A 1735 Congregation on Broadway
West Congregational Church has stood on Broadway in Haverhill, Massachusetts since 1735, when it was organized as the Third Parish of Haverhill to serve the families living in the western part of the young township. Nearly three centuries later, the same congregation still gathers at 767 Broadway under a simple banner: a community following Jesus together. Members today come from across the Merrimack Valley and southern New Hampshire, from different backgrounds and stages of life, mixing first-time visitors with lifelong believers. Pastors and members describe a varied, engaged, and caring family that takes faith seriously and cares deeply about one another and the surrounding town.
Through seasons of growth, challenge, renewal, and change, West Church has remained rooted in the Reformed and Congregational tradition, committed to biblical faith, worship, discipleship, and mission. The motto posted at the top of its pages captures the heart of the place: Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples. A vision picture articulated by the staff and ministry leaders describes the congregation as a church on a hill, a visible beacon of God's transforming power in Haverhill - a community whose people carry the love of Jesus to their workplaces, neighborhoods, and front lawns throughout the week.
Two Sunday Mornings, One Family
West Church offers two identical Sunday worship services at 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM in the Worship Center at 767 Broadway. Both services gather for singing, prayer, and Bible teaching aimed at everyday life, and both offer WestKids programming for preschool and elementary children along with a clean, well-staffed nursery on the lower level. Greeters at the doors welcome visitors and point them toward the Connection Center in the lobby, where friendly people will help with questions and a place to find your bearings.
The 9:00 AM service streams live on YouTube, allowing regular attenders who are traveling or homebound, and friends across the country, to join the gathering in real time. Visitors are encouraged to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to park and get settled. Parking is available in front of the church and in a larger lot behind the building. The dress code is simple: come as you are. The atmosphere is described by the staff as welcoming, relaxed, family-friendly, and focused on practical Bible teaching for everyday life.
What West Believes
The Discover West statement of faith reads like a classical evangelical creed. West Church believes that the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Word of God written. The church affirms one God, eternally existent in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and confesses the deity of Christ, his virgin birth, his sinless life, his miracles, his vicarious and atoning death through his shed blood, his bodily resurrection, his ascension to the right hand of the Father, and his personal return in power and glory.
West teaches that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for the salvation of lost and sinful people, and that the Spirit's present ministry empowers believers to live godly lives in the present world. The church holds to the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost - some to the resurrection of life and some to the resurrection of damnation - and to the spiritual unity of all believers in Christ. Communion, the Lord's Supper, is understood as a sacred act of remembrance and proclamation, usually served on the first Sunday of each month. The communion table is open to all who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and the elements are gluten-free bread and grape juice, distributed to the congregation while people remain seated.
Six Things That Mark the Family
The congregation is shaped by six core values that frame how the staff and ministry leaders disciple one another. First, being a place of grace: everyone at West is a person in process, being transformed into Christ's likeness, and so the church encourages members to welcome someone new each week. Second, delighting in God: gathering to glorify and enjoy the Lord is a priority, and members are nudged to "waste" time with God because there is no better use of time.
Third, doing life together: the life-transforming power of Jesus is experienced through loving relationships in community groups, so the church promotes having a friend and being a friend. Fourth, doing ministry together: the staff gather, equip, and launch collaborative ministry teams for local and global outreach, treating service as a team sport. Fifth, following Jesus on a lifelong journey: discipleship relationships are expected to multiply, with members receiving spiritual nurture and nurturing others in turn. Sixth, helping others encounter Jesus: members are encouraged to invest in friendships with non-Christians and to invite them into what God is doing.
From the Nursery Through High School
Family ministry at West is organized into three age-appropriate environments that span the years from infancy through high school graduation. WestNursery provides a clean, safe, age-appropriate space for the youngest children during both Sunday services. WestKids serves preschool through fifth grade during both the 9:00 and 10:30 services for the full hour. The WestKids Team gathers K through fifth graders for a large-group time of worship that includes interactive storytelling, videos, and singing, then breaks them into small groups by grade for connection with consistent leaders.
The three basic truths taught in WestKids are simple: I can trust God no matter what, I should treat others the way I want to be treated, and I need to make the wise choice. WestYouth, the middle school and high school ministry led by the Family Pastor, also gathers in two weekly rhythms during the school year. Friday Night Youth meets from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Great Room (upper level) for fun, games, and large-group discussion, while WestYouth Small Groups meet on the 2nd and 4th Sundays from 10:30 to 11:30 AM in the Great Room, where students in grades 6 through 12 work through a book of the Bible together. Parents are kept in the loop through weekly WestKids and WestYouth email newsletters.
Adult Life: Studies, Small Groups, and the 30s-and-40s
Beyond children's and youth ministry, West offers a wide range of adult programming. Small Groups are highlighted as one of the best next steps for anyone wanting to grow: groups of roughly six to twelve people meet in homes and on campus for connection, study, friendship, prayer, encouragement, and challenge, and most are open to newcomers throughout the year. Several specific groups include a Tuesday co-ed Parables study at 7:00 PM in Room 201 led by Richard Boynton, a Thursday morning men's Bible study at 7:00 AM led by Richard Boynton as well, a Sunday morning Gospel Growth study, and a Monday women's study walking through Priscilla Shirer's Jonah study.
A GriefShare group meets on Monday evenings for those walking through the loss of a loved one, and a long-running Adult Evening Bible Study gathers on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM in Room 201 for a co-ed study through the book of James. A craft group meets every Monday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in Room 201, creating handmade items for Operation Christmas Child and other children in need. Adults in their thirties and forties, whether single or married and whether or not they have children, have a dedicated ministry designed to build friendships, enjoy fellowship, and grow in faith during this particular season of life.
