DEERFIELD — Since 1824, the First Church of Deerfield has operated out of its brick building at 71 Old Main St., welcoming Deerfield residents inside with an offer of peace and community.

Now, the church is inviting the public to celebrate the 200th birthday of the historic structure that once served as one of the main meetinghouses of Deerfield.

The celebration will take place on Sunday, from 3 to 4 p.m. and will be held instead of the traditional Sunday Mass. The Rev. Liza Knapp, the 31st settled pastor of the First Church of Deerfield and the 28th to take the pulpit in the current building, said the church’s goal is to invite people into the building for a day of commemoration with songs, stories and, of course, a 200th birthday cake.

“We wanted this to be a community event so all of the different people could come, not just members and friends of the church. We want it to be as much as a community celebration instead of a purely congregational one,” Knapp said. “It’s to really celebrate the gatherings that have taken place here and all the people who have passed through these doors.”

The congregation has been continuously meeting since 1688 and the current Brick Church is the fifth meetinghouse. Knapp said the congregation went through four different meeting places in the first 150 years, but finally settled at the current location 200 years ago. Currently, the congregation has about 40 active members, although that number fluctuates and the church always welcomes guests.

“Two hundred years ago, this wasn’t the First Church of Deerfield, it was ‘the church in Deerfield,’” Knapp said, adding that it was one of the community’s main gathering places, a status it retains today. “It continues to be a living congregation that meets here every week to engage in their spiritual journey together, but it also opens its doors to events of all kinds.”

As part of Sunday’s program, Knapp said folks will be treated to “tales of the meetinghouse,” which will include stories from when the church was first built, a talk by former Deerfield Academy Head of School Eric Widmer on what it was like for students to have to go to the church, and a perspective on the musical programs the church has offered from Music Director Thomas Pousont. There will also be a talk from one of the church’s longest-serving members, Tim Neumann, who is executive director of the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association.

The church will also celebrate the 200th birthday with music, including the return of a hymn dating back to when the cornerstone of the Brick Church was placed. The First Church of Deerfield’s choir and the Deerfield Choral Scholars — which is comprised of high school students — will perform, as well as guests from the community.

For more information about the First Church of Deerfield, visit its website at firstchurchofdeerfield.org.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.