At 7171 N. Pennsylvania Street on Pennsylvania Street just north of 71st Street, First Congregational United Church of Christ is in Indianapolis's Meridian Hills neighborhood. The congregation is known for a progressive Christian witness, an Open and Affirming welcome that dates to 1994, and a substantial emphasis on disability and mental health ministry. Sunday worship centers on hymns, vocal choir music, and organ, with the 11:00 service offered both in person and live.
A Place to Belong, a Place to Heal, a Place to Love
The church's motto, "A place to belong, a place to heal, a place to love," captures a congregation that says it wants to be a transforming presence for God in the world. Its mission joins three commitments: welcoming and loving everyone through God's grace; seeking God's voice through worship, learning and growth; and responding through compassion, justice and care of the earth. Staff and lay leaders are united in faith, service and ministry.
Coming out of the Congregational tradition, First Congregational is covenantal rather than creedal. It values the freedom and responsibility of the individual soul and private judgment, and no test of creed or dogma is required for membership. Its covenant commits the community to four practices:
- Serve God with faithfulness.
- Treat one another with acceptance, love and compassion.
- Bear witness to the world with love.
- Live faith humbly, yet boldly.
Sunday at 11:00: Hymns, Choir, and Organ
Sunday's rhythm gives visitors several ways to take part. Adult education and choir rehearsal begin at 10:00, followed by worship at 11:00. Refreshments and fellowship fill the Parlor from 9:45 to 12:30.
- 10:00 Adult Education: Everyone is invited to join learning and conversation in the Mayflower Room on the lower level before worship.
- 10:00 Choir Practice: The choir rehearses in the Choir Room on the second floor before singing at the 11:00 service. New singers may join without registering in advance.
- 11:00 First Congregational Worship: The service is held in the sanctuary and can also be watched through the church's YouTube livestream.
- First Sunday Communion: Communion is celebrated each month, and all are welcome to participate.
The worship service features hymns, vocal choir music and organ. Handbells or a jazz trio occasionally join the music. A service bulletin is available at the entrance, and visitors may take any seat they choose. The congregation includes people of every age in worship and invites children and families to explore the Prayground at the front of the sanctuary.
Ample parking is available behind the church. Visitors take the driveway to the rear of the building, enter through the one entrance door, and turn right down the hall to reach the sanctuary. Directions to the church include the same route.
There is no formal dress requirement. Some people dress up on Sunday mornings, while others wear jeans, shorts or a T-shirt. The church's invitation is simply to come as you are.
A worship archive preserves videos and bulletins organized by year, beginning in 2017.
The Prayground and a Sanctuary Open to Many Needs
Accessibility shapes both the church building and the way worship is held. The front of the sanctuary contains the Prayground, a place for all ages to be comfortable and relaxed while taking part through sensory and calming activities such as coloring.
- The building is wheelchair accessible, with a family restroom on the first floor.
- Wheelchair-accessible parking is available behind the church.
- A lift provides access to the second floor and basement for people who cannot use stairs.
- Different areas of the sanctuary provide wheelchair access.
- Bulletins and newsletters use large fonts.
- An usher can provide a listening device, and a variety of fidgets are available in the Prayground.
People who cannot attend because of mental or physical health may worship online. The animal policy also recognizes the benefit animals can provide. Service animals are welcome, while emotional support animals may attend with prior approval from the pastor or a designee and must not threaten or disrupt others.
Open and Affirming Since 1994
In 1994, the congregation voted to become an Open and Affirming church and placed that welcome in its bylaws. First Congregational actively supports gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex justice and is a member of the Interfaith Coalition on Nondiscrimination. Its welcome is expressed through a set of Christian values the church seeks to live:
- Progressive Christianity and fresh understandings of God's word.
- Inclusiveness.
- Spiritual vitality.
- Servant community.
- Equal rights for women.
- Radical hospitality for all people.
Its covenant welcomes people regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, age, education, economic class, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, or physical or psychological differences as equals in the life and ministry of the faith community. First Congregational acknowledges that it may make mistakes and commits in advance to listening, confessing, reconciling, restoring and recommitting in love.
A Faith of Grace, Justice, and Covenant
First Congregational belongs to the United Church of Christ, a distinct and diverse Christian community formed from Congregational, Christian, liberal Lutheran and liberal Reformed traditions. It understands itself as members and participants in the Body of Christ, with staff and lay leaders serving together.
The UCC's shared affirmation names God as the Eternal Spirit made known through Jesus Christ. It affirms creation in the divine image, God's saving love, judgment according to righteousness, reconciliation through the crucified and risen Christ, and renewal by the Holy Spirit. The church is called to accept the joys and costs of discipleship, serve the whole human family, proclaim the gospel, resist evil, share Christ's baptism and table, and live with forgiveness, grace, courage for justice and peace, the Holy Spirit's presence, and the promise of eternal life.
Peace, Justice, and Care of the Earth
The church says it has a long history as a progressive force in Indianapolis and that its doors are open to all. Its understanding of God as still speaking leads it to attend to the world, peace and justice. Faith is not separated from action: the mission calls members to equip and empower one another to make a difference in their lives and the world.
