Radiating Christ's Love in the Heart of Westport
Tucked along Post Road East in Westport, Connecticut, Saugatuck Congregational Church has been a Christian presence in the neighborhood for nearly two hundred years. The congregation belongs to the United Church of Christ and was officially recognized as Open and Affirming in 2007. Members describe their identity with a brief vision statement: "A Community of Christ, Welcoming All People, and Learning to Love and Serve God and Neighbor." Visitors are likely to hear that vision lived out in the smiles at the door, in the open Communion table on the first Sunday of each month, and in the church's long tradition of feeding neighbors through the Gillespie Center.
A Meeting House Moved Six Hundred Yards
The Saugatuck Meeting House Association was formed in 1830 to plan a house of worship for the area then known by "the significant and euphonious name of Saugatuck." On July 5, 1832, thirty-six charter members, most of them former members of Greens Farms Congregational Church, dedicated their new meeting house. When the State of Connecticut chartered the town of Westport on May 28, 1835, the notice was nailed to the church door and the first town meeting was held there.
The building has not always stood where it stands today. In 1886 Morris Jesup deeded his Federal-style mansion and surrounding eight acres to the congregation, stipulating that the property should be the future site of a meeting house. It took until 1947 for the congregation to authorize the move, and on the early dawn of August 28, 1950, the steeple bell rang to gather five hundred men, women, and children in the middle of a blocked-off Post Road. The two-hundred-ton meeting house then slid down a nineteen-foot incline on fifty-five revolving logs for ten hours, traveling six hundred yards diagonally across the road. Life magazine covered the spectacle, and one "Westport matron" told a reporter, "This is more fun than a cocktail party!" By nightfall, the 128-year-old church had a new home. An office and classroom addition followed in 1956, and the building was completely renovated again in 2014. The interior still keeps its traditional New England character, with a vaulted ceiling, wonderful light, and a two-manual Klais organ from Germany paired with a Steinway piano.
In 1961, the congregation voted to join The United Church of Christ, which had been formed in 1957. Seven years later, the congregation voted to approve the election of Deacons "without regard to sex." In 1984, member Jim Gillespie was one of the founders of the Interfaith Housing Association, now known as Homes with Hope, which operates the Gillespie Center named in his honor. Before that work began, people without housing sometimes slept in the Saugatuck sanctuary.
Sunday Worship at Ten
Worship takes place in the sanctuary every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. and runs about an hour. Services begin as all-ages worship and include a "Time for All Ages," a family-friendly message that ties into the themes of the day. After that moment, children in church school leave with their teachers; parents are welcome to walk them to the classroom and return to the service. Nursery care is available for infants and toddlers. During the summer, when church school is on break, kids are welcome to take an activity tote bag and sit with their families, or to wiggle in the sand at the beach.
Communion is served on the first Sunday of every month, and the table is open to everyone. The congregation's statement says it plainly: "Jesus didn't turn anyone away and neither do we." Ushers greet visitors with a printed program. After the service, the community gathers for Coffee Hour in Hoskins Hall, where light refreshments and plenty of friendly faces make for an easy introduction to the church.
Every Sunday's 10 a.m. worship is livestreamed on YouTube, so people who cannot be present in person can join live or watch later. A digital bulletin accompanies each service.
Open and Affirming in the United Church of Christ
Saugatuck is a member congregation of the United Church of Christ, a denomination with a long history of openness, inclusion, and advocacy. In 2007, the congregation voted to be recognized as Open and Affirming, and the language was added to the church's bylaws: "We welcome anyone who seeks God into the fellowship, worship, and work of this church without regard to their race, ancestry, age, physical or mental ability, gender, sexual orientation, social and economic status, or religious background." The church "unconditionally celebrates people of any sexual orientation and gender expression, age, race, ethnicity, economic class, ability, and religious background."
The members' Covenant, written and adopted by the congregation, binds them "to follow the Holy Spirit as revealed in the scriptures, in tradition and in our own experience," and to claim as their mission "the promotion of justice, peace and human dignity in both word and deed." The church embraces religion and science, head and heart, as it seeks and listens for God's presence in the world. It practices open Communion and forms partnerships with people of other faiths, acknowledging that no single community has all the answers or sole claim to God's love.
Music: Steinway, Klais, and a Concert Series
Music is central to worship at Saugatuck. Dr. Liang-Fang Chang joined the staff in September 2021 as Director of Music Ministries. A pianist and chamber musician, she holds a Bachelor of Music from Fu-Jen University in Taiwan, a Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Iowa, where she was a University of Iowa Performance Fellow and winner of the UI Concerto Competition performing Schumann. In addition to her work at Saugatuck, she teaches privately and serves as adjunct faculty at Western Connecticut State University and Naugatuck Valley Community College.
Under her direction the church offers the Saugatuck Concert Series, a free season of recitals in the sanctuary curated to share music from a variety of genres and performers with the wider community. Past seasons have featured a piano recital by composer Dr. Hayk Arsenyan and a flute-and-piano duo with Aimee Toner and WeiWei Zhai. Concerts are open to all, with donations accepted at the door.
