Rev. Packer's Message

     A lot of people will compare the discovery of a church home to the decision to buy a particular house or to feeling a part of the family.  You just “know it’s right for you.”  While a wide variety of individuals have made the Rockwood First Congregational Church their church home, and many of them might be able to describe that “aha” moment they experienced when they knew this was where God wanted them to be, there is a depth of spirit and fellowship among this community that can only be appreciated when one has participated in even a small way in the ministries and life of the church.  Christ is not only talked about, but sensed as an active presence within our congregation.

     Visitors can expect to have a friendly reception and to be introduced to several members of the congregation within a short time.  However, beyond the initial friendliness, the Rockwood First Congregational Church is a community through which one can establish and nurture lasting friendships based on the desire to worship and serve our Lord in an environment of freedom and joy, and the sharing of the soul that inevitably occurs once one has intentionally become an engaged part of the congregation’s cycle of activity. 

     Everyone is welcome to attend worship, a fellowship event, or any one of the many opportunities for personal and spiritual growth and education offered throughout the year, such as classes, healing services, and retreats.  People of all ages can find others taking the pilgrimage of faith in any number of ways, including a walking group, a weekly session of quilting and crafting, and we have Sunday School classes for ages 3-12, a Youth Group for teenagers, and the Action Crusaders team for elementary-aged young people.  Dramatic productions before Christmas and Easter provide our younger members the chance to minister to our church’s multiple generations.

     We encourage you to visit our spacious grounds, to walk our outdoor prayer labyrinth, to join us for worship, and to meet the church itself—its people.  As Christ said in John 15:15, “I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.”  Come to the Rockwood First Congregational Church, where we strive to make, nurture, and sustain friendships with our Lord and with one another!

     In the spirit of Christ’s friendship,

     Rev. Charles A. Packer

     Senior Minister and Teacher