Six Church Road and Three Centuries of Gathering
Sherman Church sits at 6 Church Road in Sherman, Connecticut, a small town where the road itself takes its name from the building it leads to. Gathered in 1744 and affiliated with the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, the church describes its mission in two short phrases: Becoming Like Christ and Making Him Known. Its identity is rooted in its historic statement of faith, its long relationships with missionaries abroad, and a steady rhythm of service in the surrounding towns of Sherman, New Milford, and Danbury.
Sunday Mornings at Ten
Worship gathers each Sunday at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary. The pattern is scripture-centered: an Old Testament reading, a New Testament reading, a Gospel reading, and a sermon from the pastor, all set within musical worship. Recent services have walked through Acts, Colossians, John, and Ephesians in a sermon series that invited the congregation to consider what a faithful way forward looks like in everyday life. Deacon Emeritus Charles Mastroni has preached as well, and guest pastors have filled the pulpit while the church occasionally sets aside the traditional sermon for a Testimony Sunday, when four members share what God has been doing in their lives, followed by prayer and song.
Nursery and Sunday School
Families with young children are not left out. A nursery is staffed by church volunteers from 9:45 to 11:30 AM, caring for babies and toddlers from six weeks to three years of age in a small room within the building. Parents register their child on the way in and sign out at pick-up, and children are only released to those named on the registration form.
The nursery ministry describes its purpose as a place where children learn from loving caregivers what Jesus taught the children, echoing Mark 10:14. A wellness policy asks families to keep children home if they have had a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting in the last twenty-four hours, or if they show other symptoms including rashes not associated with diapering, heat, or allergies, or colored nasal discharge. If a child becomes upset during worship, caregivers will bring the parent back. Childcare can also be arranged for most special events beyond Sunday morning.
Sunday School classes run during the 10:00 AM service for children from age four through grade four, with classrooms spanning the upper floor of the building. Children four and older are encouraged to participate rather than remain in the nursery.
A Hall Built by the Town
The Fellowship Hall at Sherman Church dates to the 1950s, built with the effort and funding of the entire Sherman community. The hall remains available for community events, service outreach, private gatherings, and church programming, with a small nursery included as part of the facilities. The sanctuary itself can be reserved with pre-approval for special events, and a fee schedule and facility-usage form are available for those wanting to use the building.
The full facility lineup includes a parlor and prayer room, two Sunday School and event rooms, a downstairs youth and event room, the Fellowship Hall, a kitchen, and the sanctuary itself with both front and rear views. A parsonage and a barn-garage stand on the campus as well, supporting both pastoral housing and the practical needs of the church's ministry.
The Statement of Faith
Sherman Church holds the Statement of Faith of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. The CCCC teaches that the Bible, Old and New Testaments together, is the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God written; that there is one God eternally existent in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that Jesus Christ is fully God, virgin-born, sinless in life, working miracles, crucified and resurrected, now ascended to the right hand of the Father and personally returning in power and glory; that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation of lost and sinful humanity; that the present ministry of the Holy Spirit indwells and empowers believers for godly living today; and that there is spiritual unity among all believers in Christ.
The local congregation has added further positions on gender, marriage, sexuality, salvation, and the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. The Statement of Faith also notes that the Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning truth, morality and the proper conduct of mankind, is the sole and final source of all that we believe, and that the Pastor and Deacons serve as the church's final interpretive authority on the Bible's meaning and application. Leaders and ministry volunteers affirm and abide by this Statement of Faith as a condition of serving in any capacity.
Five Core Values
From the mission flow five core values. The church values the Bible, given by God so that the congregation can know the truth and live transformed lives. It values worship as the cornerstone of faith, holding prayer, Sunday worship, and daily personal worship as essential to becoming like Christ. It values missions, supporting both local efforts in nearby towns and partnerships with missionaries from Colombia to Tanzania. It values generosity and service, asking members to give of finances, skills, time, and service. And it values fellowship, treating the church as a family where everyone is welcomed, loved, and accepted.
Prayer That Travels With You
Prayer requests come in through an online form, by phone or email to the office, or in person. Each request is logged and routed - to the pastor and deacons, to larger groups during worship, to women's Bible study, or to printed bulletins, depending on the requester's wishes. Help with meals, shopping, or errands can also be requested alongside the prayer, and the church will pass those practical needs along.
Outside office hours, emergencies reach the Chair of Deacons or the pastor directly. The church office itself is officially staffed from 9 AM to 1 PM on weekdays, with messages directed to the church administrator.
Women's Community Bible Study
Bible studies at Sherman Church include both seasonal and ongoing offerings. The Women's Community Bible Study has been in place for many years and gathers weekly on Wednesdays from 10 AM to noon. Julie Astbury of Sherman leads prayer from 10 to 11 and Bible study from 11 to noon. The group is friendly and multi-denominational, welcoming women at any stage of faith with no prior Bible knowledge required. A Google Meet option lets members join remotely, and the study takes a summer hiatus.
Recent adult studies have included a group on the book of Jonah, the Alpha course, and a discussion of Salt & Light Devotional by Chris Tiegreen. Seasonal studies during Lent and Advent serve those new to the faith, those maturing, and those preparing for leadership roles.
Missions Close to Home
Sherman Church supports a circle of local-mission partners. Loaves and Fishes of New Milford receives regular donations and hands-on help, feeding neighbors in need. Members are also pointed to Sherman Social Services for residents seeking aid. A Community Relief Fund gathers resources through the church office for those in need.
