We are a Unitarian church in the progressive Christian tradition where people from many religious backgrounds have found a home.
Rev. Mark Caggiano’s sermons routinely weave history and current events with lessons from the Old and New Testaments and, at times, his background in the law.
Music from our pipe organ and our professional quartet punctuates a simple service rooted in Anglican morning prayer first brought to Chestnut Hill from King’s Chapel in Boston.
Sunday Service & Coffee Hour:
Our services are at 10:30 on Sunday mornings, followed by a coffee hour where we meet to discuss anything and everything that’s happened during the week.
All are welcome to join us and we hope you will visit on an upcoming Sunday!
Upcoming Events:
Winter 2025: Sermon Series
Happy New Year. This winter, I will be offering an extended set of sermons on major religious concepts. The origin of this series was a question from someone asking about what we believe at First Church. And this is my attempt to articulate some of that. There are ideas that make up any religion. How one understands the world around us. What is the meaning of life. Why do we do things a certain way. There is theology and philosophy. There are long standing traditions and local idiosyncrasies. I will look to the past and ponder the present. And as always, I will offer my interpretations which are no more than the starting point of a conversation.
In January, I will consider God, baptism, marriage, and Jesus. Of course, a discussion about God could fill a year of sermons while our understanding of Jesus is foundational for why we gather as a congregation. And yet, I surmise that there will be differences in the ways we respectively imagine both God and Jesus—differences, which are uniquely encouraged in a Unitarian community.
Unitarianism began, in part, as an objection to certain assumptions made within traditional Protestant communities. “Unitarian” as a label specifically arose from protesting the formulation of the Trinity. However, Unitarians did not object to the ideas of God the Father, Jesus the Son, or the Holy Spirit, but rather to the prescribed organization of the divine set down centuries ago in the Nicaean Creed. The objection was that this accepted version of the Trinity is non-Biblical (we’ll discuss that).
Unitarians also sought to rely upon reason as the basis of their theological musings. I must confess to being of that religious persuasion, for the most part. And so, I will try to reason my way along through various core concepts of Christian thought and how these are expressed in our religious community. I will not get it exactly right, I am guessing. Such a community exists not to be “right” in any final sense, but to move along as a collection of people joined together on a journey of religious curiosity and faithful living. I look forward to our time together for this conversation.
– Rev. Mark Caggiano
Wednesday Bible Study
Rev. Mark hosts bible study at 1:00 PM on Wednesdays on Zoom. We are studying the Book of Genesis. Contact us at 26suffolk@gmail.com to be included on the Zoom invitation list. All are welcome.
Movie and Pizza Nights – Wednesdays
Save the Date! Since our movie & pizza nights were so popular in the fall, they’ll be returning soon!
Join us to watch a movie in the Parish Hall on Wednesdays. Rev. Caggiano’s sermon on the following Sunday will draw on themes from the film. We will post the schedule here once finalized.
We hope to see you soon!
As always, please check back for new events, updates, or changes to the calendar.
For much more about us, visit our Homepage.
Past Events:
Fall Homecoming Cookout
Sunday, September 15, 2024 – After the Morning Service
Welcome back to the Church year with a Sunday Morning cookout in front of the Church.
Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, October 6, 2024 – 10:30 am
Bring your pet to church for a special Sunday service. All pets are welcome (as long as they get along well with others)!
Fall 2024 Movie & Sermon Series
Join us to watch a movie in the Parish Hall on Wednesdays. Rev. Mark Caggiano’s sermon on the following Sunday will draw on themes from the film.
Casablanca
Movie Showing: Wednesday, September 11, 7 pm
Service & Sermon: Sunday, September 15, 10:30 am
The Princess Bride
Movie Showing: Wednesday, September 18, 7 pm
Service & Sermon: Sunday, September 22, 10:30 am
Dr. Strangelove
Movie Showing: Wednesday, September 25, 7 pm
Service & Sermon: Sunday, September 29, 10:30 am
The Wizard of Oz
Movie Showing: Wednesday, October 2, 7 pm
Service & Sermon: Sunday, October 6, 10:30 am (with the Blessing of the Animals)
Young Frankenstein
Movie Showing: Wednesday, October 9, 7 pm
Service & Sermon: Sunday, October 13, 10:30 am
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Movie Showing: Wednesday, October 16, 7 pm
Service & Sermon: Sunday, October 20, 10:30 am
West Side Story
Movie Showing: Wednesday, October 23, 7 pm
Service & Sermon: Sunday, October 27, 10:30 am
Coco
Movie Showing: Wednesday, October 30, 7 pm
Service & Sermon: Sunday, November 3, 10:30 am
Fall Concert: “A Tour of European Opera”
A Performance by the First Church Quartet
Thursday, October 24, 2024, 7 pm
November/December Movie Nights
Join us for movie and pizza in the Parish Hall on Wednesday night!
Glory
Movie Showing: Wednesday, November 6, 7 pm
Rear Window
Movie Showing: Wednesday, November 13, 7 pm
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Movie Showing: Wednesday, November 20, 7 pm
Miracle on 34th Street
Movie Showing: Wednesday, December 4, 7 pm
It’s a Wonderful Life
Movie Showing: Wednesday, December 11, 7 pm
December 15: Christmas Pageant & Coffee Hour
Join us for the return of our Christmas Pageant
The traditional Nativity story performed by members of the congregation, young and old.
Sunday, December 15, 2024, 10:30 am
December 19: Handel’s Messiah Sing
Sing along with the First Church Quartet
(and bring your score if you have one!)
Thursday, December 19, 2024, 7 pm
December 22: Christmas Music Service & Coffee Hour
Christmas music fills the sanctuary on the Sunday before Christmas!
Sunday, December 22, 2024, 10:30 am
December 24: Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Join us for our traditional Christmas Eve Candlelight Service!
Tuesday, December 24, 2024, 4:30 pm
December 29: Carol Sing Service
Join us to sing favorite carols as we close out the Christmas season!
Sunday, December 29, 2024, 10:30 am
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