First Congregational Church has been serving Jesus Christ in beautiful downtown Durand Michigan since 1896. The church was organized by 13 charter members and constructed the building at the point of Saginaw and Washtenaw Streets in 1898 that is still our home.
If you live in the Durand area there is a very good chance you already know some of the people who are part of First Congregational Church. Most of us live here and are among your friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, maybe even your family. We are a happy and friendly group of people trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ consistently while we live, work, and serve in and around Durand. We are always glad to welcome anyone who wants to follow Jesus while getting to know each other better.
Sundays at FCC
First Congregational Church gathers for our Worship Celebration at 10:00am every Sunday. Everyone is welcome to join us at the point of Saginaw and Washtenaw Streets in beautiful downtown Durand for about an hour of fellowship, singing, Scripture reading, prayer, and a Biblical message from Pastor Steve.
Worship Celebration
Our style of Worship is mixed. We still sing traditional hymns accompanied by piano or organ, but we also sing modern praise songs accompanied by guitar. Worship at FCC is casual. Wear comfortable clothes, sit wherever you want, and take part how the Holy Spirit leads you. We are casual, but we are not careless with the things of God. We take the Bible, prayer, and worshiping God very seriously because we believe he is worthy of our very best and we want to become more like Jesus Christ.
When You Get Here
When you arrive at FCC you will notice we do not have a parking lot, but there is plenty of streetside parking on Saginaw Street and our friends at Portland Federal Credit Union are closed so we use their parking lot, too. You can enter through any of the doors on the south, east, and west sides of the building. For those who need it, an elevator is available at the Washtenaw Street entrance on the west side of the building.
Sunday Worship(stream)
For those who are unable to join us in person, our Sunday Worship(stream) is on Facebook. It goes live a few minutes before 10:00am and you can find it on our Facebook page by clicking this LINK.
What We Believe
Church Covenant
First Congregational Church is organized by our Church Covenant:
We are banded together as a Christian church to maintain the worship of God, to proclaim the gospel of Christ, to develop in all people a consciousness of their relations and duties to God and to each other, and to inspire them with love for truth, passion for righteousness, and enthusiasm for service. To this end we pledge our loyalty to Christ and covenant with each other to strive to express His spirit in our individual and corporate life; to live together as Christians and to submit ourselves to the government of this church, working, giving, praying for its increase, its purity, its peace and seeking in every way to make it a power for the building up of the Kingdom of God.
Statements of Faith
- We believe the Holy Scriptures are the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, inspired by God and the only reliable source of faith and truth. (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
- We believe there is only one eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who has revealed himself to humanity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1-2; Deuteronomy 6:4; John 1:1-4)
- We believe Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, who came into the world, lived a sinless life, died, and rose victorious over death to provide the only way of salvation and eternal life for all who will receive it. (John 1:1-5, 9-14, 3:16-21, 14:6)
- We believe the Holy Spirit is God, sent by the Father to those who accept Jesus to guide, teach, encourage, comfort, intercede, and empower us in this life. (John 14:15-17, 26; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:26)
- We believe Jesus Christ established his Church, the Body of Christ, and is its head. As a local church we believe we are part of the Body of Christ, and it is our privilege to cooperate with other churches and organizations who serve Christ to spread the Gospel and glorify God. (Matthew 16:18; Romans 12:5; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 10:24-25)
- We believe the Sacraments are Baptism and Communion both established by Jesus Christ for his church and reserved for those who have accepted him as Savior. While we practice Infant Baptism, it is a ceremony of dedication in which parents commit to raise their child in the Christian faith toward the hope the child will choose to accept Christ when they are able to do so. (Proverbs 22:6; Matthew 19:14, 26:26-28, 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38
- We believe it is our duty as Christians to glorify God, obey Christ, and love one another. We seek to grow in our faith through worship, prayer, Bible study, fellowship, sharing the Gospel, serving through our local church, and showing love and respect for others. (Luke 11:28; John 13:34-35, 14:15; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:23)
- We believe all individuals are created in God’s image and worthy of respect, that all human life is sacred, that we are stewards of the resources God has given us, that marriage is exclusively between one man and one woman, and that we are obligated to serve the needs of humanity. (Genesis 1:27, 2:15, 24; Matthew 19:4-6. 23:11; Galatians 5:13; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 4:10)
Congregationalism
As a Congregational church, FCC emphasizes the authority of Jesus Christ as head of his Church (Matthew 16:18; Romans 12:5; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 10:24-25). Under Christ the government of the church is vested in our members, so every member has a voice and a vote, and no person, board, or committee holds authority over the congregation.
While First Congregational Church is not part of a denomination, we are a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC), a group of churches cooperating for mutual encouragement and support while sharing resources and supporting mission efforts around the world. For more information on the NACCC, CLICK HERE.
