The Cabinet of First Congregational Church meets the first Wednesday of each month (except in July), at 7:00 pm in the Parlor. All members of the congregation are welcome to attend as non-voting members. Would you like to receive meeting minutes? Email Kathy Shore at and she will add you to the email list. The minutes of all Cabinet meetings and church membership meetings are posted each month on the “Clerk’s Corner” which is the bulletin board just to the right of the stairs in the hallway near the Parlor.

The Cabinet also reaches out to the congregation seeking its ideas and insights on current issues and prospective programs. Conversations with the Cabinet are ad hoc meetings occuring about once a quarter. This is an informal conversation with all who would like to talk about the many important aspects of our church life and complements the opportunity all have to attend Cabinet.

The Board of Deacons (or the “deaconate”) is a group of fourteen church members consisting of six men, six women, and two youth deacons (usually juniors or seniors in high school). The Deacons, along with the pastor, are responsible for the spiritual needs of the congregation, including supporting the pastor in the planning and celebration of all worship services, primarily through reading scripture lessons, receiving new members, serving communion and assisting with the sacrament of baptism.

Deacons also coordinate the activities of the worship support volunteers (ushers, candle lighters, coffee teams, elevator assistants, and greeters). The Board of Deacons ministry also includes pastoral care and visitation to members at home or in the hospital or nursing homes.

The Childcare Committee is responsible to the church for the overseeing of Holliston Community Children’s Center. The Committee establishes general policy and goals, is responsible for the executive director and bookkeeper and the management of the Center, as well as acting as liaison between the church and the Center.

The Center is an outreach program of the Church and offers full time child care, part time preschool and a playgroup. HCCC philosophy is based on the understanding that all children deserve a quality, affordable early education program built on acceptable child care practices and implemented by a trained and caring staff.

The primary objectives of the Center are to provide a safe, happy, secure, loving environment in which children have the opportunity to grow at their own pace and to learn to respect and care for themselves and others.

HCCC is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

The Christian Education Committee implements, oversees, and evaluates the church’s educational programs and policies. This includes, but is not limited to, the Sunday School.

The Christian Education Committee also oversees adult educational programming, intergenerational events, family events, educational resources (print and video libraries) and our Youth Fellowship programs.

The Christian Education Committee works closely with the pastor in being an advocate for education in all areas of our church’s life.

The Christian Outreach Committee is the committee primarily responsible for the church’s mission activities.

What do we mean by mission? “Mission should be the expression, through useful projects, of our common humanity under God with those in wider communities than that of our church?” This is done both locally and globally. Typical projects, locally, have included serving those in need at the Salvation Army dinners twice a month, supplying resources to local shelters such as A Place to Turn (in Natick), conducting an Adopt-a-Family program at holiday times for a local agency that serves under-privileged individuals and families, sponsoring a bus for members of the congregation to walk for hunger every May, and initiating and supporting the Habitat for Humanity in our area.

The Outreach Committee distributes funds pledged specifically to Christian Outreach and provides the congregation with other hands-on and financial support opportunities to serve others. Globally, our mission is carried out through the United Church of Christ’s Wider Mission activities. “Basic Support” monies fund the UCC’s ministry worldwide in the areas of health, education, agriculture, and spiritual growth and advocacy. Some of this money is allocated for disaster relief…shelter after a hurricane, rebuilding efforts after a flood, food and blankets for refugees fleeing war, training and education for sites worldwide which need resources to work towards self-sufficiency.

The delegates represent the congregation at Association and Conference meetings, such as ecclesiastical councils to ordain or install clergy, annual meetings of the Association and the Massachusetts Conference. The number of delegates allowed for any one church is proportional to the size of the church membership.

The Endowment Committee is a corporation charged with the responsibility to hold, manage and invest all funds and property given to the committee to benefit the church. The committee currently is comprised of five members plus a treasurer, and is managing seven funds, cemetery fund, general church endowments, charity/mission funds, general endowments, endowment committee funds, major repair fund, and education fund.

The Music Committee has the responsibility of managing the music staff and the choirs within the church's ministry assisting in maintaining the appropriate balance for worship services. The committee meets monthly and is made up of no more than 10 members and includes one youth. Budget responsibilities include organ and piano maintenance and providing coverage for open Sundays both for the organ and choirs.

The Personnel Committee is responsible for facilitating the recruiting, hiring, performance/salary evaluation and termination processes. The Committee, in consultation with the Senior Minister and Cabinet, also assists in the conflict resolution process for both paid and volunteer staff.

The Property Committee oversees the upkeep and upgrading of the church buildings and the parsonage. Any work which needs to be done on the physical plant is set up, after approval by the Cabinet, by the Property Committee, which then interviews contractors, chooses the company, and does any follow-up deemed necessary.

The committee formulates five and ten year plans for probably maintenance projects. The committee also deals with gas, electric and fuel oil concerns, as well as snow removal and grounds maintenance. We also work closely with the Holliston Community Children’s Center and Nursery School in making sure our facilities meet the licensing requirements of these groups.

The Safe Church Committee is charged with creating and maintaining a safe environment for all who participate in the life of this church. The Church accepted the formal written policies and procedures at the January 2009 annual meeting. The by-laws provide that the committee will be made up of seven members as follows: a representative from the Deacons, Business Committee, Property Committee, Education Committee, Music Committee and two members at large who are be selected by the aforementioned five members.

The Safe Church document is available to any who would like to see it. The committee also performs criminal background checks on all persons that will have contact with young people in the church, as well as staff members.

The Stewardship Committee consists of five members charged with conducting an annual campaign to educate the congregation and solicit pledges to be used for the church’s annual budget. The committee, in consultation with the Senior Pastor and the Cabinet, formulates and oversees the implementation of a stewardship campaign each year, usually taking place in the fall of each year.