Bold Faith, Meaningful Action, Radical Inclusion
On a quiet stretch of South Euclid Avenue in Sarasota, just east of Alta Vista Elementary School, First Congregational United Church of Christ has stood for more than seven decades as a welcoming, justice-centered congregation of the United Church of Christ. The church's tagline - bold faith, meaningful action, radical inclusion - captures what has drawn generations of worshipers through its doors: an insistence that all ages, races, and identities are welcome, and that worship must move outward into the neighborhood and the world.
Members describe the congregation as a place that takes its progressive UCC identity seriously. Three written covenants - an Open and Affirming covenant welcoming LGBTQIA+ people, a Racial Justice covenant confronting America's original sin of racism, and a Creation Justice covenant caring for God's earth - shape how the church worships, welcomes, and serves. Those commitments show up not only in sermons and study groups but also in long-running food collections, prayer vigils for immigrant detainees, neighborhood partnerships with the elementary school across the street, and concerts that have placed the sanctuary among Sarasota's most admired musical venues.
Worship on Sunday Mornings
Two Sunday worship services gather during most of the year. At 9:00 a.m. an Early Worship service meets in the Chapel, a smaller and more intimate setting. At 11:00 a.m. Sanctuary Worship fills the main Sanctuary and is livestreamed on YouTube, with the Chancel Choir, handbells, and guest musicians regularly taking part. The 11:00 a.m. service is also offered online so worshipers near and far can participate.
Each service follows a pattern of scripture, music, prayer, preaching, and fellowship. Holy Communion is celebrated at various points in the liturgical year. Special services mark Christmas Eve (with multiple candlelight services), Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, All Saints Sunday, Pride Sunday, Juneteenth, Earth Day, and other significant days woven into the church calendar. Service times may shift slightly during summer, Holy Week, and Christmas, and a single combined service at 10:30 a.m. often gathers the whole congregation during certain seasons.
Visitors are warmly welcomed. Printed bulletins guide newcomers through the service, and a fellowship hour follows each worship gathering. The church describes its dress code with a simple invitation: come as you are. Children are welcome in worship - the joyful sounds of children in the Sanctuary are part of the community's life - and families are encouraged to bring them along.
Music at the Heart of Worship
Music has been a defining mark of First Congregational for decades. The Chancel Choir enriches the 11:00 a.m. service most Sundays, while the Handbell Choir adds its distinctive sound to special occasions throughout the liturgical year. Member pianists, violinists, and other instrumentalists, along with guest musicians and visiting ensembles, fill the Sanctuary with a wide repertoire of sacred music. A drum circle meets twice a month in the Chapel as a form of embodied prayer, and anyone is welcome to pick up a drum.
The sanctuary organ, built in 1993 by Daniel Jaeckel of Duluth, Minnesota, is a two-manual mechanical-action instrument of 23 stops and 28 ranks voiced in French Classic style. It was dedicated on February 13, 1994, in a service shared live with St. George's Church in Pontesbury, England, whose six bells date back to 1681. The Reed Chapel houses an older instrument: a Hook and Hastings pipe organ originally built in 1898 for the Unitarian Church of Brunswick, Maine, donated by the late member Ruth Upshall and installed in 2001.
Director of Music Dr. Jason Branham, who holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan, leads the music program. Before moving to Sarasota, he served as Director of Music at a Presbyterian university in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and as organ instructor at Oakland University. He is the founder of the former Greater Oakland Singers, a chorus for elementary-aged children, and has contributed to Call to Worship, the official journal of the Presbyterian Association of Musicians.
The musical tradition built over 35 years by Greg Chestnut, now Minister of Music Emeritus, continues through an active Artist-in-Residence program that has welcomed internationally respected clinicians such as Kent Tritle, Dr. Doreen Rao, Dr. Kathy Bullock, Eric Nelson, Dr. Keith Hampton, Dr. Kevin Fenton, and William H. "Bill" Mathis. Local chamber ensembles including EnsemblenewSRQ, Deux Voix, Sorella Duo, and the Piedmont University Singers have performed in the candlelit setting of Reed Chapel.
