We celebrated our 286th anniversary on October 22, 2021!  Established in 1735, the present church building was erected in 1760 after the congregation outgrew its earlier meeting house on Sheffield Plain. First Congregational Church of Sheffield was the original town meetinghouse and the site of adoption of the famed Sheffield Declaration of 1733.

Originally built in the center of the broad main street, the structure was moved back from the highway in 1819, at which time the steeple and bell were added. The colonial atmosphere of the building has been carefully maintained by the church members. The historical preservation has been balanced with the needs of the times, as First Congregational Church of Sheffield has become handicapped accessible.

The Sheffield Antiques Show, sponsored by First Congregational Church of Sheffield, concluded with its final event in 2017.  It was the longest continuously running antique show in the area. The church continues as a center of town activity. Our doors open wide to host the annual Community Tree Lighting and Carol Sing. Other groups that have used the building include: The Berkshire Children’s Chorus, Sheffield Farmers’ Market, Adult Children of Alcoholics, the Sheffield Art League, the Red Cross Bloodmobile, 4-H clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Youth Hockey League, and the Children’s Health Program Play Group. All are welcome to walk the Labyrinth of the Community Peace Garden next to the church, we hope it will be a place of contemplation for the community.

The church is the home of the Sheffield Food Assiatnce Program, and it partners with the SBRSD Family Food box program. It is also the venue of performing arts presentations. Music is especially wonderful in this acoustically vibrant space. Church and community members come together for activities like the Church on the River, the Blessing of the Fields, Holy Humor Sunday, the 5th Sunday Breakfast Church, and the shared Appalachian Trail Ministry with Christ Trinity Church.