Welcome to First Parish in Lincoln
Join us for ONLINE WORSHIP Sundays 10AM
In response to guidance from health experts and government officials, we will not be meeting for worship in person until at least May 3rd, however our community is still vibrant and active online!
Life at First Parish in Challenging Times
Here you will find our weekly Zoom Gatherings during our closure due to COVID-19, including host contacts, links and Meeting IDs. We hope you will join us as we stay connected while being physically apart.
Here you will find a growing collection of resources for spiritual grounding, including guided meditations, pastoral prayers, and readings.
Who We Are
The First Parish in Lincoln (FPL) is an open and welcoming church. We meet for worship every Sunday from September to June at 10:00AM in our Sanctuary located at 4 Bedford Road, (Google map) across the street from Lincoln Library.
We are somewhat unique in that although we have roots in both the Congregational and Unitarian traditions dating back to the 1940’s, over the years we have developed our own unique form of worship that makes room for people of many religious backgrounds or none at all. Wherever you are on your journey, you are welcome here.
What to Expect
When you come to our 10:00AM worship service on Sunday, we hope you will feel comfortable and welcome. Our ushers greet all attendees and visitors, provide them with an Order of Service, and guide them to any seat they prefer. Visitors may choose to make themselves a name tag so others can greet them by name.
Services typically last about an hour. Casual dress is the norm for most Sunday services — whatever you are comfortable in is just fine.
FPL welcomes young families, and children are free to stay for the duration of the service if they choose; there are “activity bags” available to engage toddlers. We also offer childcare for toddler and preschool-aged children beginning at 9:45 a.m. in the Parish House at 14 Bedford Road (the stone building up the hill from the Sanctuary). You are welcome to keep your child/children with you in the Sanctuary during worship, or you may retire to the Stearns Room behind the sanctuary and view the service on a video feed.
A typical service includes organ prelude and postludes, choral selections by the church choir, church related announcements, a time for silent and spoken prayer, an offering, a sermon, and three hymns sung by the congregation at different times during the service. Three times a year a simple “communion” service is offered on the first Monday of the month.
Following the conclusion of each service, we offer a popular coffee hour at which all may meet to socialize. This is a great opportunity to mingle, ask questions, and get to know our congregation.
Accessibility
The entry at the rear of our Sanctuary can be reached via a level, wheelchair-friendly path, and there is ample space for wheelchairs within the Sanctuary itself, along with accessible restrooms. The Parish House is similarly equipped, with an entryway ramp on the north side of the building. Wheelchair-accessible pews and seating areas can be found in the front of the Sanctuary on either side of the pulpit.
Assisted listening devices are available at our worship services upon request – ask an usher, or look for the basket at the front lobby (or “narthex”) of the Sanctuary to be provided a wireless headset.
Parking
Off-street parking is limited to the Parish House parking lot at 14 Bedford Road; a short walk downhill on a paved path will take you to the Sanctuary. A number of accessible parking spaces are available in defined areas along Bedford Road across from the Sanctuary. Space is also available on neighboring roads.
Download map of First Parish Buildings.
