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FOLLOW JESUS
TOGETHER
This is our mission as a church.
We want to follow Jesus--to grow in our relationship with him, to know his voice and his teachings, and to become more like him. And we want to do it together--for everyone at Fireside to have a strong net of intentional relationships around them that are centered around loving and caring for each other (Acts 2).
OUR VALUES
We are all about Jesus
Him > Us
We believe it's not about me and it's not about you. It's all about Jesus. We want to serve Jesus with the unique purpose and calling for our lives.
We follow the Bible
The Word > The World
We believe the Bible doesn't change and it's as relevant today as it was when it was written. Though our world is changing, the Word remains the same.
We are disciples who make disciples
Multiply > Maintain
We believe that believers are called to make disciples, and those disciples are called to make more disciples. We don't want to just maintain, we want to multiply and grow.
We are the Church
Stretcher-Bearers > Barriers to Stretchers
We believe that we are called to bring people to Jesus, not get in the way. We want to remove obstacles to people encountering Jesus.
We are One Body
Unity > Uniformity
We believe the Church is one body formed with many parts. Each part is different but united with the same mission to follow Jesus.
We Put Love into Action
Love as a Verb > Love as a Noun
We want to be known as Jesus followers because of the way we love people, both inside and outside of our Fireside community. We don't want to just be "hearers" of the Word, but also "doers" of the Word.
We Take Joy in Suffering
Unseen > Seen
We believe that when it comes to life's circumstances, there is more than just what we see. We want to walk alongside each other in the midst of suffering.
We are Intentional
People > Programs
We believe by doing less we can do more.
We want to create organized environments that lead to the organic.
OUR STORY
FIRESIDE BEGINNINGS
God planted the seed for Fireside Church in the hearts of Andy and Kate Bauer back in 2015. A passion for the local church and a desire to see people in New England know Jesus led them to explore the need for more churches in this area and what it would look like to be a part of starting one. In 2017 their entire world changed when their oldest daughter, Ellie, was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma. While experiencing the most difficult days of their life to date, God used their darkest days to draw them close to Himself, and it was those very days that became the soil for which the seeds for Fireside would grow.
The first Fireside gathering was in the summer of 2018--a group of 9 people in a backyard around a fire. There were many gatherings around fires after that--as well as in kitchens, libraries, and beaches--and before the new year, Fireside was meeting regularly on Sunday mornings in Salisbury Elementary school.
Along with the rest of the world, the Fireside community shifted into a difficult season during the COVID pandemic in 2020. Additionally, Ellie Bauer's cancer returned for a second time, and after another bravely fought battle, she went to be with Jesus in February 2021. But God was faithful through it all. As we pursue our mission to "Follow Jesus Together," we look to Him to continue showing us the next step.
BEING FIRESIDE
The name "Fireside" comes from a favorite memory years back on a church family service trip in Maine, where a big group of people of all ages (newborn babies all the way up through a 92-year-old great grandmother) lived and served together for a week. The image of everyone around the fire one night at sunset after a long day of work, has always stuck. That “Fireside” environment, where people gather in community to follow Jesus together—that is what we want church to be.
Throughout the Bible, God reveals his presence, his glory, his leading and his work through fire—his presence in a burning bush, his leading in a pillar of fire in the wilderness, the Holy Spirit empowering believers at Pentecost. As a church, our mission is to spend our days “fireside,” growing in our relationship with Jesus, in community with each other, and helping others to discover life in Him.
Fireside Church aligns under two denominations, the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC) and the American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire (ABCVNH).
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