Where Three Old Churches Became One
Sturbridge Federated Church sits at 8 Maple Street in the small town of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in Worcester County, and its identity is rooted in a union that goes back almost a century. In 1922, three long-standing local congregations joined their worship and mission under a single roof: the Congregational Church, whose history in the area goes back to 1736; the Baptist Church of Fiskdale, organized in 1747; and the Unitarian Church, founded in 1864. The combined body took the name Federated Church of Sturbridge and Fiskdale, and today it carries both names on the same red-brick meetinghouse.
The federation is more than a shared building. The congregation is in fellowship with the United Church of Christ, American Baptist Churches USA, and the Unitarian Universalist Association, and it is also affiliated with the Massachusetts, National, and World Councils of Churches. Locally, the church belongs to the Tri-Community Ecumenical Fellowship, which brings together churches in Southbridge, Sturbridge, and Charlton. The church is self-supported and self-governed. New members may join as a Baptist, a Congregationalist, a Unitarian, or as a member of the Federated Society, and in every case they share one voice and one vote in the life of the congregation.
The vision statement on the front of the church sums up that shared life: "We joyfully celebrate Christ's presence and God's grace in our lives. We respect one another in love, actively seeking and embracing those who wish to grow with us in faith, hope and love. With God's guidance, we minister to the spiritual and physical needs of the community. Through service we flourish." The building itself is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for anyone who wants to step inside.
Pastor Dave, a Second-Career Minister
The pastor is the Reverend David W. Cote, known to the congregation simply as Pastor Dave. He has served the Federated Church since December 2020, beginning as pulpit supply, then as a part-time pastor, and now as the congregation's full-time minister. He is an American Baptist minister by ordination, though his own roots are in community church life, which is part of what drew him to a federated congregation.
Pastor Dave is a second-career pastor. His undergraduate work was in sociology at Worcester State University, and he later completed a Master of Divinity at Andover Newton Theological School. Before entering ministry, he spent many years working with homeless individuals and people with substance use disorders, work he found rewarding but knew was not the final shape of his calling. He writes that the road to this pulpit was not a straight line and that he saved the best for last. He and his wife Dee have been married for more than forty-six years; together they raised five children and now enjoy grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The staff team includes Office Administrator Venessa Turpin, who can be reached at the church office at (774) 304-1021, and Director of Music Ministry Rowan Lemaster, who was welcomed into the role with open hearts and gracious gratitude by the congregation after the long tenure of Andrew Kosiba. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and the same phone number is the contact for weddings, baptisms, funerals, building rentals, and any other pastoral need.
Sunday Mornings at 9:30
Sunday morning is the heart of the week at Sturbridge Federated. Worship is held at 9:30 a.m. and runs to about 11:00 a.m. Services are livestreamed at the same time to the Federated Church of Sturbridge and Fiskdale Facebook page and to the church's YouTube channel, and a sermon archive of recent services is available on the worship page. Communion Sunday is observed on the first Sunday of the month, with the same 9:30 a.m. start time.
The music program is described by the church as an eclectic mix of traditional classics and contemporary music. The Chancel Choir rehearses on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m., reviewing the service music for the day; after worship the choir gathers again at 11:00 a.m. for fuller rehearsal and finishes by 12:30 p.m. The choir is open to anyone age fifteen and older. On every second Sunday of the month, a small group or solo performer is invited into the service so that the Chancel Choir can join their families in the pews; past guest offerings have included local musicians and dancers whose talents are offered to the spiritual needs of the congregation.
The choir carries the music ministry well beyond the walls of the meetinghouse. Members sing at area nursing homes and take part in the Old Sturbridge Village Christmas by Candlelight program, and they join other ecumenical choirs for events such as the annual Festival of Giving Trees. Once a year the music ministry hosts a community choral workshop called Make a Joyful Noise, welcoming a guest conductor and arranger to rehearse a selection of anthems before a free evening performance that is open to the public.
Koinonia, Crossroads, and the Care Team
Two long-running small groups give the congregation much of its weekly rhythm beyond Sunday morning. Koinonia is the women's group. Members meet monthly and gather for a spring retreat and an autumn retreat; their service projects include baking cinnamon rolls for homebound members of the wider community and organizing the annual Fall Rummage Sale and the Holly Berry Fair in early December. Past retreats have taken women to Camp Calumet in Freedom, New Hampshire.
