Become A Member

Are you looking for a religious home?

10 Reasons to Join First Parish of Norwell

  1. Here we join with open hearts and minds to worship together, seeking what is sacred among us.

  2. Here we are part of a long, liberal tradition of reason and tolerance, of hope and liberation.

  3. Here we honor our Jewish and Christian roots and also reach out to know the great truths found in other religious expression.

  4. Here we acknowledge that revelation is never sealed and empower ourselves to search for new truths.

  5. Here we nurture our children’s enthusiasm and encourage their questions.

  6. Here we welcome diverse people and views.

  7. Here we join our strength with others to create a more just society.

  8. Here we respect the whole self – mind, body, and spirit working together.

  9. Here we encourage each other to be true to ourselves.

  10. Here we build a supportive community that eases our loneliness and opens our hearts.

Preacher in church.

How do you join the church?

It is fairly easy and relatively painless. You sign the church membership book and are voted officially into church membership at a church business meeting. There are gatherings offered for new and potential members that members and our minister lead periodically.

Are there any obligations to church membership?

Obligations are a matter of personal conscience and choice. We hope you will come to church because you want to not because you must and that you will support the institution and programs of the church with your time and your money, the amount to be determined by you. You will be asked to make a financial pledge to the church. Most members do pledge, though there are a few who don't. It makes little sense, however, to join a religious community you have no intention of supporting. If you join we expect your support and will not hesitate to ask you for it. The free church is not free. We have a costly heritage of devotion and sacrifice that can only be maintained by the work and commitment of those who live and serve today.

Can agnostics and atheists join the church?

Yes, the more we know the more we discover how much more there is to know, and how much more than that we can never know. So we had better be humble about what we think we do know. Tomorrow will have new truths to tell.

People singing hymn in church

Membership Information Packet

We have no creedal test for membership, believing that all persons should be free to define their own sense of religious reality.

To request a Membership Information Packet or ask a question, please send us an email.
Interested in speaking to our Membership Chair? Send us a message.

Church Bylaws

The current bylaws for First Parish of Norwell established in 1642 and related organizations can be downloaded below, either in the form of a pdf document or a Microsoft Word document.

Church Bylaws as amended on June 5, 2022, in either Microsoft Word format or Adobe Acrobat format.

James Library Bylaws as amended on June 4, 2006, in either Microsoft Word format or Adobe Acrobat format.

Alliance Bylaws as amended on May 5, 2004, in either Microsoft Word format or Adobe Acrobat format.

First Parish Preschool Bylaws as amended in 1998, and January 19, 2005, in either Microsoft Word format or Adobe Acrobat format.

First Parish of Norwell Parliamentary Procedures - 17 Kb pdf