First Congegational Church of Riverside Riverside CA

In The Heart of Riverside, With a Heart for Riverside

In 1620, the forbears of our denomination, the United Church of Christ, left Europe in search of spiritual freedom. Later generations would know them as the Pilgrims. As they departed for the new world, their pastor, John Robinson, urged them to always keep their minds and hearts open to new ways with these words: “God has yet more light and truth to break forth from his holy Word.”

In many ways that early history says a lot about who we continue to be. While we are people grounded in a faith that is 2000 years old, we are always searching for new ways of understanding and interpreting scripture in light of 21st century experience and knowledge. And we are a pilgrim people, called by God to serve as God’s ambassadors of reconciliation and peace, builders of God’s kingdom, and bearers of God’s light in places of darkness.

Ours is a proud heritage of seeking justice. We played an important role in the abolitionist movement and later in the civil rights movement in this country. We were the first protestant denomination in America to ordain an African American (1785, Lemuel Haynes), a woman (1853, Antoinette Brown), and an openly gay person (1972, William Johnson).

We celebrate our heritage, but we also seek to continue it. We are vigorously involved in our community; from our involvement with the neediest residents of this city to speaking up at City Council Meetings, our presence in our city is felt.

Written upon the walls of our building are these words from Micah: Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. It is to that calling that we seek to be faithful.

 

Question: What should I wear?

Answer: Our congregation is diverse in many ways, including how people dress. You will see some folk in sport jackets and dresses, but you will also see people in shorts, T-shirts, and flip flops. Please wear whatever makes you most comfortable.

Question: Where do I park?

Answer: The church is located on the corner of Mission Inn and Lemon. There is street parking available adjacent to the church as well as two public (free on Sundays!) parking lots on Lemon Street between University and Mission Inn. The entrance to our small private church lot is on Lemon Street between our Parish House and the Church; we reserve this lot on Sunday mornings for those who need to be close to the entrance, including those who require an accessible entrance. For more information about parking, visit https://parkatriverside.com

Question: Transportation?

Answer: If you are 62 or older, or disabled and looking for transportation to attend church, meetings, grocery shopping or medical appointments, two transportation agencies offer shared ride transportation. Riverside Transit Agency, Dial-A-Ride offers transportation within Riverside County. The City of Riverside, Riverside Connect offers transportation within the City of Riverside. Fees are nominal. Brochures with details are available in the Narthex.
Details also on their respective websites or by phone:
https://www.riversidetransit.com/index.php/dial-a-ride/how-to-use-dial-a-ride
Phone: (800) 795-7887
Special Transportation Division | Parks, Recreation and Community Services (riversideca.gov)
Phone: 951-687-8080

Question: Is the Church Building Accessible?

Answer: The sanctuary and main level of the church are entirely accessible, including a handicap accessible bathroom.

Question: Who attends worship at FCC?

Answer: Our church is diverse in many ways and this is something that we as a community value highly. Seated in our sanctuary you are likely to see people of difference races, classes, abilities, sexual orientations and gender identifications, couples and singles. We really do mean it when we say, “ALL are welcome at FCC.”

Question: What is the worship service like?

Answer: Our worship has a traditional style, but you will also find creativity, and flexibility in the service. As you enter the sanctuary you will be handed a “bulletin” that will lead your through the service. (Note: Sometimes in our bulletin you will see words like “doxology” or “benediction” that are never used outside a church. We use these words because they help us connect to the Christians through time. However, we know they are dated and probably a little confusing. If you ever wonder what a word means, just ask!) Included in the service are guided, silent, and participatory prayers. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month and the communion table is open to all people at our church…ALL…no exceptions.

Question: What kind of music will I hear?

Answer: We have both a magnificent organ and a piano. Like the community gathered, our music is diverse. It includes instrumentals, a choir, and the singing of hymns.

Question: What about a sermon?

Answer: While we might all have different understanding of what the Scriptures mean to our faith, as a Christian community we find it essential to engage with our holy texts every time we gather. Every Sunday at least one text is read from the Bible and one of our pastors then brings a message that seeks to make that ancient text relevant to our modern lives.

Question: What do the kids do on Sunday morning?

Answer: Children of all ages are always welcome to stay in the sanctuary with their grown-up/s for the entire worship service. However, there is also a staffed nursery for children up through age 3 and there is a moment about 15 minutes into our service when children and youth up through grade 8 may leave for Sunday School. On the first Sundays of the month Sunday School begins right at 10AM and the children and youth come back into the service to join us for communion.

Question: What happens after the service is over?

Answer: At the end of the service the pastor reminds the congregation that we are called to be Christ’s body in this world and offers a final blessing on the congregation. (That’s called the “benediction.”) However, before heading out you are invited to linger over coffee and snacks…to greet old friends or make new ones. Please consider staying for Coffee Hour. That’s how we can begin to get to know you!
 

Download First Congegational Church of Riverside vCard with Service Times

Click here to contact the church  

Download Pastor Kristen Nelson vCard

Click here to contact Kristen Nelson  

 

https://fccriverside.org/  

 

 

Transportation

If you are 62 or older, or disabled and looking for transportation to attend church, meetings, grocery shopping or medical appointments, two transportation agencies offer shared ride transportation. Riverside Transit Agency, Dial-A-Ride offers transportation within Riverside County. The City of Riverside, Riverside Connect offers transportation within the City of Riverside. Fees are nominal. Brochures with details are available in the Narthex.

