about our church
OUR ROOTS
Lowell’s First Congregational Church was founded by settlers in 1856. We occupy the ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg– Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potowatomi peoples. In particular, this church resides on land ceded in the Treaty of Washington in 1836.
Our first church building was dedicated in 1861 on the corner of Hudson and Spring Streets in Lowell where it served as the home base of our congregation for 145 years.
Open & Affirming
We joined the United Church of Christ when it was formed in 1957, and have proudly advocated for civil rights over the years. In 1963, we were the first congregation to invest in a trust to support the first planned integrated housing community in Grand Rapids. In 2016, we voted to become an Open and Affirming church.
COMMITTED COMMUNITY PARTNERS
We are more than a building; but we are thrilled about the many ways our building is regularly utilized by Lowell’s Open Table, Senior Neighbors, Gilda’s Club, Lowell Pride, Lowell Women’s Club, Girl Scouts, Grand Rapids Pit Bull Alliance and FLOW Fitness.
Additionally, we partner with Flat River Outreach Ministry, Pink Arrow, and Bettie’s Pages.
WE MOVE BEYOND BELIEF
TO LIVE OUR FAITH
We are a community beyond Sunday morning worship. In addition to all the activities already listed, we have a vibrant youth program that cultivates community through gatherings, events and trips.
We believe that God is still speaking – to us, through us, and among us. We thank God for the opportunity to live that out, together.