Each year the church partners with Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota to present the Top Shelf Tuesdays chamber music series, bringing world-class musicians such as violinist James Ehnes and the Ehnes Quartet, violinist Tessa Lark, soprano Liv Redpath, and pianist George Fu to the Sanctuary. A 2026-2027 season features Brahms string quintets, programs of violin duets, and piano quintets by Dohnányi and Brahms. Concerts are ticketed separately and are open to the public, with ADA accessibility throughout the venue.
The Oasis Center and Spiritual Practices
Founded in 2019 and rooted in a season of challenge and change, the Oasis Center for Reflection and Renewal extends a ministry of spiritual practices throughout the week. Tucked into the church campus, the Oasis Center offers a quiet space for prayer, conversation, and renewal, and serves as the hub for several ongoing groups.
Spiritual Direction pairs an individual with a trained director in a prayerful journey of exploration. Lay Visitation sends trained volunteers into the community to provide compassionate care to those experiencing difficult seasons of life. Morning Meditations, written by Pastor Wes and shared through his Grace Traces blog, are emailed on weekdays. The Drum Circle meets twice a month in the Chapel for an embodied practice of prayer. Sacred Conversations on Race gathers twice a month for open, prayerful dialogue about the realities of racism in the country, the community, and the church. Bible Study meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom and on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. in the Oasis Center and on Zoom, with both sessions led by Pastor Wes. A Labyrinth on the church grounds is open during daylight hours for walking meditation, with a single winding path to the center and no dead ends.
Three Covenants: Open and Affirming, Racial Justice, Creation Justice
Three congregational covenants guide the church's public witness and shape how it lives out its faith in Sarasota.
The Open and Affirming covenant commits the church to welcome, affirm, and fully include LGBTQIA+ people in every part of church life and leadership. COLLAGE, the congregation's long-standing LGBTQIA+ and allies group, lives out that commitment through LGBTQIA+ library acquisitions, Pride event outreach, educational field trips, and monthly luncheons featuring guest speakers. The covenant honors Transgender Day of Remembrance each year and partners with PFLAG Sarasota, Sarasota Pride, Equality Florida, and other advocacy organizations.
The Racial Justice covenant commits the church to truth-telling about systemic racism, hard listening and repair, equitable leadership and policies, and solidarity with neighbors on the margins. The Racial Justice Mission Group hosts personal testimonies and recognitions during worship, organizes tours of Indigenous and African American art, lectures, and museum visits, and supports the ongoing Sacred Conversations on Race gatherings at the Oasis Center.
The Creation Justice covenant, often celebrated during a Creation Justice Month in September, commits the congregation to cherish God's creation, conserve resources, and pursue environmental justice. The Green Team tends the campus Butterfly Garden, nurtures native plantings for pollinators including the Atala butterfly, manages composting and waste reduction, and avoids routine pesticide use. The team partners with Interfaith Power & Light and shares practical creation-care tips through the ONE5C newsletter.
Fighting Hunger and Walking with Neighbors
Food insecurity is a defining focus of the church's justice work. A monthly Food Collection on the first Sunday of each month supports two local partners: All Faiths Food Bank, the regional food bank serving Sarasota, and Food 4 Our Neighbors / Comidas para Nuestros Vecinos, a community partnership coordinated through the Unitarian Universalists of Sarasota that supports immigrant families. Donations of shelf-stable items, hygiene products, and baby supplies fill baskets in the narthex on collection Sundays.
The congregation also shows up with its hands. Once a month, members help cook and serve a community meal at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, and a small team helps serve lunch at Resurrection House, a day resource center offering showers, laundry, mail, and case management to people experiencing homelessness. Project 180, a reentry program supporting formerly incarcerated people with First Week Out kits and mentoring, is another long-standing partner. Gifts to All Faiths Food Bank may be made through the Louis & Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust matching program, and the church encourages members to support Bread for the World's Christian advocacy to end hunger through public policy.
Weekly SURE Prayer Vigils for immigrants and detainees are held at Payne Park in partnership with SURE Sarasota, the same congregation-based organizing network that also advocates for affordable housing and equity in the region. Monthly Resurrection House meals and quarterly community suppers extend the church's table even further into the city.
