Fellowship &
Worship
Our aim is not to grow the congregation, but to serve the community.
The Ridgebury Congregational Church
We are more than the historic white church on the corner. We are a place to nourish and flourish – body, mind, and soul.
The RCC is located in Ridgefield, Connecticut
in the historic Ridgebury section of town.
About Us
Chances are if you live in Western Connecticut, you have driven by The Meetinghouse, which has stood at the crossroads of Ridgebury Road and George Washington Highway in Ridgefield since 1851.
Since its founding, the Meetinghouse has served a dual purpose—as a house of worship and as a place of public assembly. Over the past 275 years, the Meetinghouse has served as more than a landmark to our community… we are a gathering place!
Today, the Meetinghouse seeks to protect the environment by restoring the Commons to provide a gathering space for the community and training grounds for prosocial leaders through restoring the commons.
Three things you should know about us!
We are:
Spiritual
The historic campus on which we are located is set in a pristine ecosystem, offering welcome, restoration, an opportunity to dwell, as leaders attend to the integration of body, mind and soul.
Sustainable
Reflected in a deep commitment to the land as we steward wetlands, wooded groves, and meadows, and extend the pollinator pathway.
Innovative
Our spiritual formation offerings are grounded in inquiry-based learning that honors embodied learning toward generative engagement with people and planet.
Ridgebury Congregational Church - Open and Affirming Statement:
In celebration of the beauty and uniqueness of each expression of God’s diverse family, we welcome all to share in the life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, sacraments, responsibilities, and blessings of participation in our congregation. Therefore, no matter who you are, regardless of age, economic status, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, or where you are in life’s journey, you are welcome in Ridgebury Congregational Church, an Open and Affirming Congregation.
Our Roots
Step outside onto the land, and listen to the wind blow through the trees, touch the rocks, feel the earth, and experience the wetlands connecting to underground streams, and you will connect to our deepest roots. The landform of the area evolved over millions of years as a result of massive climatic and geologic processes, creating the landscape we know today.
The land on which the Meetinghouse and Commons stand was “purchased” from the Ramapoo tribe in 1708. In recommitting to the land, we recognize the unique and enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories, and seek to learn from them as we honor our responsibility as stewards.
Since its inception, the Meetinghouse has served a dual purpose as a house of worship and place of public assembly. Our human tendency to create dualities—body and soul, local and global, sacred and secular—has resulted in bifurcated lives. Deep down, we know that the wholeness we long for cannot be known apart from the wholeness of the community. Near the crossroads, a pivotal battle was fought for this nation’s independence, and today calls us to honor our interdependence. Nearby, is the site of a stop on the Underground Railroad pressing us for social justice.
Body
Wisdom through working on the farm and land
Soul
Through formation, shared rhythms, and intentional practice
Mind
Through cross-sectoral learning that draws on grounded theory and practice.
We are Ridge-bury. We serve at the crossroads between Ridgefield and Danbury. This affords a unique perspective and opportunity to nurture intersectoral relationships, given the distinctives of each community—one affluent yet progressive, with little diversity; the other multicultural, representing a wide diversity of peoples, economically, socially and politically. The Meetinghouse draws from both communities offering opportunity for dialogue, wisdom, and collaborative partnership.
Through an embodied experience with the arts, farm & food, community and wellness, the Meetinghouse nurtures integral knowing that allows for holistic formation and equipping. We believe that the whole leader calls the whole person. We cannot address the present ecological, social, and spiritual divides without connecting body, mind and soul. The Meetinghouse nurtures wisdom through engagement with:
- Body
Wisdom through working on the farm and land - Soul
Through formation, shared rhythms, and intentional practice - Mind
Through cross-sectoral learning that draws on grounded theory and practice.
Whether you come for the arts, community, farm & food, wellness or leadership formation, you are welcome! We are one house, many rooms!
Come flourish with us
Worship
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Worship is at the very heart of our life together. All that we are and do is rooted in worship. Sunday Worship—10am, with communion the first Sunday of the month. Sunday morning worship is the context by which we nurture and deepen our relationship with God, one another, and creation. Godly Play— Children fully participate in worship. Through Godly Play, together we practice wondering for the care of body, mind and soul. Special services throughout the Liturgical Year, including Christmas, New Year’s Covenant Service, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Pentecost. |
Circle of Life
Pastoral services mark special moments in the life journey from birth to marriage to death.
Baptism (and the renewal of baptismal vows) ordinarily takes place four times a year—Baptism of Our Lord, Easter, Pentecost, and All Saints Sunday—although can be scheduled on alternative Sundays.
Marriage is celebrated in accordance with civil and church law. Advance planning (6-12 months) is important to allow time for premarital counseling.
Funeral & Memorial services provide occasion to mark the life of the one who has died, while giving witness to the resurrection.
Home Communion brought by a deacon is available for those who are homebound or hospitalized.
Spiritual Formation
We believe formation is a lifelong journey. formation opportunities throughout the year include:
Immersions into the spiritual formation of the leader;
Pilgrimages into community;
Online Journeys to equip for lives of service;
Cohorts & Circles where individuals commit to a shared formational experience over the course of 6-12 months, plus:Seasonal Workshops with our collaborative partners that interweave spiritual and the arts, community, environment, and wellness.
Our History
It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards said the White Queen to Alice in Wonderland. At the Meetinghouse, memory and vision are intertwined. Where once we fought for our independence at the crossroads of Ridgebury and George Washington, today we honor our interdependence. As Sacred Commons, we seek to steward the land and nurture community toward the flourishing of people and planet.
