About Us

We are a community of Christians:
learning God’s ways;
sharing God’s love;
extending God’s peace and healing grace to all.

A Heritage of Faith since 1719, and an Open and Affirming/Reconciling congregation, Niantic Community Church is a federated congregation of the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ. It is also a welcoming home to people from a great variety of church backgrounds and life experiences.

The Niantic Community Church exists to celebrate God and to follow in the way of Jesus Christ: serving our neighbors near and far; striving for wholeness, justice, and peace in our church, our community, and our world. We affirm that every member of our congregation is a minister: a servant of God. We have strong commitments:

• to outreach;
• to faith formation for both children and adults; and
• to living out Jesus’ extravagant, joyful hospitality.

Our Ministries

We are blessed with a highly active church membership, who carry out many ministries. Some respond to an immediate need or interest; some are on-going.

Worship and Music

The first purpose of a church is to pray and sing God’s praise! Most Sundays during the year we meet three times for worship: a traditional service (which may include innovative elements!) at 9 & 11am, and our contemporary Seashore Praise and Worship at 5pm (summer schedule: Sundays, 9:30am; Thursdays, 7pm). We praise God with a wide variety of music: pipe organ; senior choir; children’s choir; women’s Gospel choir; adult and youth bell choirs; the youth Agape ensemble; and occasional guest musicians. Participants often find they not only are making a joyful noise, but forming lasting bonds as well.

Christian Education

We recognize that learning is a life-long activity, so we have programs for learners of every age. We also recognize that forming a deep relationship with God is a great challenge in our day (as in every day), when we are surrounded by so many demands on our time and allegiance. Our offerings include:

• Weekly “Thought for Young Minds” during worship;
• Weekly Sunday School for Pre-K through 8th grade;
• Yearly Vacation Bible School for Pre-K through 4th grade;
• Advent, Christmas, Lenten, and Easter Fairs / Celebrations;
• Disciple, a year-long adult Bible study.

Youth Programs

Programs for middle- and high school aged youth include:

• Weekly Fellowship meetings for middle and high school students;
• Yearly mission trips to Camp Wanakee, a Heifer Project worksite for middle schoolers;
• High school students volunteer monthly at New London’s Homeless Hospitality Center;
• Yearly mission trips to various locations;
• Confirmation class for 9th grade students.

Caring & Community

Through our Parish Life Ministries we strive to tend to the needs of both body and spirit. These offerings include: the ministry of our Parish Nurse; our Prayer Chain; “Sunshine Cards” sent to those who may be celebrating a life change or struggling with a loss; visits to home-bound church members for conversation, prayer, or to share communion; Operation Love, which arranges food for those who are injured or ill or facing the loss of a loved one.

We’ve held discussions of elder care, depression, skin cancer; we often offer book studies that last three to six weeks. Recently a men’s group formed, following a retreat. The ministries of our Women’s Fellowship Board and Women’s Christian Service Association include a yearly women’s retreat, the popular annual Jack Frost Bazaar, a rummage sale, and our Prayer Shawl ministry. And of course there are the four roast beef & turkey summer suppers — all you can eat!

Mission Outreach

Our congregation has a strong commitment to outreach — by which we mean deep engagement with pressing social needs and issues. We take seriously Jesus’ example of welcoming the outcast, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, and housing the homeless — and also prayerfully challenging the social structures that contribute to homelessness, hunger, and isolation. We have special connections to Habitat for Humanity, the Heifer Project, the New London Homeless Hospitality Center, and the yearly Peace Walk.

… and more

These describe some of what we do and who we are, but we strive to remain open to the Spirit of God, who is always making all things new — even us!