June, 1993

Dear Friends in Christ,

What an honor it is to be members of First Church at this historic moment. We are the eighth oldest church in Connecticut and one of a handful of churches who have been in continual existence since the seventeenth century. As Professor Skip Stout mentioned in his lecture, we have worshipped together over 18, 265 times.

We have included in this booklet a list of the original settlers and of current members who are descendants of one or more of them. We have listed the Deacons, who originally had life terms, and the Ministers who have led this church for 350 years. And, we have been able to include the texts of our 350th Anniversary Lecture Series. These talks include crucial information about Congregational heritage and the challenges and opportunities that stand before us. I encourage you to read these. Lastly, we have included the text of the 350th Anniversary Anthem commissioned by the Music Committee and written by Deborah Fischer Teason and a copy of the June 6th worship service.

A brief history of First Church, Guilford, can be found in our 350th Anniversary Pictorial Directory and The Reverend William H. C. Moe wrote several essays on various periods of our history. These can be found at the Guilford Library or through Ada Trecartin, our church historian.

Not only is this a time of great privilege, it is also a time of great responsibility. As current members we are called to continue the work of Christ in this place with as much faith, hope, and love as did our predecessors. Let us join together, joining hands, joining hearts, joining minds, joining souls, joining our strength to love the Lord our God and our neighbor.

Kendrick