We are the First Congregational Church of Saginaw, and with a 157-year history of living in the heart of Saginaw's historic cathedral district—we are here to stay! Our tradition is one of social justice and cultural engagement where we believe we can make a difference in our city…and have! We continue to serve the city of Saginaw at its heart…living here, working here, and encouraging all who seek God’s good for our lives and community. We bring a message of hope and life—and believe that like the mythical phoenix of old, out of the ashes of our struggles and that or our community's economic struggles, we can emerge anew with beauty and grace. For God is still speaking in Saginaw!

We believe in God’s extravagant welcome to all people, whoever you are, wherever you are in life’s journey, you are welcome here! Some places say that and then try to make you “repent” and conform to their image, rules and laws—but we believe that you are made good and beautiful just as you are! We understand that we all can grow and do better! We seek to live life as it is meant to be lived—gracefully and joyfully! Some of us even need a fresh start. We hope you can find it here! We hope to encourage you on the journey of your life, helping you be the best you can be! We do that by sharing our profound faith in God, and belief in the "good" God has for you! We believe nothing can separate you from the Love of God—and we believe loving God and each other is as Jesus said, “the Greatest commandment that fulfills them all!”

We are a Church where Christ is praised, and scripture is read as the foundation for a dynamic sermon, whose end seeks an application that is real for today and our world. We don’t believe we have all the answers, in fact we believe that questions are good, that openness of thought is advantageous for authentic growth during this journey of life. We believe we have a lot to learn from each other, our world's diverse faiths, philosophies, and traditions. Sure we can say “We Believe…” but we also look forward to discovering your belief and to help you in your journey to find the answers to your questions.

We are a Church of service, our members serve in the local soup kitchen, serve second Saturday breakfasts for the needy of our community, host “Dresses for Africa,” sell the fair-trade products of SERRV, participate in the Ezekiel Project, and conduct outreach programs that help not only our immediate community…but the world. Come and be part of a place that believes in making a real difference..not just talking about it.

We are a Church known for being a center for excellent music and the arts. We are hosts to, and home, for world-class musicians and artists who regularly share their talents with our church and our community. Throughout the year, we conduct concerts that range from Improvisation Jazz, to Bach and Handel on the Organ, to Classic Symphonic music. We have world-class theatrical performers who have traveled the world, and studied in Paris with Marcel Marceau—who now live here and share their talents in our services and special events. Our juried fine-arts show joins with the fun of Jazz on Jefferson, while around the church you can view arts from ages past, including an original Tiffany window, the Alden Dow House (now a parsonage lived in by our Pastor), paintings from both local and international artists, carvings from the Middle East, and tapestries from France. First Congregational is a church of culture and class.