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Authenticity over perfection. Unity over uniformity. 

Who We Are Today!

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The faith family at the First Congregational Church of Saugatuck is a joyous community of all ages who celebrates God in vibrant, interactive, intergenerational worship.  When we get together you can count on there being prayer, conversation, music... and probably food.  Our church is not a building but a freely gathered body of people who come together for the love of the Lord.

As is the Congregational Way, we celebrate our interconnectedness and our individuality, and see it as a privilege to pour support, understanding and encouragement into the lives our neighbors and friends.

Our community's leadership is committed to providing quality Christian Education for all ages, space for vital conversation, an engaging and growing worship experience, service opportunities that are relevant and socially aware, and an open facility that is a true community gathering place.

Community Values

  • Faith
    • We uplift Christ (and Christ alone) as the head of our church.
    • We honor the Word of God for it lights our path.
    • We uphold the freedom of conscious in all our members and guests and deeply value what each person brings to the table of Biblical understanding.
    • We are a pilgrim people, ever journeying with a faith that is never stagnant.
    • We're thinker and creators (as we reflect God the Father)
    • ​We're healthy and awake, plugged in to the world (as we reflect God the Son)
    • We're connected and free (as we reflect God the Spirit)
  • Freedom​
    • ​We think big and love local.
    • We are free of creeds, denominational mandates, doctrine and strict structure.  So, we go where the Spirit leads - often this takes us to places of study or community service.
    • We create space for big questions.
  • Fellowship
    • We are to worship and serve as the whole family of God. Of all ages, all backgrounds, all perspectives. 
    • We adhere to a democratic, autonomous style of christian community.
    • We don't turn people away and we don't turn them into causes. We uphold the dignity of all.
    • We seek unity without uniformity. We are republicans and democrats, conservatives and liberals, doubters and believers, and we like it that way.
    • ​We fight noise with silence, prepackaged perfection with authenticity, and arrogance with laughter.

Our Historical Covenant

We covenant with the Lord and one with another, and do bind ourselves in the presence of God, to walk together in all his ways, according as he is pleased to reveal himself unto us in his blessed word of truth. 
- Adopted from the the Salem Covenant of 1629

Our Heritage & The Congregational Way

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Organized in 1860 with sixteen charter members, First Congregational Church was the first house of worship in Saugatuck. Throughout the years, the one-room structure underwent many changes to adapt to the growing needs of the community, but the original building still stands under the brick of the present chapel and classrooms. Our Meeting House on the hill, long known for its warm Christian fellowship, continues to hold its doors open to all as we seek God together.  

We have been in joyful partnership with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, since 1959.  The NACCC is a cooperation of autonomous churches that celebrate the value of mutual support, education and the sharing of resources to accomplish goals beyond what the local church alone can accomplish. We are a part of a community of Christians that span from Alaska to Florida and are in fellowship with missionaries from India, Mexico, Uganda and beyond. Together we seek to fulfill the teachings of Christ and his church- to clothe the naked, to visit the lonely, to feed the hungry, to education the isolated, and to proclaim freedom for the oppressed and marginalized. 
First Congregational Church  •  296 Hoffman  •  Saugatuck, MI 49453  •  269-857-2929  •  [email protected]