Celebrating New Ministry Leadership at First Plymouth Congregational Church
Service of Installation for Rev. Dr. Eric C. Smith and Rev. Amy Grace Marie
September 20 at 2:00 PM, First Plymouth Congregational Church, Cherry Hills Village, CO
First Plymouth Congregational Church invites the community to a joyous celebration as we install
Rev. Dr. Eric C. Smith as our Senior Minister and Rev. Amy Grace Marie as our Associate Minister. The Installation Service will take place on Sunday, September 20, at 2:00 p.m. in the sanctuary, followed by a cake reception in Plymouth Hall. We invite the Rocky Mountain conference – clergy and laity alike – to join us for this celebration.
This is a milestone moment in the life of our congregation. Rev. Dr. Eric C. Smith has served First
Plymouth for nearly 20 years as a beloved teaching minister, and his installation as Senior Minister
marks not a beginning but a continuation, a recognition of the deep trust and long relationship he
has already built with this church family. His steady preaching, thoughtful teaching, and faithful
presence have shaped our community in countless ways, and we are overjoyed to formally call him
to lead us in this new chapter.
Alongside him, we celebrate the installation of Rev. Amy Grace Marie, who joins us as our newly
hired Associate Minister. Amy brings fresh energy and a deep pastoral heart to this role, and her calling to walk alongside our families, care for our members in times of need, and nurture the spiritual life of our congregation is a gift we are eager to receive. Together, Eric and Amy represent both the continuity and the renewal that mark a healthy, growing church.
The service will be led by Rocky Mountain Conference (UCC) Transitional Conference Minister Rev. Erin Gilmore, who will guide the congregation through this sacred rite of installation. The afternoon will include uplifting music, a sermon reflecting on the call to ministry, and the charge and blessing, the moment when Revs. Eric and Amy Grace are formally commissioned into their new roles and the congregation reaffirms its commitment to walk alongside them in faith.
Installation services are one of the most meaningful traditions in congregational life. They are not
simply ceremonial; they are a covenant moment, when a church community gathers to say,
together, “We see you, we trust you, and we commit to this ministry alongside you.” For a church
like First Plymouth, rooted in shared leadership and mutual care, this service is a chance to give
thanks for the ministers who guide us and to recommit ourselves to the work we do together.
Following the service, all are invited to stay for a cake reception and to welcome Rev. Eric and Rev.
Amy Grace personally into their new roles.
Whether you have walked with First Plymouth for decades or are just beginning to explore this
community, you are warmly invited to join us on September 20 as we celebrate this exciting new
season of ministry.