​

​​

 

 

 

First Congregational Church has fulfilled the requirements for being labeled a Green Church by the Southern New England Conference of our denomination, the United Church of Christ.  Going forward, First Church will be described in all settings as “an Open and Affirming, Green Congregation of the United Church of Christ.”  To achieve Green Church status, we had to fulfill several requirements. These included taking steps to reduce the electricity used by the church, encouraging recycling and composting, planting a pollinator garden, having speakers discuss ecology, creating an Environmental Justice Team, and more.  There are several parts to the SNE-UCC’s Green Congregation program; we have qualified for Level 1 status, the minimum required. A ceremony formally recognizing our Green Church status will be held at a later date