances of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Vivaldi, and Stainer. He also serves as artistic director and conductor of the Greater Falmouth Community Chorus. Under his previous work in Connecticut, the adult choir he directed was invited to sing a public concert in Rome for Pope John Paul II.
FCC Kids and Youth
Children are part of Sunday morning from the start. The FCC Kids program welcomes infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners into their classrooms beginning at 9:45 a.m., where they gather for Bible stories, songs, hand-signing, art, and interactive games. Childcare runs on Sunday mornings from the Sunday after Labor Day through Memorial Day weekend, pausing during Falmouth Public School vacation weeks and during the summer months. The Christian Education program emphasizes God's love, forgiveness, and support in difficult times, and teaches the basics of Christian belief in a way that helps children "make good choices."
Led by Director of FCC Kids Danielle Dallis, who also works as a microbiologist and brings a background in marine biology and environmental policy, the program runs alongside a youth group that meets during the school year under the pastor's leadership. Youth are encouraged to bring a friend or two along.
Care and Connection
The Care & Connection ministry, coordinated by Laura Cole, reaches both inward to the congregation and outward into the surrounding community. A volunteer team makes regular visits, phone calls, and quiet acts of care, delivering poinsettias at Christmas and Easter lilies at Easter, and offering support to members and friends at JML Care Center, Heritage at Falmouth, Atria Woodbriar Place, Atria Woodbriar Park, Royal Main, Royal Megansett, Cape Cod Apartments, Cape Regency, and other local care facilities and private homes. The team meets quarterly.
Two affiliated groups deepen that work. The Healing Group meets on the second Tuesday of each month to talk through loss in a non-clinical setting, welcoming new members at any time. The Good Shepherd Program, kept to about six volunteers and rooted in the memory of a longtime church member, prepares monthly meals for caregivers, those who are homebound, and struggling neighbors who come through the church door, under Serve-safe supervision. A separate group of Outreach Singers visits homes, rehabilitation, and residential facilities with music.
The Children's Clothing Project
For about twenty years, the church has hosted a free children's clothing exchange at 68 Main Street. The Children's Clothing Project offers clean, gently-worn clothing from infant sizes through 14/16 on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Donations are accepted during normal church office hours or on the day of the exchange.
The Building and Practical Details
First Congregational Church stands at 68 Main Street in Falmouth, with the sanctuary, James M. Hills Hall, and the Faxon Christian Education Center together offering space for worship, learning, and gathering. The church hosts weddings, baptisms, and funerals for members and the wider community. The church office is open from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the main phone line and inbox at info@firstcongfalmouth.org are checked regularly outside those hours.
The pastor, the Rev. Jonathan Drury, studied cultural anthropology and comparative religion at Bates College and earned his Master of Divinity at Andover Newton Theological School. After more than a decade of youth and associate ministry at South Church in Andover, he now serves the Falmouth congregation from the same green where his predecessors have preached since the eighteenth century.
Getting Connected
Visitors and members find their way into the life of First Congregational Church through worship, choir, FCC Kids, the Healing Group, the Good Shepherd meal team, the Outreach Singers, the Children's Clothing Project, and the Open and Affirming work that shapes every part of the congregation. To learn more, email info@firstcongfalmouth.org or call (508) 548-3700 during office hours.