First Congregational has a relationship with Faith in Indiana, an organization seeking justice in Indiana for individuals, families and anyone facing oppression. That relationship connects congregational life with justice work through regular meetings and shared activities. Compassion, justice and care for the earth remain central to the church's public witness as well as its worship and learning.
Learning, Fellowship, and Conversation
First Congregational describes the development of faith and the effort to live it out as a lifelong process. Its learning opportunities are intended for people of all ages and experiences, wherever they are in their journey.
- What's the Buzz? Regular gatherings held on Sundays after worship for conversation about current issues facing the church.
- Circle Book Club: A monthly group for reading and discussing books.
- Youth Group: Regular gatherings for young people.
- Men's Lunch: Conversation and fellowship at 1:00 every other Thursday, with the group meeting at a different Indianapolis-area restaurant each time.
- Women's Lunch Bunch: A monthly gathering on Thursday at varying locations around Indianapolis, devoted to fun and fellowship without programs, committees or commitments.
The church's Safe Church Policy commits it to creating an atmosphere free from discrimination, harassment, exploitation and intimidation so that people can worship, learn and work together.
Each week, the church sends an Epistle with event announcements, invitations, a message from the senior pastor and other information for members and friends. Its monthly Pilgrim Colony newsletter takes its name from the church's Congregational Christian roots and connection to the early American Pilgrims. Each issue includes messages from the senior pastor and lead councilor, church council and board updates, event announcements, and members' birthdays and celebrations.
A WISE Church for Disability and Mental Health
First Congregational identifies as a WISE church in connection with the UCC Mental Health Network. This focus appears in the accessibility of its building, its welcome to people with disabilities, its work with neurodivergent children and adults, and the responsibilities carried by its senior pastor in the wider United Church of Christ.
Senior Pastor Sarah Lund serves on the UCC's National Staff as the Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice. Her work includes mental health ministry, neurodiversity, accessibility and the connection between faith and community care. She is the author of Blessed are the Crazy, Blessed Union, Blessed Youth, Blessed Youth Survival Guide and Blessed Minds. Her broader work has included service with Faith and Action Project, Bread for the World Indiana, Mental Health America Indiana, the Disability Ministry Network, Faith Inclusion Network and the National 988 Lifeline Marketing and Communications Committee.
Family Faith Ministry Leader Gracelynn Royer leads the church's children and youth ministries. A board-certified music therapist with experience working with people of all abilities, she is also neurodivergent. She brings that experience to creating accessible, creative and joyful opportunities for young people and families to explore faith, build relationships and discover their identity as beloved children of God.
Music as a Shared Language
Organist and Music Designer Sean Baker is a pianist, vocalist, composer and orchestrator whose work has taken him throughout Indianapolis and beyond. He has written and arranged music for performances, recordings and television, and he has served as house pianist for Chef Joseph's at the Connoisseur room. At First Congregational, he is pianist and arranger for the New Creation gathering and leads an annual courtroom Pride skit that treats clobbering Scripture passages with humor. His arrangements bring classical, jazz and contemporary idioms into the church's worship.
Scott Semester serves as worship song leader and external communications manager. His background includes singing in a chancel choir, performing in church musical productions, and presenting the Big Broadway Sing-Along with Sean Baker. Ben James manages sanctuary media and the livestream during services and also contributes his voice to the choir. Together with the congregation's singers, these musicians make the Sunday blend of hymns, choir, organ, handbells and jazz a distinctive part of First Congregational's worship.
A Called Pastor and Shared Leadership
The congregation called Pastor Sarah Lund by unanimous vote in January 2018 to serve as senior pastor. She is an ordained minister with standing in the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Her degrees include studies at Trinity University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Rutgers University and McCormick Theological Seminary. Before joining First Congregational, she served congregations in Brooklyn, Minneapolis and New Smyrna Beach, was regional minister for the Florida Conference of the UCC, and served as vice president for advancement at Christian Theological Seminary.
First Congregational is also experimenting with shared leadership. The traditional roles of moderator and vice moderator have been replaced by three senior councilors, each serving a four-month term as lead councilor. That structure places responsibility for church governance among a rotating trio while keeping staff and lay leaders connected in service, faith and ministry.
Weddings, Giving, and a Continuing Story
First Congregational welcomes weddings as an Open and Affirming congregation celebrating God's love for all. Couples exploring marriage at the church are invited to learn about the process and the church's approach to their ceremony.
Giving is available through a secure donation portal. Donors may arrange recurring or one-time gifts by automatic withdrawal from a checking or savings account or by credit or debit card. A donor can also designate a payment through the Other category, including activity fees, books for adult education, or special offerings, through an accompanying note. More information is available through online giving.
At 7171 N. Pennsylvania Street, First Congregational UCC continues to shape its Sunday life around learning, shared music, open welcome and covenantal service. Its 11:00 worship and 10:00 gatherings make room for people of many ages, abilities and journeys, while its commitments to justice, accessibility, mental health and care of the earth extend beyond the sanctuary and into the life of the congregation.