Everyone is Welcome We Are the Church
This is a place of love and hope and safety and forgiveness. We will be food for the hungry. Living water for the thirsty. We are so glad you are here. You are invited. You are loved. Come on in —we’ve been waiting for you. Welcome here. We are the church.”
Our Church
Opening and Affirming Covenant Statement
We are banded together as a Church to learn, use, and inspire the use of the highest spiritual truth as embodied in the life, teachings, and in the name of Jesus Christ. To this end we covenant with each other to strive to express in our lives the best interpretations of that truth.
Jesus declared, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” John 13:34
Jesus came to unite, to heal and to call us into communion with one another and with God. Jesus tore down down social and spiritual barriers which pushed the poor, sick, broken and marginalized into the shadows.
Following his example, we, the members of First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ Owosso, MI. covenant with God and one another to joyfully invite and welcome every gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ability, age, race, nationality, economic or social status, faith background, physical, mental or emotional condition, marital status or family structure.
We encourage everyone to fully participate and share their talents and energy in leadership, whether lay or ordained, and in all our activities of worship and sacraments, mission, and fellowship.
September 2023
Our Worship Services
Our Service is Hybrid. In-person can choose to wear a mask but it's not required. Call us for the Zoom link. Service begins at 10:30am
About Us
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Come to a church where everyone is welcome.
Where we believe in faithfully trying to help, where we hope together. We strive for a spirit of Christian unity by reaching out to make everyone feel a part of our community by incorporating newcomers into our community of faith. We extend our hand of Christian hospitality, recognizing and embracing diversity in our midst while fostering a spirit of tolerance and understanding.
Who We Are
We are proud members of the United Church of Christ, with a strong Congregational history. Chartered in 1840, the church has served the Owosso community for over 180 years being an ambassador of love, justice, mercy and power within our community and world.
Yes We Are
Being a 5 for 5 is one sign of congregational vitality in UCC churches that fully support Our Church's Wider Mission. 5 for 5 churches give to Basic Support and all four Special Mission Offerings. Special Mission Offering dates are: Neighbors in need is on World communion Sunday, The Christmas Fund is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, One great Hour of sharing is the Fourth Sunday in Lent, and Strengthen the Church is on Pentecost Sunday.
Weddings
Your Big Day
Your wedding is a wonderful time for worship and wonder and we are honored that you have chosen to have it here at First Congregational Church UCC. Our wedding team will help you plan your special day.
* We expect you to share your vision and your hopes honestly and openly
* We expect you to honor our home of worship with respect and act appropriately
Marriage Preparation
Prepare/Enrich is a proven tool developed to help couples stimulate honest, open dialogue. It is an on-line pre-marital counseling tool which enables each couple to assess their strength and growth areas. It is designed to be comfortable, relaxed, and even fun. You will then meet with our trained facilitator who provides feedback to help you understand your results as well as teach you important relationship skills.
Contact
If you are interested in having your wedding with us please contact Pastor Debbie Grazier, she schedules all weddings. You can reach her through the "Contact Us" section of the website or by phone at (989) 723-3010
CCDC- Congregational Child Development Center
Meet the Church Staff
Reverend Deb Grazier
Amanda Meeuwse Administrative Assistant
Jeanne Votlz Financial Secretary
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I enjoy doing a little bit of everything, but I particularly love leading worship, preaching, and creating vibrant opportunities for people of all ages to worship. I am married to my loving husband Garland Grazier and together we have six wonderful children and eight beautiful grandchildren.
"A Godly Leader finds strength by realizing his weakness, finds authority by being under authority, finds direction by laying down his own plans, finds vision by seeing the needs of others, finds credibility by being an example, finds loyalty by expressing compassion, finds honor by being faithful, finds greatness by being a servant"
-Roy Lessin
Jeanne Votlz Financial Secretary
Amanda Meeuwse Administrative Assistant
Jeanne Votlz Financial Secretary
“Invest in yourself. You can afford it. Trust me.”
~Rashon Carraway
Amanda Meeuwse Administrative Assistant
Amanda Meeuwse Administrative Assistant
Amanda Meeuwse Administrative Assistant
" Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead.
Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Just walk beside me and be my friend."
~Albert Camus
Sextons-
Debbie McMillan: Wedding Planner
Amanda Meeuwse Administrative Assistant
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."
~Robert Louis Stevenson
Debbie McMillan: Wedding Planner
Debbie McMillan: Wedding Planner
Debbie McMillan: Wedding Planner
The wedding staff at First Congregational will provide the best resources we can to help you prepare for your special day.
There is a $100 non-refundable deposited to schedule a wedding and hold the date.
The cost of a wedding is $800 which includes our Officiate, Organist/Pianist, Wedding Coordinator, Prepare/Enrich, Sound Technician, Custodian, and Building use.
Online Giving
We recognize that for many of you, giving is part of your regular Sunday morning routine. Despite church looking a little different, we still have ways for you to continue to exercise sacrificial generosity. The easiest way to do this is by giving online. Giving online is safe, secure, and simple.
It’s in times like these that our church chooses to lean in to our communities and serve those that need it most. Your generosity allows us to come alongside families in need in our community during this unprecedented time. We are so excited for you to be a part of it.