A military donation bin in the Fellowship Hall collects items for veterans at the VA hospital in West Haven, with voluntary services receiving the goods. Many online retailers will ship free of charge to active-duty military with an address to send to, and the church shares that information for those who want to give even from a distance.
Further afield, Jericho Partnership of Danbury serves at-risk youth with academic support, life-prep, social-emotional care, and spiritual programming around a 360-degree wraparound model. Jericho runs a food pantry, life-skills workshops, and the Spring Street Ministry Center. Sherman Church also backs Hopeline Pregnancy Resource Center of Danbury, which offers free pregnancy tests, lay counseling, parenting classes, material assistance, choice education, abstinence education for schools and churches, Forgiven and Set Free abortion-recovery groups, and The Path to Sexual Healing Bible studies. Hopeline has served more than 7,000 women since opening. Adult & Teen Challenge Connecticut is another local partner, with the Missions Committee marking its work through Sunday worship specials.
Missions Across the Globe
Internationally, Sherman Church has long-standing relationships with several missions. Christian Camping in Medellin, Colombia, partners with the church for evangelism and outreach. Lion of Judah Academy in Tanzania, led by Hart and Lynn Inlow, has educated students from primary school through Form 6 for more than two decades. Each year students sit national examinations with strong results, and the school is steadily building self-sufficiency through a vocational program that includes a remote driving school bringing government-certified training to other regions, an alumni embroidery business, and a for-profit child care center under construction on the campus. Lynn has worked with older girls on feminine hygiene, and ongoing building projects support the staff who have given their lives to the school.
Hope Academy of the Bronx, now in its thirteenth year, offers Christian education to New York City families. Sherman Church supports the school through prayer and giving, and the leadership asks for prayers around five S's: Staff, Scholars, Space, Supply, and Spread.
Mesa Global, working with the Bruneaus in Colombia, partners with the church on leader training, disaster relief following major earthquakes, and pastoral encouragement in Cuba and the Philippines. Mesa recently celebrated 80 years of a Colombian church movement grown from work begun by the Latin America Mission, with 1,200 movement pastors gathering in Sincelejo. The church has also walked alongside a Chester, Vermont church plant in its first year, hearing reports of Palm Sunday services, a Maundy Thursday communion with about twenty first-time participants praying as families, and an Easter Sunday that welcomed six to seven new families and overflowed its chairs in the rain.
Each month the church takes a second offering during Sunday worship for a special project, often responding to current or extreme loss from war or natural disaster. Donations can be directed through the tithes and offerings page by noting the organization in the comment line.
Family, Youth, and Faith Building
Family Fun Nights bring the church community together outside of Sunday worship, with food, games, and a blessing for the children of the parish. Pastor Greg Flower has blessed children and backpacks at the gatherings, with evenings that mix bracelet-making, cornhole, and a giant Connect 4 game outside in the open air.
A Tuesday evening program at 6:30 PM creates space for youth to gather, make friends, and be themselves. Games, snacks, and real conversations anchor the evening, with opportunities to grow in faith and life alongside peers and mentors. The framing welcomes both longtime churchgoers and those just checking things out.
Vacation Bible School runs for a full week in the summer, with a family movie night added to extend the celebration. A first-responders Sunday has honored EMTs, firefighters, and police from Sherman and surrounding communities with prayers and a sermon on the risks and faith required for the work. Men's Breakfasts bring men together at 8 AM for conversation. A Women's Brunch occasionally gathers women for fellowship, with past guests including the widow of a New York City firefighter lost on September 11, who spoke with humor and Scripture about relying on God through tragedy.
At the Pastorate
Reverend J. Loring Carpenter has served Sherman Church as its interim minister for nearly four years. Pastor Greg Flower has been called as the church's next seated pastor, and he and his wife Paula have begun their ministry in Sherman, with a transition period sharing duties before Loring formally passed the baton. Charles Mastroni serves as the church's Moderator and a Deacon Emeritus. Laura Baxter chairs the Board of Deacons. Barbara Hoag serves as Treasurer.
Worship on Screen
Worship services are recorded and posted online, allowing members and visitors to watch recent services or revisit older sermons at their convenience. A sermon archive sits on the church's YouTube channel, and individual services have been shared through Vimeo embeds with sermon titles and scripture readings clearly noted so anyone joining late can follow along.
Church Council and Committees
Sherman Church is governed by its bylaws, with the mission carried out through committees and boards meeting once a month. The Church Council draws one member from each committee and considers matters affecting the entire church body under the oversight of the Moderator.
Standing committees include the Board of Deacons, Missions, Trustees, Christian Education, Investments, Nominating, and a Transition Team/Search Team. Each meets online through dedicated video links, with dial-in numbers available for those who prefer to participate by phone.
A Place to Find Peace and Joy
The church's vision is to be known as the place to find peace and joy and experience the passion of a personal relationship with Christ. It wants everyone to feel welcomed, to have a safe and comfortable place to ask questions, find help, and ultimately participate in a Christian journey. The vision commits the congregation to being present at local events in Sherman and in neighboring communities, with a particular care for pre-teens, seniors, and the underserved.
Music, prayer, and hospitality are central to that vision. On any given week that means hymn-singing in the sanctuary, prayer going up for those who have asked, a hall that has been gathering the town since the 1950s, missionaries supported from here to Tanzania, and a children's ministry that takes seriously the words of Jesus: "Let the little children come to me."