About Us

Progressive (both in fresh understandings of God’s word and an openness to the new issues that God calls us to address):

Inclusiveness
Spiritual Vitality
Servant Community
Equal rights for women
Radical hospitality to all, no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey

We are members and participants in the Body of Christ.

We are staff and lay leaders, united to serve God and empower the members and participants of the church in faith, service and ministry.

We are a supportive, inclusive community.

The United Church of Christ affirms as a statement of faith commonly held by us that:

We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, who is made known to us in Jesus Christ our brother, and to whose deeds we testify:

God calls the worlds into being, creates humankind in the divine image and sets before us the ways of life and death.

God seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.

God judges humanity and all nations by that will of righteousness declared through prophets and apostles.

In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, God has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the whole creation to its Creator.

God bestows up on the Holy Spirit creating and renewing the Church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.

God calls us into the Church, to accept the cost and joys of discipleship, to be servants in the service of the whole human family, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory.

God promises to all who trust in the gospel forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing and eternal life in that kingdom which has no end.

Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto God. Amen.

Pastor Sarah is passionate about loving God, her family, and being part of faith communities. Her personal mission is to partner with others to share God's healing, hope, and joy. Pastor Sarah was called by unanimous vote of the congregation in January of 2018 to serve as our senior pastor. Pastor Sarah also serves the wider church on the National Staff of the United Church of Christ as the Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice.

She is an ordained minister with standing in the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and has served as pastor to churches in Brooklyn, NY, Minneapolis, MN, and New Smyrna Beach, FL. Pastor Sarah also served as Regional Minister for the Florida Conference of the United Church of Christ with a focus on congregational vitality, and most recently as Vice President for Advancement at Christian Theological Seminary.

Pastor Sarah's formal education includes degrees from Trinity University (BA), Princeton Theological Seminary (MDiv), Rutgers University (MSW), McCormick Theological Seminary (DMin). She has certificates in Fundraising Management from the IUPUI School of Fundraising, Disability Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH, and Executive Leadership from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Pastor Sarah is an active community volunteer and serves locally on the board of the Faith and Action Project at Christian Theological Seminary to end poverty, Indiana-Kentucky Conference Open and Affirming Team, UCC Denominational Representative for Bread for the World Indiana Chapter, and as a Board Director for Mental Health America Indiana. Pastor Sarah serves nationally as a Trustee of Piedmont University, as a Board Director for Mental Health America, Board Director for the Disability Ministry Network, and as Board Director for Faith Inclusion Network. She is a past President of the Southeast Association of the Indiana-Kentucky Conference UCC.

Pastor Sarah received the Princeton Engle Preaching Prize for excellence in preaching and the Bob and Joyce Dell Award for Mental Health Education from the United Church of Christ Mental Health Network for "her outstanding authorship and leadership in breaking the silence about mental illness in family and in church and offering healing and hope."

Pastor Sarah is a widely published author in journals, magazines, and books. She is the author of the widely regarded books on mental health, Blessed are the Crazy: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness, Family and Church (Chalice Press, 2014), Blessed Union: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness and Marriage (Chalice Press, 2021), Blessed Youth: Breaking the Silence About Mental Illness with Children and Teens (Chalice Press, 2022), Blessed Youth Survival Guide (Chalice Press, 2022), and Blessed Minds: Breaking the Silence About Neurodiversity (Chalice Press, 2025).

Pastor Sarah serves as an international consultant on topics of faith and mental health with organizations such as the United Church of Canada, World Council of Churches, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Faith Based Partnerships, and Sesame Street. She blogs at sarahgriffithlund.com.

Pastor Sarah is married to Jonathan Lund, who is a medical massage therapist and they are the proud parents of their teenage son Carter. Fia, a boxer/poodle mix, and Indy, a goldendoodle, are also a beloved members of their family.

