Weddings, Memorials & Facilities Rental

WEDDINGS

The wedding ceremony is a service that celebrates a covenant made between two people who love one another. When a couple decides to marry in a religious ceremony, they acknowledge God and a faith community as part of their commitment to one another. The Christian Church honors marriage and stands ready to support you as you embark on your new life together. As an Open and Affirming (ONA) Church, Pilgrim is supportive of the LGBT+ community and your right to marry. We know that God blesses all people united in marriage, and we are thrilled to celebrate this transformative moment with you.

Weddings are a worship service in which the wedding party, family, friends, and Pastor join to center your marriage in the love of God. Your wedding is rooted in the Christian faith, and we invite you to help create a service that expresses your individual love, lives, and relationship. Our Pastor will work with you to explore your union and to help plan your ceremony. Our church wedding policy requires that our Pastor act as the officiant, though we are committed to ecumenism and are willing to perform weddings in partnership with clergy of other faiths or denominations if the couple arranges it with both officiants.

MEMORIAL SERVICES AND FUNERALS

During times of loss, Pilgrim Church will walk with you and support you as you mourn and celebrate your loved one. Funeral services (when the body is present) and Memorial Services (when the body is not present) offer sacred space to give thanks for the life of the deceased. These services are conducted to honor the deceased, commend them into God’s everlasting and eternal care, and proclaim the promise of our faith—that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Pilgrim’s Pastor, Music Director, and other church staff will gladly work with you to plan a personal Memorial Service or Funeral.  Our church members can host a reception in Pilgrim Hall immediately following the service.  We also have a lovely Memorial Garden should you wish to have your loved one memorialized on a name plaque in our contemplative and sacred space.

FACILITIES RENTAL

The spaces in the church that are available for rental are listed below.  If you’d like to learn more please contact Dave McClave, our Volunteer Rental Coordinator.

Also, please note that we are no longer booking any non-wedding events that involve food or beverage. (For the safety of the children in our congregation as well as the students of the nursery school, the entire building is nut-free. This is a non-negotiable condition of any rental.)

BUILDING

Pilgrim Church was designed in 1958 by the firm of architect Royal Barry Wills. Its style is influenced by that of the Early American meeting house. Pilgrim is a traditional New England clapboard church situated in a suburban setting on 6 acres which is primarily woodlands. The parking lot has spots for 60 cars and on street parking is always available.

Sanctuary

The sanctuary is simple and restful with large, clear windows opening to the outdoors. (God creates our “stained glass” as the leaves turn color or the snow falls outside.) There are comfortable pews with several cuts for wheelchairs, a sound system for the hearing impaired, an excellent Hook and Hastings pipe organ, and plenty of parking. Pilgrim Congregational Church is handicapped accessible. There is an elevator to access the lower and upper levels. We have a gender-neutral, single stall, accessible restroom on the first floor. This space can accommodate 300 people (seated) between the main level and the balcony (accessible by either stairs or elevator).

Pilgrim Hall

This room is air-conditioned and offers direct access to a galley kitchen. It can seat up to 40 people for a recital or small concert. (Larger events should be held in the Sanctuary.)

Sunroom

The overall architectural theme of Pilgrim church is “light.” From the sanctuary to Pilgrim Hall, the spaces have large windows that allow natural light to stream in.

CLASSROOM

This room is on the lower level and works well for smaller meetings.  We also have a second space on the lower level (not pictured here) which measures approximiately 600 sq. ft. and can be used for larger gatherings.