First Congregational Church
of Ashfield
Creating Community, Welcoming All
☞ This Sunday's service, 9/6, is at St. John's ☜
to welcome their new vicar, Rev. Harvey Hill!
St. John's would appreciate goodies for coffee hour to supplement their own.
See details on our Events page
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Don't forget to sign up to help at Fall Festival!
Sign-up sheets available at Coffee Hour.
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Emergency Pastoral Assistance through the summer months: If you would like to talk with a Pastor, please contact Rev. Bert (413)834-2835 / [email protected] or Rev. Leslie (508)224-8281 / [email protected]
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Don't forget to sign up to help at Fall Festival!
Sign-up sheets available at Coffee Hour.
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Emergency Pastoral Assistance through the summer months: If you would like to talk with a Pastor, please contact Rev. Bert (413)834-2835 / [email protected] or Rev. Leslie (508)224-8281 / [email protected]
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HILLTOWN CHURCHES FOOD PANTRY Visit their website Hilltown Churches Food Pantry Distributions: Tuesdays, 3-5 September 15, October 13 & 27 ► IMPORTANT LINKS: Lori Wyman's Sermon from 7/12/26: The sixth commandment: Thou shall not kill Bruce Bennett's Sermon/Reflection for 3/8/26: The Woman at the Well, and Four Months till the Harvest Bruce Bennett's Sermon from 1/11/26: Molecules and Love Forever Lori Wyman's Sermon from 12/28/25: In Praise of Mary Joe Osterman's Sermon from 11/16/25: The Golden Rule, Non-Violence and the Purpose of Religion 
Transformation Team
Conversation Café These are the sheets provided by the Transformation Team after church last Sunday, March 15, at the Conversation Cafe. Stay tuned for next steps. Many thanks to all who participated! Conversation Café Questions Spiritual Identity How do we welcome All, honor all faith traditions, and maintain Christian rituals, based on Scripture and our history? What does it mean to be a questioner? A believer? A questioning believer? How does our spiritual identity fit in the context of renewed “Christian Nationalism,” current politics, and current UCC guidance/support. Congregational Life: Gathering Together Why do we gather? What are our core values driving gathering together? How can we best share leadership in our gatherings? What kind of gatherings inspire us the most? Shared Ministries with a Part Time Pastor Since our minister’s contract is under 30 hours/week how do we move into the future with outreach, additional pastoral care for an aging congregation, offerings for families and/or youth, topical education? What roles can church leadership and the whole congregation play? What role do we envision the pastor playing? Community Invitation/Collaborations What events inspire you the most? How do you feel when we invite the community into the church for discussions, performances, and special services? What is your hope for 'the community' in their attendance? What ideas do you have for creating partnerships with other groups. --------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSFORMATION TEAM RECOMMENDATIONS - WHAT DID WE MEAN? Spiritual Identity >Embrace our diverse, individual roots and paths >Gain a deeper understanding of our shared faith identity in this place Congregational life: Gathering Together >It’s what we love! >Finding models that encourage leadership as well as participation Shared Ministries with a Part Time Pastor >Consider this NOT from a budgetary perspective >How can the congregation step up to support the ministries we want our Church to BE Community Invitation/Collaborations >Hosting cultural events for a purpose >Exploring ‘radical welcome’ >Sharing our space 
Ahmadi Family Update
August 2026 From Ashfield Churches Together Recently Jafar sent an update to Ashfield Churches Together about their struggles and their joys. Here is what Jafar wrote to us: Dearest Friends, Many thanks for your continued care. It truly means a lot to us. First, the good news is that our visas have been extended until next May! And Bard College has also extended my position as research scholar and teacher of an on-line statistics course. These extensions mean that we can stay in Red Hook and Ali can graduate from high school. He has excelled there and on the school’s soccer team and hopes to get a student/athlete scholarship for college. Though we are safe and benefiting from your kindness and the kindness of others, our family members who live in Afghanistan and also relatives in Iran are suffering. Because of the media blackout imposed by the Iranian regime, it is difficult for us to communicate with relatives in Isfahan. We know that their area was heavily bombed by the US and Israel because there is a nuclear