Neighbors Across the Street and Around the Corner
Alta Vista Elementary School, located just across Euclid Avenue from the church, has been a neighbor and partner for many years. Members support students, families, teachers, and staff through encouragement, school-supply drives, the Alta Vista Back-to-School Fund, seasonal collections, and special projects. A toy drive runs through the Advent season. Sarasota Point, a nearby rehabilitation and assisted living center, receives seasonal gifts and visits from members who share kindness and companionship with residents and staff.
The Mission Team coordinates two special offerings each year: the Christmas Love Offering, which supports local organizations including Resurrection House, All Faiths Food Bank, and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program; and the Easter Love Offering, which extends the church's reach to organizations such as Church World Service, One Great Hour of Sharing, Partners in Health, the Open and Affirming Coalition of the UCC, and the Joseph Henry Evans Scholarship Fund for Black UCC students. The church participates as a 5 for 5 Church, an initiative that brings the congregation into the United Church of Christ's wider mission and four Special Mission Offerings.
Fellowship, Care, and Women's and Men's Groups
The Fellowship and Special Events Team creates regular opportunities to connect: fellowship gatherings after Sunday worship, picnics, seasonal celebrations, and events like the annual chili cook-off and Bagels and Bios small-group gatherings. The Women's Association has long been a backbone of the congregation, distributing thousands of dollars each year to community organizations, hosting monthly luncheons with guest speakers, and organizing gift bags for Family Promise. First UCC Women, as the group is sometimes called, leads Mother's Day luncheons and supports a wide range of causes from immigration to hunger relief. A Men's Breakfast meets periodically for conversation and connection. The Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers monthly to craft and share prayer shawls with members and neighbors in need of comfort.
Pastoral care is woven through several teams. The Growing & Caring Team welcomes new members with hospitality efforts and personal outreach, recognizes milestones like birthdays and significant life events through "Communications Angels," and supports the All Saints Day Tree of Life remembrance. Lay Visitors reach out to those unable to attend worship. A Grief Group meets monthly. Prayer requests may be shared online and are held in prayer by the Ministry Staff.
Seventy Years on South Euclid Avenue
The story of First Congregational begins in 1953, when a Congregational Church in Sarasota was proposed to the UCC Florida State Conference. On January 20, 1954, the Conference asked the Rev. Walter Whitney, already 73 years old, to come south and organize a new church. A small notice in the local newspaper brought 63 people together for the first worship service on Sunday evening, February 14, 1954, in the Women's Club Auditorium on Park Place, now the main stage at Florida Studio Theater.
A location committee soon recommended the purchase of five acres of land east of the new Alta Vista School on Euclid Avenue, and in November 1954 members voted to apply for a $16,000 loan from the Home Missions Board to begin building. On February 1, 1955, the Rev. Dr. John Jockinsen became the church's first settled minister, and on September 4, 1955, groundbreaking was held. The chancel of the new sanctuary was constructed from used bricks obtained from the razed courthouse in Tampa. On March 4, 1956, Dedication Sunday drew 450 worshipers into the completed sanctuary.
The church grew rapidly. Fellowship Hall and a Sunday School building were added in 1959, and a Christian Education Building followed in 1963. Little Pilgrim Preschool opened that same year under the supervision of the Board of Christian Education and went on to earn NAEYC accreditation in 2002. On November 10, 1960, the congregation ratified the constitution of the newly formed United Church of Christ, and the name became First Congregational United Church of Christ.
Through the 1980s and 1990s the church became known as the "friendliest" church in Sarasota. A Habitat for Humanity partnership began in 1985. In 1989 Greg Chestnut arrived as Minister of Music and would go on to shape the music program for the next 35 years. In 1993 the church partnered to develop Orchard Place, a 40-unit HUD facility for physically challenged adults on Lockwood Ridge Road. The Resurrection House, a day center for people experiencing homelessness, opened its doors in 1992 with financial support from First Congregational's Love Offering; members later purchased their first truck to support its work.