Children, Youth, and the Coffee Hour Tradition
Sarah Peterson became the church's Children's Church Director and Lead Teacher in February 2026. A lifelong Saugatuck member, she is continuing a legacy that began with her mother, Abby Peterson, who led the Church School board from approximately 1990 to 2012. Sarah brings a background in early learning education and a secondary life in musical theater; she started in Saugatuck's youth choir, moved into musical theater at eight, and went on to record and release two albums with her band "The Give." Church school runs from September through late May, with children leaving the sanctuary after the Time for All Ages.
High school youth gather under the leadership of Pastor Steven and his wife, Rev. Nanette Pitt, with events like the Youth Group Kick-Off and an annual mission trip to Washington, D.C., funded in part by events such as SOUPer Bowl Sunday and Pasta Dinner and Bingo Night. After worship on Sundays, the Coffee Hour in Hoskins Hall functions as one of the church's most reliable traditions, with boards and committees rotating the hosting duties week by week.
Learning Together Through the Week
Beyond Sunday morning, the church hosts several weekly gatherings. On Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Pastor Steven leads the Alpha Course on Zoom, unpacking the basics of the Christian faith through a short video and open conversation. On Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., Scripture Exploration meets in the Fellowship Room for Bible study, often working through difficult texts together; recent months have considered the difference between restorative and retributive justice and the Book of Revelation. Also on Wednesdays, instructor Ruby Shih teaches two levels of Tai Chi in Room 109/110, an intermediate class at 9:15 a.m. and a beginner/refresher class at 10:00 a.m., focused on relaxation, circulation of internal energy, balance, and flexibility. Both Tai Chi classes are free and open to all.
Compo Beach in Summer
During July and August, Saugatuck joins three neighboring congregations to share leadership of an 8:30 a.m. worship service at Compo Beach. Each Sunday the churches rotate: Green's Farms Congregational Church, Norfield Congregational Church, Saugatuck Congregational Church, and United Methodist of Westport and Weston. Worshipers are told to bring a chair, come as they are (flip-flops and nice shorts are fine), and look for the church near the cannons. Free parking is available even without a Westport beach sticker; attendees simply tell the gate attendant they are there for the church service. For those who prefer the indoors, the air-conditioned sanctuary service continues at 10:00 a.m. all summer long.
Serving Neighbors at the Gillespie Center
Caring for neighbors is a core expression of faith at Saugatuck. For decades, the congregation has collected bags of groceries for the Gillespie food pantry. Current needs include pasta sauce, canned tomatoes of all kinds, jelly, canned soup, and black and pinto beans; donations can be dropped off at the Gillespie Center on Jesup Road or at the Welcome Center at the rear of the church. Each February, volunteers gather in Hoskins Hall to package shelf-stable meal packets for food pantries across Fairfield County.
Saugatuck also has a long-standing tradition of serving dinner at the Gillespie Center on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Volunteers prepare or purchase a family-style meal for twenty to twenty-five people, including a main dish, a side, a vegetable, and a dessert, with no nuts or shellfish to protect guests with food allergies. Recipe ideas, cooking help, and financial support are all available for anyone who wants to take part.
Weddings, Memorials, and a Renovated Building
Weddings have been held at Saugatuck for more than 175 years. Couples can choose the sanctuary, the chapel, or the outdoor Memorial Garden, and enjoy ample on-site parking. Because a wedding at Saugatuck is a worship service in the church, the pastor conducts the ceremony, with at least three pre-wedding meetings for a total of six hours of premarital counseling. Connecticut requires a marriage license from the town where the wedding will take place; the fee is thirty dollars.
Memorial services can be held in the sanctuary, which seats up to 250 and is equipped with the Klais organ and Steinway piano. Dr. Chang is available to play for services upon request, and soloists or other musicians can also be arranged. Live-streaming and video recording are available for those who cannot attend in person. Receptions can be held in the comfortable Fellowship Room or in Hoskins Hall for larger gatherings.
Rooms and facilities are open to outside groups as well. Hoskins Hall, a multi-use space with a small stage and a professional-grade kitchen, seats up to 230 or stands 250. The Memorial Garden, planted with hydrangeas, spirea, lilies, iris, and phlox, offers a beautiful setting for outdoor gatherings. The Sanctuary seats 350, a smaller chapel seats more intimately, and several classrooms (Rooms 109/110, 203/204, 206, and 211) accommodate meetings and classes. All spaces were fully renovated in 2014 and are wheelchair accessible. The parking lot accommodates 172 cars.
The Evergreen Cemetery
In 1835, the Society of Saugatuck purchased just over an acre from Stephen Morehouse for $302.50 to serve as the church's cemetery. The Evergreen Cemetery remains part of the congregation's ministry and care, listed alongside the church's other longstanding commitments.
Giving and Getting Involved
Members and friends can support the church through one-time or recurring online donations, by pledging annually, or by donating a used vehicle through a partnership with CARS, Inc. Checks may be mailed to the church at 245 Post Road East, Westport, CT 06880. Those interested in learning more about the congregation are invited to "Discover Saugatuck," a short gathering held periodically after Sunday worship that introduces newcomers to the church's beliefs and its place within the wider United Church of Christ.