Crossroads is the men's group, and it is the simplest description of the church's weekly men's fellowship: the men meet every Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall for breakfast and camaraderie. A recent annual outing took the group to the Samuel Slater Museum.
On Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m., the Care Team meets in the Rainbow Room. Its work is the quiet backbone of the church's pastoral life, reaching out to members who are homebound, grieving, or in need of a visit.
Religious Education and Kingdom Quest
The church offers both youth and adult religious education, with a Vacation Bible School in the summer as the centerpiece of the children's program. Most recently, Vacation Bible Camp took the form of Kingdom Quest, a five-day program for children entering first through sixth grade, held from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. with games, snacks, music, and crafts. Registration is not required but is appreciated, and all children must be signed in and out by a parent or legal guardian with photo identification. New members are invited to New Members Classes, and the church has set aside Sundays in late August for newcomers to meet Pastor Dave and learn the story of the federation.
Bible Study, Prayer Circle, and the Sanctuary Doors
On Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m., the church's Bible Study meets in the Rainbow Room. On Monday mornings at 9:00 a.m., the Prayer Circle gathers in the Chapel for an hour of shared prayer. Together, these two small groups anchor the middle of the week, and both are open to newcomers. The church's prayer life is also visible in the chapel itself, which is open along with the rest of the building from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day.
For pastoral care and rites, families are asked to call the office to discuss weddings, baptisms (and naming ceremonies), and funerals, and to plan the use of the sanctuary or Fellowship Hall. The church is also available for rent, with space for small meetings as well as larger gatherings; rental agreement forms are handled through the church office.
The Building as a Community Hub
Fellowship Hall, the Rainbow Room, the Chapel, and the Parlor are the four working spaces of the meetinghouse, and the doors stay open to a remarkable range of community groups. The calendar reads like a small-town directory: Boy Scouts Troop 161 meets in Fellowship Hall on Sunday evenings, several Girl Scouts troops and Girl Scout Ambassador troops rotate through the building during the week, and Recovery groups find a home here as well. The Alcoholics Anonymous groups meeting in the building include New Beginnings, Women's Destiny, Women's Ruler of 6, Night Owls, and Lighthouse 12 and 12, with sessions scheduled in Fellowship Hall and the Rainbow Room on weeknights and weekends.
Each autumn, the front lawn becomes the church's Pumpkin Patch, drawing families from Sturbridge, Fiskdale, and the surrounding towns for pumpkins, cornstalks, gourds, and fall photos. The patch runs from late September through Halloween and is staffed by church volunteers, with setup days that begin with coffee, pizza, and a long line of helping hands in Fellowship Hall. The Pumpkin Patch has become one of the most visible ways the church connects with the wider community each year, and a portion of its proceeds supports the church's ministries and missions.
Music Beyond the Meetinghouse
Music is one of the strongest bridges between the Federated Church and the wider Sturbridge area. The Chancel Choir's annual appearances at Old Sturbridge Village's Christmas by Candlelight program have made the church a familiar presence in one of the town's signature seasonal events, and the Make a Joyful Noise choral workshop draws singers from neighboring congregations each year. Concerts like the recent Roots and Relics Celtic music evening, hosted in the sanctuary with a free-will offering, have become another way the building serves as a gathering place for the community.
Visiting Sturbridge Federated Church
Anyone driving through Sturbridge will find the meetinghouse at 8 Maple Street, just a short walk from the town center, with the mailbox for the Federated Church of Sturbridge and Fiskdale at P.O. Box 193, Sturbridge, MA 01566. Sunday worship begins at 9:30 a.m. and is followed by a coffee hour that doubles as a welcome. Communion Sunday is observed on the first Sunday of each month. Anyone interested in a baptism, a wedding, a funeral, a rental of the building, or simply a conversation with the pastor is invited to call the office at (774) 304-1021 during weekday hours, or to write to Pastor Dave at pastor@sturfed.org.
Worship is livestreamed to the church's Facebook page and YouTube channel every Sunday morning for those who cannot be in the sanctuary, and sturfed.org carries a calendar of weekly events as well as Bible Study, prayer, and small-group information. Donations are accepted online through PayPal or by mail. Whatever door a visitor comes through, whether Sunday worship, a Bible study on a Thursday morning, a Saturday men's breakfast, a Scout meeting, an AA meeting, or a stop at the Pumpkin Patch in October, the welcome at Sturbridge Federated is the same one Pastor Dave offers: "All who wish to travel with us are welcome."