First Congregational Church
of Ashfield
Creating Community, Welcoming All
☞ John Yannis presents ☜
Music of Phil Ochs!
Thursday, April 9, 7 pm
in the Sanctuary
to benefit the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
-----------------------------------------------------------
Rev. Bert Marshall will be providing emergency pastoral coverage while Rev. David is on Paternity leave. Rev. Bert may be reached at (413) 834-2835 or [email protected]
|
HILLTOWN CHURCHES FOOD PANTRY Visit their website Hilltown Churches Food Pantry Distributions: Tuesdays, 3-5 April 14 & 28, May 12 ► IMPORTANT LINKS: 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
Converstion 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
December 2025 From Ashfield Churches Together Recently Jafar sent an update to Ashfield Churches Together about their struggles and their joys. In the first paragraph he is referring to a gift of houseplants they gave to each Ashfield church – a living reminder of their love for us. Both churches have placed the plants near their altars. Here is what Jafar wrote to us: Thank you so much for your constant kindness and prayers. Your message truly touched our hearts. Although we are far from you, knowing that our plant gifts are beside your church altars makes us feel close to your community — as if a part of our spirit is always there with you. Regarding our immigration status, we have not yet received any news, and daily life can be challenging. However, we have not lost hope. I still remember the Thanksgiving Day four years ago when your prayers reached us exactly at a difficult moment — even while we were on the airplane flying from Afghanistan to Germany. Those messages gave us strength, and I will never forget that feeling. These challenges have made us stronger and taught us to live with gratitude — for God, for others, and for ourselves. I believe Thanksgiving is a meaningful reminder that gratitude connects our past, present, and future. I am developing this idea as a method for personal growth, and I hope to teach it to others as part of my work. The children, Zeinab and I are doing well, thanks to your prayers:
I am attaching a photo from a short family trip to New York City. Once again, thank you and the entire Ashfield community for your continued support. Wishing you a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving. ----------------------------------------- August 2025 Over sixty people gathered under the tent at St. John’s Episcopal Church on August 14 for the Ashfield Churches Together’s community picnic. The Ahmadi family joined the party, visited with new and old friends, while their children and other young people played soccer on the Town Common. Everyone enjoyed ice cream served by Laura Bessette and Nancy Hoff from the Ashfield Hardware. Thank you to everyone in the community who attended, brought food, helped set up and clean up, and donated dollars to the family to help them defray immigration related costs. We were able to pass along donations exceeding $2,000. Jafar Ahmadi offered the following remarks at the gathering: Dear friends and beloved families, Today, in this warm and heartfelt gathering, I want to sincerely thank both of the dear churches and the Ashfield community that have stood by us all these years. You are not merely a community or a group of church buildings – you have been like a big family to me and my loved ones. The last time I was here, I spoke about our struggles, about the darkness we faced. But today, I want to speak about light and hope – the light of hope that you have planted in our hearts. From the days before we even arrived in the United States to the moment we set food in this land, your kindness, support, and prayers have been with us. Along the way, I spoke every week with my dear mentor, Mr. Gary Partenheimer, staying informed about your efforts and encouragement. He has been like a representative of the Ashfield community throughout our journey of growth – reviewing my speeches, offering valuable guidance, and mentoring me like a life coach. We have travelled together to many important events – from my presentation at the American Psychological Association in Washington, D.C., to a trip to Albany, and to Bard College. In every one of these moments, I felt the spirit and love of the Ashfield community beside me. Today on behalf of myself, my beautiful wife Zeinab, and my children, Ali, Amir, and Fatima, I thank each and every one of you for your kindness, prayers, and companionship. You have given us not only material and moral support, but also a sense of safety, worth, and belonging. This is a gift beyond measure. I will close my words with a verse by Rumi from the Ghazel (Ode), 1475, Divan-e Shams: In this Earth, in this Field, in this clean Farm, Let us sow nothing but the seeds of kindness and love. May God bless you all. On behalf of Jafar, Zeinab, and their children, thank you for your support over the past three years. Annie Cheatham and Sue Craft for Ashfield Churches Together |
About the resurrection we know almost nothing, and we mustn’t talk a lot about it; Christ himself refused to say much. I simply believe that the tombs of all those who have loved their fellow human beings are empty. — Ernesto Cardenal
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.
♫ View/Download Spring Schedule ♫ No choir 4/8 or 4/12, Rehearsal 4/15, Service 4/19 Rehearsal 4/22, Service 4/26 Rehearsal 4/29, Service 5/3 Rehearsal 5/6, Choir Sunday 5/10 Summer Break! 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 
|
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
|