First Church Middletown, UCC

06/24/2026

Summer Worship

South Church of Middletown, CT and First Church worship together July and August at 10:00 am.

South Church
9 Pleasant St.
Middletown, CT
July 5, 12, 19, and 26

First Church
190 Court Street Middletown
August 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come.

06/23/2026

Matthew Brady grew up at First Church. At a very young age he had a heart transplant and the church supported him and his parents, Mary Lou and Mark mightily! Matthew as an adult now needs a new heart, lungs and kidney. He has been in NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital waiting for 3 months already. His wife and precious daughter remain in Middletown. Please take a minute to send him good wishes whether you knew him or not.

Blessings to all,
Ginny Houghtaling

06/22/2026

The outreach committee needs your help. Food insecurity is growing. Once school lets out it will ramp up even more. We will be collecting food every Sunday for Amazing Grace to help fill the need.

The following items are in high demand:
Any pasta EXCEPT elbows
Any type of beans for protein
Canned tomatoes

Of course, any type of food contribution will help and will be appreciated.

Look for the wagon which we affectionately call “meals on wheels” at the front of the church.

06/20/2026

This Sunday, June 21st, we welcome Moriah Felder (they/them).

Moriah grew up in Chesapeake, VA and was raised in the pentecostal church. They graduated from Hampton University with a degree in Sociology. After feeling called to ministry at Hampton, Moriah attended Yale Divinity School, graduating in 2019 with a Master of Divinity. Over the past several years, they have served congregations working in communications and A/V, but their passion is serving young people. Moriah is a Member in Discernment for the UCC and serves as the Children's Ministry Coordinator at Spring Glen Church in Hamden, CT. Moriah is currently working on their M.A. in Religion with a concentration in Practical Theology at Yale Divinity School.

06/10/2026

Oyay Oyay! Hear all about it.

The Fellowship Committee is planning a trip to Goodspeed Opera House on the Connecticut River early in November 2026 to see the 50th Anniversary production of ANNIE.

The Group will have dinner near the theatre, then attend a 7:30 pm performance of the original Broadway production. Please let M J McCarthy know if you are interested. More specific information to follow.

Leapin' Lizards! The musical that stole America’s heart comes home to celebrate its 50th anniversary on the stage where it all began!.

06/09/2026

The Outreach Committee will be serving a Meatball Dinner on Sunday, June 21st. We will need some food items as well as 6 people to serve the food. There will be a sign-up sheet during coffee hour. You will be blessed with many smiles and sincere appreciation from those we serve. Thank you.

Watch below for an in-depth look at how the Amazing Grace Free Community Market is responding to the SNAP freeze–and what you can do to help!

06/08/2026

Last winter, the Outreach Committee received a letter from the Middlesex United Way. They asked for our church’s support for their Homeless Prevention Fund.
Upon further inquiry, we decided to make them our recipient for donations made through the green envelopes during the month of June.

The goal of the Homeless Prevention Fund is to prevent vulnerable residents from losing their home. The fund offers critical one-time grants to Middletown residents facing urgent financial hardship through assistance with rent payments, utility bills, medical emergencies, or transportation needs. These are expenses that can mean the difference between financial stability and homelessness. Many working families are living paycheck to paycheck, with little financial cushion to absorb an unexpected setback. To ensure accountability and maximize impact, payments are made directly to landlords, utilities, medical providers, and other vendors.

Since its founding in 2008, as the Middlesex County Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, the Homeless Prevention Fund has distributed nearly half a million dollars of direct assistance, helping close to 500 households remain safely housed during times of crisis.

Every dollar donated goes directly to the Fund to support Middletown residents in need. Because of the generosity of community members and partners, 100% of approved applicants have remained housed after receiving assistance.

Please consider making a contribution today to help the Homeless Prevention Fund continue providing hope, security, and critical assistance to vulnerable Middletown residents when they need it most.

Since its inception in 2008 as part of the Middlesex County Coalition on Housing & Homelessness, the Prevention Fund has provided approximately $400,000 in assistance—helping hundreds of local families and individuals avoid homelessness. By covering essential expenses like back rent, utilities, ca...

06/05/2026

First Church will be a part of Middletown Pridefest again this year on Saturday, June 6th. We will need volunteers to help at the First Church Booth and members to walk in the Parade. If you are going to walk in the parade we will meet at the church at 11:30am and walk over together. If you are interested in marching or working at the First Church booth from 3:00pm - 4:00pm and breaking the booth down and leaving it at South Church please let Kortney know as soon as possibe.

06/05/2026

Greetings First Church!

It is a joy to be back with you this month after family leave. It was a gift to me and my family to have had this time to welcome and bond with Simon. Thank you for supporting us in this season of growth and new life!

Thank you to Rev. Dennis TeBeest who so graciously and ably filled in while I was away. Thank you to the moderators, executive committee, board of deacons, and all the volunteers who stepped in and stepped up to keep the church moving forward in my absence. Thank you to everyone for being the life and love that partners with God to keep First Church alive and vibrant in all seasons.

June is always the month at First Church where we slide into summer and that is true again this year. Here are the highlights I hope you’ll give your time and attention to this month:

Middletown Pride: This Saturday! Join us to march in the parade or stop by the First Church booth. We could especially use some hands around 4pm to clean up.

Leadership Retreat: Exec and Deacons go on their annual Leadership Retreat on Saturday 6/13, 9:30-4 at Mercy by the Sea. If you are a member of either group and have not yet RSVP-ed, please contact me or the church office to do so.

Juneteenth: First Church will have a booth at Juneteenth. We need help with setup, hosting, and clean up. Are you able to help out?

Guest Preacher on Sunday June 21st: Moriah Felder, MDiv, Children’s Ministry director at Spring Glenn UCC will be preaching. She will bring us a word about Haggar and liberation. I will be in Alaska to officiate at my sister’s wedding.

Summer Worship Share: Beginning July 5th, we will worship at South Church for the month of July. South Church will join us here at First Church for the month of August. Worship will be at 10am all summer.

Know that I am eager to see all of you again and catch up on your news. Come to pride, come to church, book a pastoral care appointment and/or coffee date with me any time. I have plenty of baby pictures for all who want a Simon update.

We’ve all grown and changed in the last months so let’s not try to “pick up where we left off.” Instead, let’s follow God’s example and meet one another here, as we are now, and step off into the next chapter together.

Blessings and peace,

Pastor Will

06/01/2026

The green envelopes for June will benefit the Middlesex United Way Homeless Prevention Fund. Working through existing agencies, the fund covers essential expenses like back rent and utilities to ensure that families in crisis can remain stable and secure in their homes.

Since its inception in 2008 as part of the Middlesex County Coalition on Housing & Homelessness, the Prevention Fund has provided approximately $400,000 in assistance—helping hundreds of local families and individuals avoid homelessness. By covering essential expenses like back rent, utilities, ca...