Connecting at Mayflower UCC
The heart of our church can be found in our deep connections with each other — from missions, to Sunday school classes, book study groups, and fellowship groups, Mayflower UCC has something for everyone.
Children
Mayflower's approach to education and youth programs is gentle and non-fundamentalist, operating on the principle that we are all instinctively spiritual. In this spirit, we invite and encourage a diversity of thoughts, ideas, and programs.
Your infants are welcome to stay with you for as much or as little of the service as you would like. You are also welcome to feed the baby wherever is most comfortable for you.
There are Changing Tables in the men’s and women’s bathrooms off the north entrance and in the Christian Education wing between Classrooms 3 & 4 and between Classroom 5 & 6.
Children 3 years and under are cared for by paid childcare staff in the infant and young child room in Room 5 at the north end of the Christian Education wing. At drop-off, children are signed in by their grownup including their contact number for if they needed to be reached during the service. At the end of the service, children are picked up and signed out from that same room. Please bring diapers and anything else for your baby’s routine (pacifier, special wipes, or bottle). Please label bags, bottles, etc. with your child’s name.
Sunday School (for children and adults) starts at 9am. Children are taught by staff and volunteers.
Kids In Community
Mayflower welcomes children in worship just as Jesus welcomed children. In doing so, children become familiar with the rhythms of the sanctuary and know they belong in the gathered community.
Ages 3-5 not yet in Kindergarten may be in the pew with their family or may be cared for by our childcare staff.
Students in Kindergarten through 5th grade participate in worship until just before the sermon. Then, they move from the sanctuary into Milligan Hall for Kids in Community a dedicated time to explore, learn, and grow spiritually. Activities rotate on a weekly basis and include story-telling, chapel, art, games, cooking, science, and connecting with the church and broader community through acts of service.
Our Welcome Room is available for use. It carries a live-stream of the service if you want to stay with your child during the service outside of the sanctuary. This room is located in the northeast corner Milligan Hall.
Youth Group
Mayflower Youth - students in 6th through 12th grades - engage in mission, activities, and relationship building as they learn to reflect God's love in the world around them. Students are actively involved with engaging curriculum designed in series formats, usually encompassing several weeks of instruction, involvement, and goofy games. Youth are welcome to join us for fun, food, and fellowship every other Wednesday night and for worship on Sunday mornings in the Youth Space. If you have a young person interested in participating in the Mayflower Youth Group, please click the link below.
Sunday Morning Classes
Join us on Sunday mornings at 9am in person and online for Sunday School, where you can form deeper relationships with the people you sit next to in the pews. There will be a greeter to direct you to each specific meeting room.
Wednesday Evening Book Study
The Wednesday Evening Book Study (WEBS) meets every Wednesday evening from 5:30pm to 7pm in the Seekers Room (the “Seekers Room” is in the NE corner of Milligan Hall).
WEBS works through a variety of books - spirituality, politics, history, etc. - engaging in lively discussion on the reading.
Even if you’re not sure what we’re currently reading, just show up!
Music at Mayflower
We at Mayflower believe music is a vital part of any faith community and treat music’s presence in our services as a sacred and generous gift to God and to each other. In its integral role, music at Mayflower supports and illuminates the other sacred elements of our time together, such as prayers, the reading of sacred texts, sermons, baptism, and communion.
The music program at Mayflower has many opportunities for participation. Our multi-generational approach incorporates musicians at skill levels ranging from working professional to enthusiastic novice. The music staff consists of two ensemble conductors, two keyboardists, and two music scholars. Standing groups include the adult choir and the handbell ensemble. Additionally, many others participate in solos, duets, and small ensembles throughout the year in a variety of styles, including traditional church anthems, folk, gospel, Broadway, and pop.
Like other ministries at Mayflower, our music program uses a Sabbath Centered Ministry approach, with specific commitment parameters that reflect our value of creative work followed by rest - rooted in the creation stories of Genesis (for six days God created, and then God took sabbath). To that end, music modules begin roughly every 6-8 weeks, during which there are 4-6 weeks of rehearsals, followed by presence in worship services, then bookended with a period of rest before the next module. For more information about music at Mayflower, please contact director of music, Clint Williams.
Women’s Groups
Martha Circle Martha Circle is a way to enjoy the company of other Mayflower women! When? 6:30pm on the first Tuesday of every month, September-May, in Milligan Hall at 6:30pm.
Plymouth Guild The Plymouth Guild is a gathering of women who support the congregation and each other in a variety of ways. When? 10:30am on the second Tuesday of every month, September-May, in the church parlor.
Mayflower Men’s Group
Our Men’s Group is a gathering of men of all ages who discuss topics like aging, relationships, addictions, hopes/fears, sex, death/dying, work, joy, and despair. They also go out for dinner together once a month at a local restaurant. CLICK HERE to see their upcoming schedule. All are welcome and we hope you’ll join them!
Support Groups
Mayflower Support Groups provide comfort and encouragement to those learning to live alone again. They aim to create a welcoming, safe space where those dealing with grief can connect, share experiences, offer support, laugh and cry together, and create a community of meaningful relationships.
The Widows Support Group gathers in the church parlor just across the hallway from the church office on the second and fourth Sundays of each month at 11am—immediately following the service. You can contact the group by emailing widows@mayflowerucc.org.
The Widowers Support Group meets in the church parlor on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 2pm. You can contact the widowers group by emailing widowers@mayflowerucc.org.