From the Churches

Congregational Church of Christ, Leominster.
Prayer Shawl Ministry Participates in Beslan Shawl Project.

Over 35 knitting groups from churches, and organizations throughout the country contributed shawls to the Beslan Prayer Shawl project which sent over 300 prayer shawls to the mothers of the children killed in the Beslan, Russia, hostage tragedy.  In early March the shawls were packaged and mailed to Cleveland then on to Canada and then to the Ukraine.  The Shawls arrived at the Mission Vera in Russia at the end of June.  Rev. Yevgeniy Zhigulin and the missionaries there have been distrubiting them to families in Beslan.  Each shawl was sent with a letter and prayer in English and Russian and the name of the individual who made the shawl.  Following are pictures of some of the women who have received the shawls.

Warren/West Boylston Picnic & Partnership

We Welcome Congregations Too!

By Jennifer Munroe-Nathans, Student In-Care, Central Association, Massachusetts Conference

 The Federated Church of Warren sits on a raised perch above the town common.  The large building with the towering spire has been newly placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  A casual observer might well assume that the well maintained building was the home of a large, vibrant congregation.  However, on most Sundays, the building is nearly vacant. The congregation was not ready to give up. As the only mainline protestant church in the community, they believed that their presence was needed. The obstacles to keep the church open were great.  Money, attendance and energy levels were all low, but there remained a desire and a commitment to the mission work that occurred weekly from the church. The dedicated group who had been working to discern the direction for the congregation was presented with the option of calling a student pastor.

In February, I began serving the church with an eye on the energy level of the congregation and on the question of what can be done to help this congregation feel that they are not forgotten. Beginning ministry with a tiny, struggling church in a rural area can feel a lot like being adrift on the ocean.  We are bailing out the boat as fast as we can, while other ships sail by without a second glance.

I began to wonder about the idea of covenant within our United Church of Christ congregations.  What difference would it make to know that someone else cares? If people are called to minister to one another, then can an entire congregation minister to another congregation?  As I met with my Supervisor, the Reverend Steven Small at the First Congregational Church of West Boylston, we began to voice some ideas of how the covenant between UCC churches might operate in this situation. Steven has been a wonderful mentor to me.  He was my Field Education supervisor and we developed such a good rapport that he agreed to continue supervising me as I began to serve in other ministry settings. 

From our discussion of small church ministry and covenant, the idea of the Federated Church of Warren and the First Congregational Church of West Boylston becoming partners was born.  After the governing councils of the two churches approved this novel idea, the two congregations immediately began praying for each other in corporate and private prayers. The chairperson of the Federated Church’s leadership committee, upon finding himself in West Boylston one evening drove to the church and, sitting in his truck, prayed for their pastors and congregation. We seemed to be off to a magnificent start, although we had no idea what we were actually doing. 

The leadership committees from the two churches met for the first time in late May.  We had a nice time meeting one another and discussing ways we could work together.  One thing that was clearly important to the Federated Church was that the relationship be a true partnership.  The question was asked of the First Congregational Church of West Boylston, “What can we offer you?”  Other than the need for continued prayer, the question seemed to stump them.  The question was left to be pondered by both groups.

One of the things both congregations hoped for was to worship and share a meal together at least once a year.  A June date was chosen and the arrangements were set into motion.  In Warren, the excitement was building about the possibility of having the sanctuary full, the organ played and a large choir singing.   Permits for the Warren town common were procured and grills were gathered.  Sheet music and practice tapes were delivered and the three dedicated members of the Federated Church’s choir were joyfully practicing their parts.  The week of the event, the food was purchased, the communion silver was polished and the sextons worked long hours to make sure that all was ready. 

On a warm morning on Sunday, June 26, the two churches gathered together in worship.  As the historic tracker organ was making joyful noise, I realized it was the first time I had heard the instrument played in worship. It felt like the beginning of something big.

The church picnic was fun, especially when the 1,500 plus bikers on a fund-raising ride, came blasting by! The parade of motorcycles provided great entertainment for the children and many adults alike. During the picnic, connections were made and several new possibilities appeared for how our partnership can progress.

From those connections, the Warren Federated Church’s treasurer has met the West Boylston person who will help mentor him through a new stewardship campaign.  A prayer shawl ministry has taken off in Warren, sparked by a discussion at the May meeting.  A pulpit exchange is being scheduled for October and we hope that the West Boylston Bell choir will be playing for a December worship service and then, perform a community concert in Warren.  

Beyond these concrete things, I see other benefits.  Steven told me that the First Congregational Church of West Boylston hasn’t had a church picnic in years.  Through the partnership, they had one.  They hadn’t had a congregational “field trip” of this magnitude.  Through the partnership, they had one.   The Federated Church of Warren saw and heard their sanctuary buzzing with life and possibilities abound.  Both congregations experienced how the Body of Christ is larger than those we see each Sunday morning.  The ocean that the Federated Church of Warren has been adrift on just got a lot friendlier. 

God has never stopped speaking but perhaps, we’ve become so accustom to the message we lose it to the drone of worldly noise.  Wherever the Spirit leads this new venture, I do believe one important thing has already been accomplished.  Because of our partnership, the members of the Federated Church of Warren and the First Congregational Church of West Boylston are listening for God’s voice with new ears and an openness to this new thing God is doing – they are welcoming each other on this journey!