Upcoming Events
Photo by Aaron Langlois
Bible Study
Pastor Carissa is beginning a bible study, discussing Old and New Testament scriptures, following the weekly lectionary. We will meet on Wednesday evenings (10/7, 14, 21, 28; 11/4, 18, 25. Skipping 11/11) at 7:00 pm. More information on the scriptures to be covered can be found on the church website: https://www.oakhamcongregational.net/news-1
October Community Breakfast
We will be having a community breakfast on Saturday, October 10, 8:00-9:30 a.m. The menu will include pancakes, sausages, scrambled eggs, strawberries and beverages. The meal is free, but donations will be collected to benefit local food pantries. Please come!
Celebration of Rev. Timothy Hanley!
Mark your calendars and join us as we thank Rev. Tim for his long service (10 years at Oakham and 50 years in all!) by awarding him the title, Pastor Emeritus. And, of course, there will be a splendid coffee hour reception in his honor!
Harvest & Holly Fair
The Fair will take place on November 21, from 9 to 2. Can you bake something or make some crafts? Would you like to rent a table to sell your own items? Can you make up a basket for the raffles? No matter what, plan to come and get your holiday shopping done! If you have questions or ideas, please contact Ellie Downer at 774-262-5882 or email her at mybackyard88@aol.com.
Sunday School Begins!
Children ages pre-school through grade 5 are invited to come to Sunday School beginning on September 13 at 10:00. We meet every Sunday, with the exception of the first Sunday of each month. The morning begins with a small worship service followed by a craft and activity relating to the Bible story presented in the worship service. Students grades 6 through high school meet at 9:30 on all Sundays except the first of each month. There is time provided for conversation, a game, interactive activities, and a spiritual moment. Come join us!
September Community Breakfast
Our September Community Breakfast will feature pancakes, sausage, eggs, strawberries and beverages. The meal is free, but donations will be collected to benefit the victims of the devastation in Nepal. Have a fantastic breakfast with friends and do good at the same time!
Church "Yard" Sale
The Oakham Congregational Church is joining the Town-Wide Yard Sale! Fellowship Hall is FULL of interesting items for you to look through and buy!
2026 G.A.B.B. Golf Tournament
Join us for the 29th annual G.A.B.B. Golf Tournament at Oakham’s Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club! This family-oriented tournament has raised thousands of dollars for local charities (2025: over $14,000) in memory of four beloved community members: Gretchen Nahkala, Art Gray, Bob Tyck and Bob Lajoie. Tournament play is followed by a delicious banquet and lots of raffles and prizes. It is always a great day and a lot of fun!
Ordination of Carissa Rodriguez
Please celebrate with us at the ordination service for Carissa M. Rodriguez on May 16 at 1:00 p.m. The service will be followed by a reception in Fellowship Hall.
PASTA SUPPER!
We will hold a Pasta Supper on Saturday, April 25th from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. The menu includes pasta, meatballs, salad, garlic bread, and ice cream sundaes for dessert. As always, there is no charge, but any donations received will be put toward our Church Furnace Fund. Please join us—and thank you!!
Easter Service!
Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Please join us for this worship service full of music and joy! All are welcome!
Easter Sunrise Service
Get up with the sun and meet with us on the hillside behind the church to welcome Christ’s resurrection from the tomb! This short, joyful service is followed by breakfast in Fellowship Hall.
Maundy Thursday
Our worship commemorating the Last Supper is a Tenebrae Communion service. As each Deacon reads a Bible passage from the Passion, we sing a hymn and a candle is extinguished, ultimately leaving the sanctuary in darkness and silence. This solemn service reminds us of Christ’s great sacrifice and prepares us for the joy of His resurrection on Easter.
MARCH COMMUNITY BREAKFAST
Our next breakfast will take place on Saturday, March 7th from 8:00 to 9:30 A.M. On the menu will be pancakes, eggs, sausage, strawberries, orange juice, coffee and tea. There is no charge for our breakfasts. You may, if you wish, make a donation that helps support worthy causes and our church expenses. This month’s donations will again support the Church Furnace Fund. Thank you, as always, for your generosity!
Ash Wednesday
Please join us as we worship together, starting on the journey through Lent to Easter. Let’s begin Lent in peace and community!
February Community Breakfast
Our next breakfast will take place on Saturday, February 14th from 8:00 to 9:30 A.M. On the menu will be pancakes, eggs, sausage, strawberries, orange juice, coffee and tea. There is no charge for our breakfasts. You may, if you wish, make a donation that helps support worthy causes and our church expenses. This month’s donations will support the Church Furnace Fund.
Lenten Book Study
For this year’s Lenten study, we will be reading the book "Turning Over Tables" by Kathy Escobar. We will meet for 7 Thursdays from 7-8 at church on these dates: 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26. As you will notice when you get the book, there is short reading for each day. When we meet as a group, we will have conversation on the previous week’s readings that we have all done.
Blurb from the back of the book:
“From flipping the moneychangers’ tables in the temple to uplifting the poor and marginalized, Jesus’ actions and words turn the world’s idea of power on its head.
With each week of Lent, readers will dig deeper into Jesus’ challenge to the pervasive influence of privilege and oppression that have dominated since ancient times. Through poignant reflections and thought-provoking practices, readers will discover how they can harness the disruptive power of Jesus’ teachings to effect meaningful change in their communities and beyond. Together, we can turn the tables and build a world where justice, healing, and greater equity reigns supreme.”
