sermon connection

First Congregational Church of Gibraltar —United Church of Christ

Pastor Terry Gallagher

Rev. Terry Gallagher was called to the First Congregational Churches of Flat Rock and Gibraltar, who are in a covenant relationship, as pastor of both in March 2005.

Pastor Terry served as a licensed minister in the United Church of Christ from 2004-2008 while completing theological studies at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in downtown Detroit following a 30+ year industrial career, with the last ten years as a plant manager. Pastor graduated in June 2008 and was ordained by the United Church of Christ on January 6, 2008.

Pastor Terry was raised as Roman Catholic, was a member of the ELCA Lutheran in early to mid-adulthood, and has found his faith home in the United Church of Christ.

Pastor Terry holds a firm faith conviction that all Christians are called by God to discipleship and ministry of being a visible sign of God’s love for His creation in this world of ours.

Pastor Terry and his wife, Sinclair have five grown children and four grandchildren. They live in Trenton.

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Sermons are based on the 3 year lectionary text cycle which guides our scripture readings and sermon message content.

About the Pastor’s Spiritual Journey

Biblical Storytelling (On frequent occasions, Pastor Terry provides a first person experience to Biblical happenings. Listening to the scriptures this way brings a new perspective to treasured stories.)

We are a people of the story.

Of course we readily accept that we are entertained by good story telling but it is much more than that. We communicate the deep truths of life, the long lasting truths of the ultimate meaning of civilization and of creation and even of God by story telling. I would suggest that this is as true for all of us thoroughly modern people of today using various high technological mediums to support story telling as it was back for those living in the time of the cave man who simply used drawings marked on a cave wall.

The Bible has nearly every form of literature in it but the form that we love to return to again and again is its use of narrative or story. It is just like the old hymn says:

I love to tell the story,

Of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and his glory,

Of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story,

Because I know ‘tis true;

It satisfies my longings

As nothing else can do.

(Words by Katherine Hankey, c.1868)

Current Month

Pastor’s Message

First Congregational Church of Gibraltar, UCC

Our Covenant with God

We are banded together as a Christian Church to maintain the worship of God, to proclaim the gospel of Christ, to develop in men and women a consciousness of their relations and duties to God and mankind, and to inspire them with love for truth, passion for righteousness, and enthusiasm for service.

To this end we pledge our loyalty to Christ and covenant with each other to strive to express His spirit in our individual and corporate life; to live together as Christian sisters and brothers and to submit ourselves to the government of this church, working, giving, praying for it's increase, its purity, its peace, and seeking in every way to make it a power for the building up of the Kingdom of God.

Recent Sermons

10-5 “I Press On Because God Has Made Me His Own”

9-28 “By Whose Authority Do wE Act?”

9-21 “Hey, that’s not fair!”

9-14 “How Many Times Do I Have To?”

9-7-08 “To Gather In His Name”

8-31-08 “More Advice than We Want to Hear”

8-17-08 “The Lord Made Us All”

8-10-08 Grasp His Hand”

7-6-08 “What Makes the Burden Light?”

6-29-08 “To Be Tested in this Life”

6-22-08 “Losing Our Lives for Christ’s Sake”