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FAITH IN ACTION

FAITH IN ACTION

FAITH IN ACTION

Outreach is a vital part of our life as a congregation, and a natural expression of our Open Doors philosophy. Our faith calls us to reach out to those in need, while also working to bring the world closer to the vision of justice and peace God holds for creation. Plus, we have found that whenever we get together to “do good,” we also have a ton of fun! Here are just a few examples of what we do as a congregation.

Worship in Action. Several times a year, we put all we believe into action during the worship service. We might prepare lunch for people experiencing homelessness, create care packages for veterans, or rake yards for seniors who need a little extra help. Instead of listening to a sermon, we bring the sermon to life. These are favorite worship services for all ages.

Food and other “drives.” It is amazing what a difference we can make when we combine our efforts! Whether it’s peanut butter and paper towels for the food pantry, razors and shaving cream for our incarcerated siblings, winter clothing for newly-arrived immigrants from warmer climes,  or personal hygiene products and diapers, we combine our resources to increase the impact on those needing assistance and support.

Education, exploration and conversation. We are a congregation with a wide variety of perspectives and experiences.
We see that diversity as a blessing, and endeavor to develop it even further. And so we seek opportunities to expand our awareness, and engage each other. We’ve held workshops on anti-racism and bystander training, worked on changes we can make to reduce climate change, welcomed guests to share their experiences as transgender asylum seekers, and hosted storytelling events about immigration.

Money. We share the gifts we have received to make a difference in the world. At least 9% of our annual pledges go toward outreach efforts organized by the Faith in Action Team, along with 10% of the income from the annual Merrie Christmas Fair. We organize special collections in response to natural disasters or initiatives like retiring medical debt, so our prayers and our support can be with those in distress. We support two organizations, World Central Kitchen and EarthJustice, on a sustaining basis, and we are in covenant with North Central Mass. Habitat for Humanity, providing both money and labor.  We also make small grants in response to proposals made by parishioners around particular subjects, speakers or issues.

Whether we are serving dinner at the Community Supper, helping out at the Acton Boxborough United Way Day of Caring, or packing food for Rise Against Hunger, we discover again and again how uplifting it is when we put our faith in action to bring God’s love to the world!

Contact person: Glynis Hamel

Interim Ministers

We are excited to welcome Rev. Dr. Jill Edens and Rev. Richard Edens who will be serving as co-ministers for twelve months during our time of transition, starting April 15, 2024! The Interim Minister Search Team was impressed with Rev. Jill’s and Rev. Richard’s spirituality, experience, and creativity. With many years of experience in both settled and interim ministry, Rev. Jill and Rev. Richard demonstrate a keen understanding of issues facing churches today. They bring a wonderful blend of hope and pragmatism to their interim work. We quickly realized that this duo will bring energy and joy to the tasks ahead, as we prepare for the search for our next minister. Members of churches they have previously served raved about their sermons, open-minded wisdom, and administrative skill. The Edens are inspiring leaders and pastors. They served as Co-Senior Pastors for 38 years at the United Church of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, until their retirement in 2017. They relocated to the greater Boston area to be closer to their daughter, the Rev. Ruth Edens, and her family. Since arriving, they have served together at the Trinitarian Congregational Church of Concord (TriCon), the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, the First Parish of Westwood, and the Congregational Church of Weston, in Interim capacities. They are both graduates of the Yale Divinity School, with Jill receiving her Doctorate in Ministry from Lancaster Theological Seminary. Regarding her approach to interim ministry, Rev. Jill tells us “I have a deep faith in the wisdom of congregations and their ability to formulate their calling and then identify the resources they will need to be faithful to that call.” Rev. Richard’s ministry encourages the faithful to “Strive for justice, share joy, befriend the lonely. Prepare for laughter, be willing to cry. Love simply, generously, playfully. Choose sparingly, live modestly, dream big. Speak the truth, pray, have fun. See rightly. Proclaim the mad love of God.” Their years of experience in leading a variety of faith communities will be a great benefit as we navigate our upcoming transition.

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Church Admin

Our Church Administrator is Jenn LaCross. She grew up in Greenfield and settled down in Lunenburg after graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She began her career as an Exercise Physiologist working in corporate wellness in Boston and then moved into Pharmaceutical Sales. In 2002 she gave up working to stay at home and raise a family. Her and her husband, Richard have two children, Derek (21) and Bella (18). As the kids got older and more self-sufficient, she jumped back into the workforce here at UCCB in the fall of 2017. Jenn enjoys the opportunity to utilize her bookkeeping skills as well as tap into her creative side producing church communications. She continues loves visiting with and helping the church community. She can be reached at the office at 978.263.7387 or via email at boxborochurch@verizon.net.

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Choir Director

Cindy Blanchard is the Sr. Choir Director at UCC. She joined the church and choir in 1997 and has been the choir director for over 10 years. She earned a BA in music at Bowdoin College, a MA in conducting/music at Trenton State and did advanced grad work on trumpet and voice at Juilliard. I have sung since I can remember! Jr. Choir, school groups, college groups and various adult ensembles. Working with the adults in the choir is such a rewarding experience. We are a family! From our Tues. night rehearsals, our Sunday worship service singing, Music Sunday, our annual dinner and Christmas parties-it is a wonderful group of people that I’m so grateful to be able to work with every week. We also provide special guest musicians throughout the year. Recent guests have been a flute ensemble, harpist, violinist, clarinetist, Dixieland Band, and the Saturdays! I hope you enjoy our musical offerings and please know you are always welcome to join the choir!

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Organist

Joe Camara, the son of a music teacher, began piano lessons early in elementary school. Within a few years he was already accompanying choruses. He went to Lowell State College beginning as a piano major but changed to organ major. He graduated with a BA in music. He taught in the Lowell public school system for almost thirty years and received a Master Degree in education from UMASS Lowell and finally a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in administration from Fitchburg State University. He has played piano and organ in many groups and churches throughout the area. He is also the former director/accompanist of the Lowell High School Alumni Chorus which awards scholarships to students at Lowell High School going into the arts. He also was the pit director and accompanist for many of the high school shows presented at Maynard High School.

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Custodian

Our custodian is Lenny Connolly. Our buildings put his repair and maintenance skills to good use. He’s particularly popular with the kids at Boxboro Children Center, who love to watch him work!

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