January COMMUNITY BREAKFAST
Our monthly breakfasts will resume on Saturday, January 24th from 8:00 to 9:30 A.M. On the menu will be pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, strawberries, juice, coffee and tea. There is no charge for our breakfasts. You may, if you wish, make a donation that will help support the homeless of the Worcester area.
Sunday School Christmas Pageant
Our children’s joyful enactment of the birth of Christ!
Advent Bible Study: Names for the Messiah (Week 4)
Beginning on Thursday, Nov. 20, we will offer a 4-week Bible Study: 11/20, 12/4, 12/11 and 12/18. The text we’ll study is Walter Brueggemann’s Names for the Messiah: An Advent Study. This is a short book with manageable chapters and reflection questions for each chapter. Those questions will be our guide for each week. You should read the short chapter and review the reflection questions before each meeting. Additionally, I invite you to bring any questions that you may have regarding the reading or the season of Advent.
29th Annual Festival of Lessons & Carols
The annual Festival of Lessons & Carols is planned for December 14, 2025. We have selected the cantata, Rise Up! A New Light A-Comin’, by Lloyd Larson & Pamela Martin. Please consider joining the choir or orchestra for this special event! We rehearse on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30, starting October 22.
Advent Bible Study: Names for the Messiah (Week 3)
Beginning on Thursday, Nov. 20, we will offer a 4-week Bible Study: 11/20, 12/4, 12/11 and 12/18. The text we’ll study is Walter Brueggemann’s Names for the Messiah: An Advent Study. This is a short book with manageable chapters and reflection questions for each chapter. Those questions will be our guide for each week. You should read the short chapter and review the reflection questions before each meeting. Additionally, I invite you to bring any questions that you may have regarding the reading or the season of Advent.
Advent Bible Study: Names for the Messiah (Week 2)
Beginning on Thursday, Nov. 20, we will offer a 4-week Bible Study: 11/20, 12/4, 12/11 and 12/18. The text we’ll study is Walter Brueggemann’s Names for the Messiah: An Advent Study. This is a short book with manageable chapters and reflection questions for each chapter. Those questions will be our guide for each week. You should read the short chapter and review the reflection questions before each meeting. Additionally, I invite you to bring any questions that you may have regarding the reading or the season of Advent.
The Hanging of the Greens
The Hanging of the Greens service. Let’s celebrate the start of the Advent Season and the symbols of Christmas!
Harvest & Holly Fair
Start your holiday shopping! Pick up some pie or baked goods for your Thanksgiving dinner! Stop by for a delicious lunch of chili dogs or stew!
Advent Bible Study: Names for the Messiah
Beginning on Thursday, Nov. 20, we will offer a 4-week Bible Study: 11/20, 12/4, 12/11 and 12/18. The text we’ll study is Walter Brueggemann’s Names for the Messiah: An Advent Study. This is a short book with manageable chapters and reflection questions for each chapter. Those questions will be our guide for each week. You should read the short chapter and review the reflection questions before each meeting. Additionally, I invite you to bring any questions that you may have regarding the reading or the season of Advent.
Fall Bible Study, Peace: Wk. 6
Week 6: Who among us feels like the bombardment of negative news and divisive energy is just too much? We all seem to be looking for a way to center ourselves and calm our minds. Peace, as something within ourselves and as something tangible in the world, can sometimes seem elusive. With our 6-week study of Peace: Christian Living in a Violent World by Mary Farr, we are going to: see what the Bible and Jesus say about peace, explore peace as a state of being, and what we can do about peace in the community and the world.
All Saints Sunday
Join us for a remembrance service for all those who have passed away.
PIE MAKING
On Saturday, November 1st at 8:00 a.m. we’ll be making apple pies! These pies are sold at our Harvest & Holly Fair (Nov. 22) and through the holiday season. We are looking for helpers and donations of apples and pre-made pie crust. Please sign up on the sheet in Fellowship Hall.
Fall Bible Study, Peace: Wk. 5
Week 5: Who among us feels like the bombardment of negative news and divisive energy is just too much? We all seem to be looking for a way to center ourselves and calm our minds. Peace, as something within ourselves and as something tangible in the world, can sometimes seem elusive. With our 6-week study of Peace: Christian Living in a Violent World by Mary Farr, we are going to: see what the Bible and Jesus say about peace, explore peace as a state of being, and what we can do about peace in the community and the world.
Fall Bible Study, Peace: Wk. 4
Week 4: Who among us feels like the bombardment of negative news and divisive energy is just too much? We all seem to be looking for a way to center ourselves and calm our minds. Peace, as something within ourselves and as something tangible in the world, can sometimes seem elusive. With our 6-week study of Peace: Christian Living in a Violent World by Mary Farr, we are going to: see what the Bible and Jesus say about peace, explore peace as a state of being, and what we can do about peace in the community and the world.
COMMUNITY BREAKFAST
Our next community breakfast will take place on Saturday, October 18, from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. The usual delicious breakfast foods will be served. Donations will benefit the Rutland and Barre Food Pantries.
Fall Bible Study, Peace: Wk. 3
Week 3: Who among us feels like the bombardment of negative news and divisive energy is just too much? We all seem to be looking for a way to center ourselves and calm our minds. Peace, as something within ourselves and as something tangible in the world, can sometimes seem elusive. With our 6-week study of Peace: Christian Living in a Violent World by Mary Farr, we are going to: see what the Bible and Jesus say about peace, explore peace as a state of being, and what we can do about peace in the community and the world.