First Congregational Church of Saginaw, MI
SUNDAY SERVICES 10:30AM
PHONE: (989) 754-6565
ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS
SUNDAY November 1st, 2026
Reverend Dr. Lillian Daniel
United Church of Christ
Conference Minister
delivers the message
in a service celebrating
Holy Communion
and
All Saints Sunday
meeting in the Sanctuary
at 10:30 am this Sunday
Lillian Daniel is a nationally recognized preacher, teacher and writer who cares deeply about clergy and congregations, who has taught preaching in many settings including Chicago Theological Seminary, University of Chicago Divinity School, and Yale Divinity School.
A widely read author, her latest book Defrocked: Good News from a Bad Pastor for a Better Church reflects on the pastoral life and continues themes of her other books, Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don’t Belong To, When ‘Spiritual But Not Religious’ Is Not Enough and This Odd and Wondrous Calling which is taught in many seminaries. Featured in the New York Times and on PBS, Lillian Daniel’s writing has been described as “biting, hilarious, pitch perfect, tender, and often stunningly beautiful.”
A graduate of Yale Divinity School, she began her ministry as an Associate Pastor at a large church in Cheshire, Connecticut. From there she became a Solo Pastor at a small urban church in New Haven, Connecticut where the choir outnumbered the congregation, but over eight years, they grew to become a vibrant, interracial, community that also became Open and Affirming. This would be the first of three churches to go through the Open and Affirming process under her pastoral leadership, which also includes extensive experience organizing for justice in politically diverse settings, having served on the boards of Arise Chicago and Interfaith Worker Justice She currently on the serves on the Board of Directors for the United Church of Christ National setting and the Community Renewal Society. In the United Church of Christ, she is a regular writer for the UCC Stillspeaking Devotionals, and was a founding member of the UCC Writer’s Group that has produced many written materials for the denomination.
History
First Congregational Church—affectionately known as FCC—stands as both a landmark and a living story. For nearly 170 years, its presence has shaped the rhythm of the downtown community, its grand architecture and historic designation marking it as a place of permanence even as the world around it has changed. Step inside, and the space tells its own story: the glow of stained glass, including a beloved Tiffany window, the quiet majesty of the organ, and the echo of carillon chimes drifting into the streets. It feels, unmistakably, like a “grand church”—but one with an unexpected warmth.
. FCC is, above all, known for music. It is woven into its identity. From its large and vibrant choir to its extensive library of musical works, from organ concerts to its role as host of Jazz on Jefferson, the church has long been a gathering place where sound and spirit meet. Music here is not performance alone—it is connection, memory, and invitation. Even community traditions like Saturday breakfasts or the sharing of homemade peanut brittle become part of that same harmony, drawing people together in simple, meaningful ways.
Yet FCC’s reputation extends beyond its artistry. It is widely known as a welcoming and affirming space—open-minded, inclusive, and grounded in genuine care for others. While its worship style leans traditional, there is a clear “twist”: a relaxed, approachable atmosphere that values reverence without rigidity. It is a church where long-standing practices coexist with an openness to new expressions, where people are encouraged to belong without pressure or pretense.
The church’s history has not been without challenge. A devastating fire, periods of internal strain, and fluctuations in membership and financial stability have all shaped its journey. Still, FCC has endured—carried forward by generations of committed members and a legacy of strong music leadership and community engagement. Its sanctuary, carefully restored and adorned over time, stands as a testament to resilience and shared purpose.
MUSIC in the SANCTUARY
ART of PERFORMANCE SERIES
October 31, 2026-
1pm Collin and Erin Whitfield
February 27, 2027-
1pm Dr. Wendy Chu
May 8, 2027-
1 pm Matthew Benkert
First Congregational Church
Art of Performance
Season Two
October 31, at 1pm
Organ - Piano - Vocal
featuring
Collin Whitfield
Erin Whitfield
in a program of music by
GERSHWIN and GUESTS
Collin Whitfield's compositions have been called “beautiful, rapturous and unabashedly romantic” by librettist Nicholas Giardini. His honors include the James Highsmith Award for new orchestral music and first prizes in the Central Michigan University Choral Composition Competition and the San Francisco Conservatory Biennial Art Song Composition Competition. In 2026, the Saginaw Valley State University Cardinal Singers premiered his new settings for women’s chorus and piano at the Theodore Roethke Festival, and the works were featured in a reading session at the Michigan ACDA Conference. Mason Bates has described him as “a fine citizen musician.”
Collin is an active piano and organ recitalist and frequently collaborates with his wife, soprano Erin Whitfield. He was named to The Diapason’s 20 Under 30 class of 2021 for his technical achievements and creativity in organ and church music. As a collaborative pianist, Collin has worked with the California Bach Society, Chora Nova, Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra, Saginaw Choral Society, and conductors Vance George and Ragnar Bohlin. Currently, he accompanies the Midland Center Stage Chorale and Camerata choirs at the Midland Center for the Arts.
Collin is Director of Music and the Arts at First Presbyterian Church of Flint, where he serves as organist and choirmaster and oversees creative programming for the church’s performing and fine arts ministries. He is a former Dean of the Saginaw Valley Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Collin holds a Master of Music in organ performance from Central Michigan University, where he studied with Steven Egler, and a Bachelor of Music in composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Mason Bates and David Conte.
Noted for her golden, lyric line and “hilarious acting and excellent timing” (Great Lakes Bay Reviewers Circle), soprano Erin Whitfield is equally comfortable in the worlds of opera and musical theater. Erin owns and operates the thriving Whitfield Voice Studio, just began her fourth year as an adjunct Voice Instructor at Saginaw Valley State University, and maintains an active performing schedule around the Great Lakes Bay Region.
She has appeared on many local stages in musicals - most recently as Judy in 9 to 5 at the Midland Center in September. Erin also has been a member and featured soloist with the Saginaw Choral Society since 2018 and looks forward to returning actively to the group in January. Recent concert appearances include the premiere of Collin's "Three Christmas Poems of Margaret Rorke" for organ and soprano with Dr. Thomas Heidenreich, as the role of “Mother” in Amahl & the Night Visitors with United Church of Christ in Midland, the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Mozart’s Requiem with the Saginaw Choral Society, and the role of “Mary Magdalene” in the Lamb of God oratorio. Erin will sing as the soprano soloist once more in Mozart’s Requiem on Sunday November 1st at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Saginaw and looks forward to singing the Messiah soprano solos in mid-December at Assumption Catholic parish in Midland.
Erin is a Seattle-area native and earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Pacific Lutheran University (summa cum laude) and Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. From 2015 to 2018 she sang with the Seattle Opera chorus and began her voice teaching career before relocating to Michigan with Collin for new work and education opportunities. For more information, please visit her website: www.erinwhitfield.com.
Art of Performance
JARED D. COOK
October 3, 2026
"I've not heard such electrifying yet controlled playing in a long time. He is truly an up-and-coming star in the organ world and has much to offer." Steve Egler
