Building a vibrant community of faith
with all of God’s creation
We invite you to join us!
Worship services are every Sunday at 9:30 a.m., with social time (coffee and yummy snacks) afterwards.
To attend our Sunday service via Zoom click the link below:
The Heart of Things
by Pastor Eliot Fay
When I was in seminary, I worked as an instructor for the outdoor education department at a local college. As part of their coursework, every freshman was required to participate in a semester-long outdoor education group in which the students were led in a variety of team building games and ropes course elements.
Among other things, these activities were meant to challenge students to think more deeply about how they define accomplishment and achievement. In a college atmosphere where success is largely measured by a grade, it is easy to forget that success in life is not so narrowly defined. Students were encouraged to evaluate achievement beyond whether they simply accomplished a goal or completed a game, but to consider how the goal was accomplished - whether everyone was included...whether they considered each other throughout the process...whether they learned something about each other...whether they communicated with each other well...whether they strengthened relationships or harmed relationships in the way they responded to each other...whether they acted with integrity individually and as a group.
It is easy as people of faith to be similarly limited in the way we evaluate “success” as a faith community...to principally look to external measures or practices on which we can easily assess or grade ourselves. But throughout the gospels, both in his example and in his teaching, Jesus constantly challenges us to also look deeper for the more important evidence of faith - the intangible virtues that are rooted in the heart such as mercy and forbearance and justice and peace and love. As we seek to walk out our faith together, may these virtues of the heart ground our life together in community.
Welcome!
A church at the center
The Nelson Congregational Church is in the heart of the village of Nelson, New Hampshire. We are dedicated to serving the Nelson community and many families and individuals from surrounding towns. The church is part of the United Church of Christ.
A community of welcome and inclusion
We are a loving and welcoming community of faith comprised of people from a wide variety of spiritual backgrounds and beliefs. Our diversity of spiritual perspectives – and the wisdom it brings – is a river of strength running through our community.
We invite you to join us as we gather weekly for worship and more often for fellowship. We all can learn from each other and grow in love, understanding, and compassion.
A passion for community outreach and care
The members and friends of the Nelson Congregational Church are committed to caring for each other and our neighbors. Our outreach extends far beyond our village, with powerful support for others working to achieve a world of love, justice, peace, and sustainability.
You are Welcome Here!
Nelson Congregational Church strives to embrace with heart and hands the motto of the United Church of Christ, “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here,” a recognition of the Scriptural assurance that all people are equally created by God in God’s image. As an Open and Affirming church, we welcome and affirm all persons of every race, age, gender, marital standing, physical or mental ability, economic status, nationality, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression into the full life and ministry of this community of faith, including membership and leadership. We invite all to join us as we seek to respond to Christ’s call to love God, love each other, and love our neighbors.