site in the area. We pray for their safety and for peace in the region. Our part of the world has seen so much suffering. We pray for the safety of our friends and family and for peace for all. In the face of world affairs that touch us intimately, we carry on. The spring semester was quite busy for me. I took an EMT course in Dutchess County, which also functioned as an ESL practicum. It was both stressful and deeply rewarding. I feel grateful for how much I have learned. These days, I am also considering how to integrate EMT practice with psychological first aid to be more effective in humanitarian contexts. Since our work has been about trauma, the EMT training adds a dimension to my knowledge base that will be important as I share what I have learned. Zeinab and the children have been busy. Zeinab continues counseling Afghan students online, which has been very meaningful. And we just published an article in the “European Journal of Psychotraumatology” about a study with Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Amir and Fatima finished their school year. Amir did very well in soccer and basketball and is very happy. All of the children are in summer camps of one sort or another. Ali recently traveled to Florida to visit a few colleges and universities to explore his educational path. I am very excited to tell you that my book, Train of Life is now available in print or eBook editions from Amazon, and has been translated into English, Persian/ Dari, Pashto, and Arabic. The book follows the journey of an Afghan girl coping with grief, trauma, and loss after an attack on her school. Through counseling and expressive writing, the story explores healing, resilience, meaning-making, and post-traumatic growth. This project reflects my ongoing commitment to mental health, trauma recovery, and the power of narrative in healing. We try to live our lives in faith and hope even though we are still uncertain about the future, especially given the challenges many immigrants are facing. Even people with more stable status than ours sometimes face unexpected difficulties. I have colleagues in Australia who have suggested I apply for a job as research scholar at Monash University in Melbourne. I am considering this and other options. Despite busy lives framed by uncertainty, we continue our work, learning, and service. We celebrated a happy Eid and Nowruz [Persian New Year and spring equinox] at an Uzbekh restaurant in our area, and we deeply believe that the prayers and support of people like you have always guided and strengthened us. We are hopeful, and we trust in God and in those who genuinely support and uplift others. Please know that you are truly part of the good work we are doing, and we keep you, the Ashfield community, both churches, and all of you who have reached out to us in our prayers. With our warmest regards and gratitude, Sayed Jafar Ahmadi (PhD.) Psychologist and Research Scholar at Bard College --------- On behalf of Jafar, Zeinab, and their children, thank you for your support over the past years. Annie Cheatham and Sue Craft for Ashfield Churches Together |
“The basic fact is that Christianity as it was born in the mind of this Jewish teacher and thinker appears as a technique of survival for the oppressed… Wherever his spirit appears, the oppressed gather fresh courage." —Howard Thurman
OF NOTE:
IN PERSON & ZOOM WORSHIP First Congregational Church continues in-person Sunday services at 10AM, masks optional. Join the Sunday Zoom service here.
Meeting ID: 878 8863 1016 
Watch the most recent service recording here.
Find previous recordings here.
♫ Stay tuned for Fall Schedule ♫ Welcome Back! Come and sing at 9 a.m., Sunday, September 13 Recording of Sherrill Hogen’s talk about her most recent trip to Palestine From Traprock Center for Peace and Justice and Sherrill: Here is a link to the talk by Sherrill on July 24th: “Let’s Talk About Palestine."We are delighted to be able to offer it to you here, in full, courtesy of Greenfield Community TV: https://youtu.be/jBjQDSp2hmM "It’s in that convergence of spiritual people becoming active and active people becoming spiritual that the hope of humanity now rests."
VAN JONES 
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Creating Community, Welcoming All
Welcome
“Creating Community, Welcoming All” -- Those words sum up our aspirations for our Ashfield church. For over 250 years, we have been group of people who strive to know God — in each other, in our life together, in the wider community, and in ourselves. Read more. |
Worship
First Congregational Church of Ashfield is offering both in-person worship services and on-line access for those who wish to connect virtually. To receive information about online services, contact [email protected]. Read more. |
Spiritual Resources
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