Walking with People Through Hard Times
One of the most distinctive ministries at West is Stephen Ministry, a confidential one-to-one Christian caring ministry that pairs hurting people with trained lay caregivers. Stephen Ministers walk alongside people who are grieving, hospitalized or recovering, lonely or discouraged, coping with terminal illness, unemployed or in a job crisis, disabled, new to the community, anticipating a birth or adoption, homebound, transitioning into retirement, dealing with the crisis of aging, facing a life transition, experiencing a spiritual crisis, or recovering from a disaster or accident.
Each Stephen Minister is a member of the congregation who has received 50 hours of training in how to provide distinctively Christian care, and the relationship is strictly confidential - even the identity of the care receiver is kept private. The ministry is grounded in passages such as John 15:12 ("Love one another as I have loved you"), Galatians 6:2 ("Bear one another's burdens"), and Romans 12:15 ("Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn"). The Stephen Ministry logo - a broken person behind the cross and a whole person in front of it - expresses the conviction that we are all broken and that it is only through the cross that we are made whole.
Beyond Stephen Ministry, West maintains a dedicated Prayer Team. Prayer requests can be sent by email to request4prayer@westchurch.org or left on the prayer voicemail line, and the team gathers in the lobby immediately after each Sunday morning service to pray in person with anyone who asks. GriefShare runs as a thirteen-week seminar and support group, and the Director of Outreach, Mark Cottrell, oversees the work of caring for the broader community alongside pastoral staff.
Men's and Women's Ministries
West's Men's Ministry exists to form men through God's Word, prayer, spiritual friendship, and shared accountability. Regular rhythms include a monthly breakfast on the third Saturday of the month from October through May (8:00 to 10:00 AM in the Vestry), an evening gathering called Burgers and Bros, an annual Men's Cookout at the end of May, a spring Serve Day with Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity, and a fall Men's Retreat. The purpose statement emphasizes forming men to lead well in their homes, serve faithfully in the church, and bear witness to Christ in the world.
Women's Ministry is centered on connection, spiritual growth, and shared encouragement across every season of life. Regular offerings include the Devotional Café, a monthly gathering in the Vestry from 9:00 to 11:00 AM for coffee, pastries, conversation, and a devotional walk through books of the Bible (currently the book of Ecclesiastes). The Monday Night Study provides a steady place for women to gather around God's Word, and a Friday Morning Women's Hour of Prayer meets from 9:00 to 10:00 AM in the Worship Center for quiet prayer alongside other women. Seasonal spring and fall potlucks round out the calendar.
Music, Worship, and the Connection Center
Music ministry at West is led by the Worship Leader and supported by an Adult Choir that meets Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the Worship Center, with all singers welcome. Sunday services blend congregational singing with Bible teaching in a style the staff describe as relaxed and family-friendly. Singers and instrumentalists lead the gathered congregation while projection screens carry lyrics and the sermon text.
The Connection Center, located in the center of the West Entry Hall just outside the Worship Center, is described by the staff as one of the easiest places to begin at West. Friendly, knowledgeable volunteers answer questions, help newcomers find their way around the campus, and provide information about services, programs, activities, and small groups. It is the recommended first stop for any first-time visitor and the natural hub for anyone wondering about membership, baptism, or their next step.
Outreach in Haverhill and Around the World
Local outreach at West is shaped by a clear hope: that Haverhill and the greater community would experience spiritual, social, and economic flourishing through the demonstration of Christ's love. The Local Outreach Leadership Team mobilizes volunteers to support a network of community partners, including Common Ground (which feeds, clothes, and cares for low-income and homeless residents), the Community Meals program at the Haverhill Citizens Center (a free Monday evening meal), Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity, Lazarus House Ministries, and the Pregnancy Care Center, which serves mothers and families in Haverhill, Lawrence, and Lowell.
Two West-supplemented ministries round out the local work. Family Kitchen distributes food via drive-thru on Wednesday evenings from 5:30 to 6:30 PM on the Sarah J Circle side of the church, open to anyone needing groceries. A Women's Prison Ministry team partners with Women in Transition at the Salisbury facility, leading a Bible study on Friday nights to encourage women in their recovery and transition. The Mission Leadership Team extends the same heartbeat globally, partnering with organizations across Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Mozambique, and Thailand - including Wycliffe, Pioneers, SIM, TEAM, Influence International, Kulea Childcare Villages, Modern Day, True Sojourners, A/G World Missions, Allegro Organizational Solution, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and others - to bring others closer to Jesus Christ.
Children of the church also belong to Hilltop School, a Christian preschool licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care for children ages one through seven. Hilltop operates year-round with preschool, Pre-K, and Kindergarten classes along with Before and After School Care and a Summer Fun program. It is housed at the West Church campus, allowing children who attend Hilltop to step naturally into WestNursery and WestKids as they grow.
Becoming a Member and Next Steps
Anyone curious about formally joining West is invited to attend Life@West, a one-day class led by three pastors - Chris Ziegler, Todd Becker, and Shirley Paz - that walks through the church's beliefs, culture, and resources. Attending the class is a required step in the membership process (though attending does not commit a person to apply). The class meets once each year.
Members who want to deepen their giving find several ways to contribute. Gifts can be given during Sunday morning services, by mail, through a bank's bill-pay system, by credit or debit card online, by ACH direct transfer from checking or savings, or by texting any dollar amount to a dedicated text-to-give number. Online giving is processed through a secure giving portal, and a tutorial walks givers through online contributions. Each one gives as he or she has decided in the heart, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Church office hours run Monday through Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Thursday from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The phone number is 978-373-3034, the general inbox is info@westchurch.org, and a printable map of the campus is available online for those driving in for the first time. A weekly newsletter called West Connect keeps the broader congregation informed of upcoming events, serve days, and stories of what God is doing through the people of West Church.