First Christian Church of Wilmington NC

First Christian Church of Wilmington NC Minister: Pastor Brad McDowell
Associate Minister: Pastor Courtney Hickman
Student Minister: Sandi Cassidy Contemporary Service: 8:45am.

This service is a time of informal singing, worship, and Communion, and is led by the Turning Point band. Following our time of singing, children 3 yrs old - Grade 1 are invited to attend our Turning Point Kids program. Sunday School and Coffee Fellowship: 9:45am

Traditional Service: 11:00am This worship service is more formal in style and includes communion and hymns, with special music by our Chancel Choir, and children's church led by our Youth Minister.

09/08/2026

We decided to add a bigger chalice on the end of our new sign because we are proud to be a part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination! To learn more about what we love about the DOC, check out our "About FCC" page 👇🏻

New Mother Hubbard's collection! Every month, we ask for donations of the highest needed item for Mother Hubbard's Cupbo...
09/07/2026

New Mother Hubbard's collection!

Every month, we ask for donations of the highest needed item for Mother Hubbard's Cupboard.

For the month of September, we are asking for easy-open canned meats and vegetables.

Bring any donations by the church and they'll be distributed to MHC!

There's a lot of conversation about worship schedules right now, so just to clear up any confusion here's our worship sc...
09/05/2026

There's a lot of conversation about worship schedules right now, so just to clear up any confusion here's our worship schedule for this Sunday!

We will be moving to one service at 10:30am starting Sunday September 27th.

Ponderings by Pastor Courtney, This past weekend nearly 40 members of FCC gathered on the holy grounds of Camp Caroline ...
09/04/2026

Ponderings by Pastor Courtney,

This past weekend nearly 40 members of FCC gathered on the holy grounds of Camp Caroline for our annual All Church Retreat. This weekend has become such a highlight of the year for me for many reasons but in part because it is an opportunity to lead a diverse group of ages when so much of my work is either focused on one age group or another. This year we had people ranging from age 6 to age 80. We also had people who have been members of FCC for decades and those who joined just recently.

Our theme was ‘Practicing Joy.’ We talked about how joy is not just something we feel. Instead, it is a spiritual discipline that we must cultivate and practice. We explored the way scripture talks about joy and the things that it points to as sources of joy - namely, the created world around us and the people around us. We also talked about the things that can rob us of our joy like phones, media and other distractions. We put these ideas into practice as we created and noticed joy together. We learned through activities and games, we ate good food, we laughed, we built new relationships and deepened old friendships. And, as we did, I was reminded again and again of the power of doing things in community.

You see, when Brad and I sit down to plan these retreats we are hoping that what we have on paper will translate to real life. When we have ideas like “make a Where’s Waldo picture” or “play a game of telephone across camp property,” we have a vision for how they might go but there is also some doubt that the vision and reality won’t match up. In order for them to work the group has to be willing to bring them to life. They have to be willing to be vulnerable, to be a little uncomfortable or to maybe look a little silly. To be honest, without a group willing to share them and bring them to life, nothing we had planned would have been all that noteworthy. In fact, it probably would have been rather lame. Imagine how boring it would be to try to create a where’s waldo picture all alone? But together it became a creative, funny, engaging source of joy.

Reflecting on this, made me wonder how often we may miss out things because we aren’t willing to lean into the experience or to be vulnerable and open to new things or new people. We know that life is not meant to be lived alone. Jesus makes that clear in the way he approaches his ministry - calling friends to be in community with him along the way. We know that when we share them as part of a community our burdens are lighter and our joys are multiplied. In the same way, what we can accomplish, what we can create together is so much greater when we do it together. As Methodist minister Halford E. Luccock writes, “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”

As I celebrate a decade of sharing life with the beloved community at FCC, I am deeply grateful for the things we have been able to create together and the ways being a part of this community has lightened my burdens and multiplied my joy. As we embark on a new season with new worship and a renewed emphasis on shining our light, I hope that we can lean into the experience, that we can be vulnerable and open to new ways of doing life and ministry together. Who knows what we might create?!

09/03/2026

Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) knows... you gotta lock in 🤣

We are so excited to officially announce our Serving ILM Block Party! FCC is hosting a Serving ILM Block Party to celebr...
09/03/2026

We are so excited to officially announce our Serving ILM Block Party!

FCC is hosting a Serving ILM Block Party to celebrate the people and organizations making Wilmington a better place!

This free, all-ages event is a chance to eat, play, connect, and learn more about the people doing meaningful work in our community.

- Free Pig Pickin’ Dinner
- Free Dessert Truck
- Fun Activities for Kids
- Opportunities to connect with local nonprofit organizations

If you want to make the world a better place, this is the place to meet the people who are already doing it - and find ways to get involved!

Join us on Friday September 25, 5:30pm-7:30pm at 2035 Oleander Drive!

We had a wonderful weekend at our all church retreat at Camp Caroline! Together we explored what scripture says about jo...
09/02/2026

We had a wonderful weekend at our all church retreat at Camp Caroline! Together we explored what scripture says about joy and how we should practice and cultivate joy as a spiritual discipline. We put these ideas into practice as we created and noticed joy together. Indeed we left with our cups and our hearts filled!

We are looking for just a few more vendors for our upcoming craft fair on October 17th! If you know anyone that you thin...
09/02/2026

We are looking for just a few more vendors for our upcoming craft fair on October 17th! If you know anyone that you think would be a good fit for the fair, have them email Karen at [email protected]!

Today, I celebrate 10 years of sharing life and ministry with the incredible folks at FCC Wilmington! A lot of life has ...
09/01/2026

Today, I celebrate 10 years of sharing life and ministry with the incredible folks at FCC Wilmington! A lot of life has been lived in those ten years both inside the church and outside. I've watched my children grow from an infant and a toddler to a tween and a teen. I've gone from a part time staff member to a full time ordained minister. I've seen our church recover from a hurricane, adapt and relearn how to worship during a global pandemic, and bring to life renovated spaces and visions for the future. FCC has given me so much in the last decade - community, growth, encouragement and affirmation. But perhaps more than anything it has given me hope - hope for the church and hope for the world at large. Let's keep sharing the good news together, friends!

We are finding joy all around this weekend! Our teams each made their own "Where's Waldo" photo, hiding lots of sources ...
08/29/2026

We are finding joy all around this weekend! Our teams each made their own "Where's Waldo" photo, hiding lots of sources of joy. Look closely! 🧐 How many surprises and reasons for joy can you find in these pictures?😃

Address

2035 Oleander Drive
Wilmington, NC
28403

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 2pm
Tuesday 9am - 2pm
Wednesday 9am - 2pm
Thursday 9am - 2pm
Friday 9am - 2pm
Sunday 8am - 12:30pm

Telephone

+19107621389

Website

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