A new sanctuary organ, built by Jaeckel Incorporated of Duluth, Minnesota, was dedicated in February 1994. On February 9, 2000, the Reed Chapel and Music Center was dedicated, the dream of the previous five years and named for longtime member Medora Reed. The Hook and Hastings chapel organ was installed in 2001, and a beautiful glass window for the chapel was completed before Easter 2002. In 2011, the congregation celebrated the Rev. Dr. John Syster, who had served as the fourth senior minister since 1983, on his 40th year of Christian ministry.
After Dr. Syster retired in 2012, the Rev. Dr. Wesley Bixby, then Minister of a UCC church in Janesville, Wisconsin, was called as the church's fifth senior minister in January 2014. Pastor Wes, an Iowa native who attended United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and was ordained by the UCC in 2001, has led the church with an open-door policy and a spirit of extravagant welcome. A 10th Anniversary Tribute in 2024 marked a decade of his ministry, and the congregation now celebrates his 12th year.
In 2023, the sanctuary underwent a significant transformation with a new floor, new paraments sewn by Carol Fields celebrating the congregation's covenants, and updated pew cushions upholstered by volunteers including Don Hoy and supported by the Women's Association. On September 17, 2023, the sanctuary was rededicated to the glory of God with prayers that future generations would find it a place where all are truly welcome. On November 10, 2024, the congregation concluded a year-long celebration marking 70 years of ministry, growth, and fellowship, with Pastor Wes preaching on Isaiah 40 and Susan Moore sharing her song "Ain't Gonna Be 69 No More."
Leadership and Governance
Governance rests with the Congregation, which shapes the direction of leadership and mission. A Church Council composed of moderators, team leaders, the pastor, and treasurers guides the church's ministries. Ray Baker serves as Moderator, Pauline Geary as Vice Moderator, and Carol McCloud as Past Moderator. Robin Reich and Roxanne Schwoch serve as Co-Treasurers, and Susan Moore is Recording Secretary. Standing Committees include the Endowment, Nominating, and Safety Committees.
Teams organize the church's ministry: Facilities, Fellowship, Budget/Finance/Stewardship, Growing & Caring, Mission, Music & Fine Arts, Peace & Justice, Spiritual Education and Growth, Staffing, and Worship. Pastor Wes serves as Senior Minister and is joined on staff by Dr. Jason Branham as full-time Director of Music. Section Leaders Lauren Patsos, Susan Raines, Rob Quarles, and River Rogers support the music ministry. Part-time staff handle office administration, financial records, media, and custodial care, and a Safety Team has developed protocols and guidance for responding to incidents during worship and other activities.
Stewardship, Giving, and Endowment
Online giving is processed through Vanco Payment Solutions, allowing secure credit card, debit card, and direct withdrawal gifts. The full gift amount reaches the church, with donors able to opt into a small 2% fee-offset to help cover processing costs. The Endowment Committee oversees long-term endowment funds invested in socially responsible funds, including the Unrestricted Endowment Fund, the Campus Maintenance Fund, and the Music & Fine Arts Fund. Planned giving options include bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, donor-advised funds, appreciated stock, retirement account beneficiary designations, life insurance gifts, and gifts of cash and personal property.
Plan Your Visit
First Congregational United Church of Christ is located at 1031 S. Euclid Avenue, with parking available in the church lot and accessible parking spaces near the main entrance. ADA-compliant access and restrooms are available throughout the campus, and both the Sanctuary and Chapel are equipped with a hearing loop (T-coil) system for those with compatible hearing aids. Visitors may call (941) 953-7044 or email through the online contact form with questions before their first visit.
A welcome video from Pastor Wes is available for those who want to hear directly from the senior minister before arriving. The Midweek Message, the weekly newsletter, the sermon library on YouTube, the prayer request page, and the Grace Traces blog by Pastor Wes offer many ways to follow the church's life between Sundays. Annual reports, worship bulletins, and newsletters remain archived for those who want to dig deeper into the church's story.
The address is 1031 S. Euclid Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34237. The church office may be reached at (941) 953-7044. Sunday worship resumes each week at 9:00 a.m. in the Chapel and 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary and online.