Newcomers

A message from our co-ministers.

Join us Sundays at 10:00am.

In person.

When you come through our doors for service on Sunday, we hope you will feel comfortable and welcome. Scroll on for all the info you’ll need. Still have questions? Contact our church office at info@fplincoln.org or 781-259-1881.

Online.

You can join our services online using Altar Live, our livestream platform. You can access the link using the “LIVESTREAM” button found at the top of any page on our website. When you join us online, we hope you’ll log in so we can know you’re there and so you can type greetings or prayers in the chat.

What to expect.

Arriving at First Parish.

We meet for worship in our sanctuary at 4 Bedford Road. Parking is available across the street along Bedford Road and in our parking lot up the hill at our Parish House (14 Bedford Road). Our nursery and children’s program meet in the Parish House as well.

You may want to arrive a few minutes early for your first visit, especially if you have kids who might want to participate in our Religious Exploration program.

Come on in!

Enter the building either through the doors at the front of the sanctuary, or using the accessible side entrance. Our ushers will greet you and offer an Order of Service, then guide you to any seat you prefer. You may choose to make yourself a name tag so others can greet you by name.

Coffee hour.

Following the service you’re invited to join us for a lively coffee hour in the Stearns Room behind the sanctuary. This is a great opportunity to mingle, ask questions, and get to know our congregation.

Frequently asked questions.

Our sanctuary is located at 4 Bedford Road, across from the Lincoln Library. This is where we meet for (nearly every) Sunday service.

Three or four times per year we meet “up the hill” in our other building (the Parish House), which is located at 14 Bedford Road across from Bemis Hall.

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.

Casual dress is the norm — whatever you are comfortable in is just fine!

Our members and friends come to church on Sunday for many reasons: they seek a place for spiritual and intellectual contemplation, a place to find community, a diversity of backgrounds and beliefs, a space in which to celebrate joys, cope with loss, marvel at the world, and laugh together.

Services at First Parish offer a place for all of this through timely, thought-provoking sermons on the latest Worship Theme, stirring choral and instrumental music ranging from classical to contemporary, and a high level of participation from hymns to responsive readings to community prayers. Portions of the service are led by a deacon or other lay leader. Each service includes time for both spoken and silent meditation and prayer. Flowers may be given by members of the congregation in memory of a loved one.

Sometimes our services will include a ritual like communion, which you are welcome to join!

Check out our Worship Archive to get a sense of what to expect from a service.

Typically about an hour. Our service begins at 10am and concludes at 11am or shortly after.

Nursery Care beginning at 9:45am is available whenever there is Religious Exploration (non-holidays) for children up to age 3. Our Nursery is located on the lower level of the Parish House at 14 Bedford Road (the best entrance is through the playground).

On the First Sunday of each month, children aged 4 & up are encouraged to come to the Sanctuary with their families. On these Sundays, the group hears a Time for All Ages (TFAA) or children’s message, and Cherub Choir (grades Pre K- 3) will likely perform. After those activities, younger children are brought up the hill for smaller group time, while older children (grades 1-7) stay in church. These services are designed to be “intergenerational” and welcoming, with fun music, kid-friendly orders of worship (complete with puzzles and coloring), and more engaging themes. Kid noise and presence are welcome, and all ages are encouraged to participate in routines and rituals such as Holy Communion or readings. We welcome your help in making our shared worship a sacred experience for everyone. 

On all other Sundays, children come straight to the Parish House (up the hill) at 10am. We start as a larger group with a Chalice lighting and centering prayer before moving into groups based on age & grade to explore sacred storytelling, social justice and spiritual development. We use engaging, dynamic and multi-sensory curricula designed to inspire joy, wonder, and creativity for each age group. 

CLICK HERE to learn more about our programs for children on Sundays and beyond.

Absolutely! Children are always welcome to attend “big church” and take a break (with their adult) in the connecting Stearns Room Kid’s Corner (with books and toys) as needed, and/or head up the hill to the Nursery (with their adult). 

CLICK HERE to learn more about our programs for children on Sundays and beyond.

Stay Connected.

Let us know you were here! We’d love to get to know you and share more about our community. Fill out a virtual connect card and sign up for our mailing list to get the latest updates.

Accessibility.

A number of accessible parking spaces are available in defined areas along Bedford Road across from the Sanctuary.

The entry at the rear of our Sanctuary – the Stearns Room entrance – 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.

Assistive 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.