Details also on their respective websites or by phone:
https://www.riversidetransit.com/index.php/dial-a-ride/how-to-use-dial-a-ride
Phone: (800) 795-7887

Special Transportation Division | Parks, Recreation and Community Services (riversideca.gov)
Phone: 951-687-8080  

The church is located on the corner of Mission Inn and Lemon. There is street parking available adjacent to the church as well as two public (free on Sundays!) parking lots on Lemon Street between University and Mission Inn. The entrance to our small private church lot is on Lemon Street between our Parish House and the Church; we reserve this lot on Sunday mornings for those who need to be close to the entrance, including those who require an accessible entrance. For more information about parking, visit https://parkatriverside.com  

 

 

The sanctuary and main level of the church are entirely accessible, including a handicap accessible bathroom.  

The First Congregational Church was founded on April 21, 1872, shortly after the founding of the City of Riverside, when a few of the early settlers banded together and became the first organized church in Riverside. The following year, they constructed the first church building. Since it was constructed with community-wide support and also served other faiths, it was called the First Church of Christ in Riverside. In 1887, the Congregationalists moved to the present site and constructed a wooden Gothic-style church.

Some Memorable Dates:

April 21, 1872 Founding of the church.

March 23, 1873 First church building dedicated, Sixth and Vine.

June 12, 1887 Second church building dedicated, Seventh and Lemon.

December 1, 1912 Laying of cornerstone for new church.

January 25, 1914 Dedication of the present building.

It is one of the most significant Spanish Revival structures existing in Southern California. It was designed by Myron Hunt, a leading California architect who also designed the Spanish Wing of the Mission Inn and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The building is a brick structure with a concrete tower. Henry Jekel was the architectural engineer for the Spanish Baroque Churrigueresque tower.

April 17, 1927 The Baptismal Font

The baptismal font is one of the unique furnishings of the church. It was carved from American Walnut by Richard Lippich of Lancaster, New York, a Swiss carver who had just arrived in the United States. The inscription on the font reads, “In memory of one from the east who worshiped in this church.” It was given by Mr. C.C. Childs as a memorial for his wife and installed on Easter 1927.

December, 1941 Pilgrim Hall and kitchen leased to U.S. Government for use during World War II.

April 20, 1947 Seventy-fifth Anniversary Celebration, and dedication of memorial stained glass windows.

Around the upper level of the sanctuary are eight stained glass windows. The first four of these windows were donated in the 1940’s by an anonymous couple staying at the Mission Inn, and the four others were donated later. The windows were designed by Horace Judson and made by the Judson Studios of Los Angeles. Five windows were dedicated April 4, 1947; three more were dedicated November 20, 1955. The eight windows represent: The Nativity; Christ in the Temple; The Baptism; Christ Blessing the Children; The Light of the World; Prayer; Communion; and the Woman of Samaria. The Sistine Madonna Window, also a Judson Studio Creation, was the first stained glass in the church (1916). The Window was restored and dedicated in April 1997 in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the church.

April 9, 1950 Dedication of the Great Cross

It is made of 23 enamel on copper panels depicting some of the ideas central to the beliefs of the church. It was given by Mr. and Mrs. Dominic Tavaglione in memory of her mother, Pearl Parker, and her brother, George A. Parker. The idea of the cross was conceived by Millard Sheets, world-renowned artist from Claremont, and it was designed by Margaret Montgomery, later Mrs. Jarvis Barlow, in the art department of Scripps College.

March 22, 1959 Dedication of Austin pipe organ.

The organ was designed by Robert G. Derick, organist and choirmaster in the church from 1949 to 1965. It is a 38-rank, three manual pipe with 2,292 pipes, made by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut.

February, 1970 Plymouth Tower, a facility for seniors established by the Church and the Retirement Housing Foundation, open for occupancy. (Later became a private facility no longer associated with FCC.)

1984 “Project: Food“, a meal program for the homeless, began.

October 1, 1989 Carillon installed in the Tower.

For many years the church’s 135′ bell tower was empty. in 1986, Don and Beth Miller began the Carillon Project in memory of their son, Scott. A Carillon was chosen, consisting of 24 bells, each of which rings a different pitch on the chromatic scale. The bells, which are the only pealing bells located in Southern California, were manufactured in France.

March 19, 1995 Became an “open and affirming” congregation, affirming the dignity and worth of all races, ethnicities, ages, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations.

1996 The FCC Madonna

The stained glass window was an FCC Sunday School project in the 1890’s when children donated pennies for 15 years. It was modeled after the Sistine Madonna (or Madonna di San Sisto oil painting) which was used as an altarpeice at the church of San Sistoin Piacenza, Italy. Although the original included Saints Sixtus and Barbara and cherubs at Mary’s feet, this version is true to Raphael Sanzio’s original painted in 1513-14. The facial expressions reflect the painting’s original placement near a crucifix. This is an excellent example of High Renaissance art and was the only stained glass in this building until 1947 when five memorial stained glass windows were installed in the sanctuary. It originally hung on the north wall but was removed during the remodel of the church in 1955. In 1996 it was removed from storage, restored and installed with love in this display box.

April 24, 2016 Open and affirming statement revised and expanded.

We are a church of extravagant welcome. Our faith leads us to invite and celebrate all persons, including those of every race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, family structure, physical and mental health, social and economic circumstance, and faith journey. Seeking justice and equality for all, we make a commitment to lovingly embrace our diversity with respect, compassion, and understanding. We unconditionally welcome all to share in the full life, leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, sacraments, responsibilities, and blessings of our congregation.