Sean Baker "the music maker" has appeared all over Indianapolis as a pianist and vocalist and has had the fortune of working with most of the city's finest singers and musicians over the years. Known for his brand of cleverly arranged music, he has performed in several groups including Four Sexes, the Leisure Kings, Elevator UP!, and as house pianist for Chef Joseph's at the Connoisseur room from 2011-2018.

Also, an accomplished composer and orchestrator, he has arranged albums for Chicago based lyricist/performer Peter Oprisko and local performer, Larry Boggs.. Years of persistence in his favorite genre of mid-century lounge music has taken him from writing jingles to selling music to TV shows. For ten years Sean worked for Theatre on the Square as a sound cue editor and backing track orchestrator. In 2015 Sean scripted, composed, and acted in his own autobiographical play called The Perfect "10" which was also an homage to the famous film by Blake Edwards called "10." In 2018, Mr. Baker scored music to a local film called "Decay."

Sean found First Congregation UCC in 2011. In that time he became pianist and arranger for the New Creation gathering, heads up an annual courtroom pride skit dealing with clobber passages, and is now currently the organist and music designer where at last all of his many talents join forces to create meaningful, ignited worship though music.

Rev. Cassidy Hall (she/her/hers) (MA, MDiv, MTS) is an author, award-winning filmmaker, podcaster, ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and leading voice in contemplative spirituality. She is the cohost of the Encountering Silence podcast and the creator of the Contemplating Now and Queering Contemplation podcasts. Her films include In Pursuit of Silence and Day of a Stranger. Her recent book, Queering Contemplation, Finding Queerness in the Roots and Future of Contemplative Spirituality was released in May 2024. Cassidy is widely published and currently resides in Indianapolis, where she is studying for her DMin degree.

Her MTS thesis is titled Awakening Mysticism with the Scholarship of Three African American Women, featured the work of the Rev. Dr. Barbara A. Holmes, Spiritual Directors of Color Network Founder Therese Taylor Stinson, and Dr. Joy R. Bostic. During Cassidy's time at seminary, she also served as the Secretary of the International Thomas Merton Society.

Born and raised in Iowa, she currently serves as Director of Communications for the Heartland and IKC Conferences in the United Church of Christ – overseeing First Communication for hundreds of churches in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana. Cassidy currently resides in Indianapolis, where she is studying for her DMin degree.

Scott Semester is excited to be a part of making music with the First Congregational family. He grew up at St. Luke's United Methodist Church (just up the road), and as an adult member there, he sang with the Chancel Choir, performed in staged musical productions and Children's Ministries skits, and provided special music for worship, retreats, and other events. Scott is also an accomplished cabaret performer, and he is the current host of the Big Broadway Sing-Along with Sean Baker. In 2012, Scott was an on-stage performer in the Super Bowl XLVI Halftime Show with Madonna.

When he's not singing, you can find Scott in his day job at the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, a private foundation working to advance the vitality of Indianapolis and the well-being of its people. Scott lives in downtown Indianapolis, and his family includes his mom and dad, his older brother, and two nieces and a nephew, who all live in Carmel.

Ben James serves as the media technician at First Congregational UCC, managing the sanctuary media and livestream during church services. Ben has also shared his singing gifts with the church choir and enjoys learning and collaborating with Sean Baker very much.

Ben is currently a college student at Ivy Tech in Indianapolis. He is very interested in all things related to technology – in particular, robotics, drones, and virtual or augmented reality programing. He is an amateur photographer (including drone photography) and avid video gamer. He volunteers at Misty Eyes Animal Center, a no-kill shelter in Avon, where he is known as the “cat whisperer.”

Ben joined First Congregational as a young adult, but was raised in a family with strong ties to the UCC, including a grandfather that is a retired UCC minister.

The Clerk keeps the minutes of the proceedings of the Church, the Board of Trustees, and the Church Council. The Clerk ensures that a permanent register of the members of the Church is kept, with the dates of their reception and removal; and of baptisms, marriages, births and deaths; and makes a full report at the Annual Meeting. The Clerk gives legal notice of meetings when required, reports to the appropriate person all communications intended for the Church and conducts its correspondence as may be necessary.

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