Welcome to First Parish Church of Groton
We are so glad you are here! We are a community seeking to deepen spiritually, take care of one another, and be a blessing to the world. Whoever you are, whatever country you come from, whoever you love, whatever you’ve done, whatever your beliefs, abilities, challenges or gifts, wherever you are on your life’s journey, you are welcome here.
As a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), we affirm and promote the principles of the UUA, and as a Welcoming Congregation, we actively welcome LGBTQ people as full participants in the life of our church.
Our Sunday Service begins in-person at 10am in our sanctuary. We also have an informal version of the Sunday morning service at 9am, both in-person in the Minister’s Study and via Zoom.
Meet Our Minister – Rev. Elea Kemler
Elea has been the minister at First Parish since 2000. Click on her video for a short welcome message.
Scenes from Our Sunday Service
A great way to get to know us is to watch these short videos from recent services.
Sermons
Here is one of Elea’s shorter sermons. Additional sermons are available on YouTube or our legacy website.
Got a Minute? Meditate!
Our Intern Minister, Li, shares how they learned to meditate by following the hand gestures of a Tibetan monk while living in China.
Stories for All Ages
Each week our ministers share a Story for All Ages (because adults love them, too). The stories always include a teachable moment. Here, Elea reads Change Sings by Amanda Gorman
Live Music
Shawn McCann, our Director of Music Ministry, opens our Sunday service with a Prelude. Additional music excerpts are posted on our Music Page.
Spirit of Life Hymn
Each week the congregation sings Spirit of Life in Spanish and English. We sing it in Spanish to always remember that we live in a diverse world.
Chalice Lighting
Each week a member of our congregation delivers a personal message and lights our chalice.
Like What You See?
Meet our Staff and some Members of our Congregation.
Learn more about Unitarian Universalism and Welcoming Congregations.