WELCOME!

The Commons is a fellowship of the Evangelical Covenant Church ( www.covchurch.org ), based in Rochester, NH.

MORE THAN A CONGREGATION

As followers of Jesus taking cues from the global and historic Church as well as our New England context, The Commons blends the core values of a micro/house church movement with the most fruitful elements of "traditional" church models, with the aim of seeing a church planting and discipleship movement revived here, in northern New England. 

Sound interesting? Be sure to check out our COMMUNITY page for more info.

Our Mission

Flowing out of the GREAT COMMANDMENT (Gospel of Matthew, 22:37-40), and GREAT COMMISSION (Gospel of Matthew, 28:16-20) given by Jesus to the community that would carry on His mission and ministry in the world, we understand our fundamental purpose as a calling: "To Embrace and Embody the transforming love of God, through the Making, Maturing and Multiplying of WHOLEHEARTED followers of Jesus."

Our Vision

Where do we expect this mission to take us? In the end, we hold to the hope we have in Jesus that we might be a community that is, "Journeying with God to see a world RENEWED, neighborhoods TRANSFORMED, and people brought to LIFE by the Good News of Jesus Christ."

Our Values

What does this journey together LOOK LIKE? We desire to be a People that is:

+ WOVEN

If by nature a city is a fabric of persons, families, businesses, schools, civic and municipal bodies, then we want to be a thread that is woven within and throughout that fabric. We are not content to sit atop or alongside the tapestry that is our city - simply a provider of religious goods and services - aloof and independent.  We long for shared spaces and genuine partnership: with our neighbors, civic bodies, and other churches endeavoring to do meaningful work in our area. We are convinced that as followers of Jesus we are called into a meaningful, self-giving local citizenship, and The Commons endeavors to be a church where that call is given hands and feet.

+ NEIGHBORING

In a world where our personal relationships are becoming ever-more "virtual", fractured and consumer-driven, we believe that there is just something radically life-giving about a group of people who are committed to doing life together; to genuine community. And far from being a closed-door, friends-and-family-only social club, we believe that the kind of community that Jesus calls us into is such that we are continually facing outwards; arms open, constantly inviting, ever growing. The news is just too good, and the depth of life too profound to keep it to ourselves. So, we seek to be the best possible neighbors. We want to meet people we haven't met yet, we want to have the chance to help people we haven't helped yet. We want to be deeply engaged with the needs and hurts of those around us, and we want to be deeply committed to throwing the best parties on the block. It is comfort, and challenge, and joy; this thing, community. We'd love to become a neighbor to you.

+ HOPEFUL

In the end, we are nothing if not a people of HOPE. Our world is a beautiful, broken place and we are  - all of us - beautiful, broken people. As we look to the person of Jesus we are convinced both that beauty is not accidental and that brokenness is not eternal; we LONG for more because we were CREATED for more, and in Jesus we find both the source and satisfaction of that longing. Because of Jesus, we believe that brokenness does not have the final word. We believe that death and loss and sadness do not have the final word. We believe that at the heart of the human condition, and at the center of human history, hope and life has been planted in a way that no amount of brokenness can ever ultimately overcome. In Jesus, death has been faced, and death has been defeated: thanks be to God!

We all know that genuine hope changes things. It changes us, and it changes how we engage with the world around us. As people who have been brought to life and hope by the Good News of Jesus, we cannot help but to become agents of change wherever we go: agents of life, of hope, of love, of mercy and justice and peace. If you ever happen to meet us, and find yourself wondering where it is that this hope we have comes from, we'd love to have that conversation.