Congregational Church of Eastford Update
It has been 16 months since fire destroyed the Congregational Church of Eastford’s beautiful and historic building, which had served the church and our community for 195 years. The church is moving forward with plans to rebuild on a new site on John Perry Road. We look forward to being in the new building late next year.
While the loss was great, the journey since has been filled with great blessings. On the morning of the fire, there were the heroic efforts of our firefighters and the generosity of the town and school to allow us to worship in the school gym that very day. Since then, our community has been pouring blessings on us. We have been able to worship in the school gym, conduct adult and children’s programs in town spaces as well as Eastford Baptist Church, and other area churches.
Many of you have given financial gifts. We are so very grateful. Thank you all for your love, care and kindness! The Fabulously Fun Family Fundraiser on July 6 raised over $30,000 to help with the rebuilding. This event was not organized by the Congregational Church, but by kind people from area churches and our own Eastford community. Again, thank you all!
As far as our ongoing church life, Sundays in the gym are working well for us. We have grown in numbers, and we have worked to sustain our various activities outside the church. It is easier to get “beyond the four walls” when you don’t have any! Our temporary office space next to the Post Office works well, and we enjoy your drop-ins. We host our “Family Music” classes for preschoolers and many meetings there. We are delighted to have been able to continue to serve in the school, to support recreation commission activities and to continue traditional events like our summer frog jump and band concert (thank you Crystal Pond Park). Our programs that help people deal with the issues of life, like “Grief Share” and “Celebrate Recovery” are ongoing.
We at the Congregational Church of Eastford believe that God has called us to serve Him by blessing you. The Bible tells us that we are the Lord’s “ambassadors.” We believe we are here to tell you that God loves you, and we are here to be the very best examples that we can be of God’s love for all of you. This is what guides our plans to rebuild. The church building is a tool for us to bless you. Our vision is to use what He has given us to build a facility that will serve our community for a couple centuries as did the old one. We are thinking about space that serves all generations – from littles to seniors. We are committed to having a great event space for weddings, receptions, community meals, concerts, public meetings and presentations, and recreation events like “Cupcake Wars” and “Cookies and Cocoa with Santa.” We are committed to great facilities for children and youth where they can learn, play and be safe — to include ample outdoor space. And of course, we will have space for the worship of our great God. God has a wonderful plan for all humanity — if you want to hear more about that come check us out on a Sunday morning or just ask one of us.
One final note: Our plan for the old site is to preserve it as a memorial place, a place of rest and contemplation and a place where we will also hold Easter sunrise services as in years past. And we hope a lot of future generations will build memories of sledding on the hill.