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OPEN DOORS

In 2015 lay leaders at UCCB noticed the church’s main meeting room needed some serious repairs.  But rather than just going ahead and replacing a section of ceiling and installing a dehumidifier, they decided to take a comprehensive look at the church’s physical plant, reflect on the needs of the surrounding community, and discern what God was calling the congregation to do next.

You can see the impact of that process by looking at our buildings; but more importantly you can see it in our mission.  Together we are living out what became the theme of the project – Open Doors:  Building Community, Growing God’s Love!

Renovation of the Community Center

This space is used by Boxborough’s Council on Aging and a number of community groups as well as church programs.  It is so important as a resource for gatherings in the heart of Boxborough.  But the space felt worse than outdated.  So we decided to prioritize the improvement of this community space.  We hadn’t raised any money yet, so we did this project largely through sweat equity.  It was a lot of work to demo and clean out and lay the floor and paint the walls, but in all honesty we enjoyed it!  The best part was welcoming the community back again, and witnessing their joy at the renovated space.

Renovation of the Historical Building

The 1833 building needed a lot of structural work; as we met with architects and engineers it became clear we’d need to spend quite a bit of money just to keep the building standing for another 150 years.  But the congregation decided it was a priority to preserve this beautiful space in the historical heart of Boxborough.  We wrestled with all sorts of decisions in an effort to make the building as useful to the community as possible.  As a result, a kitchenette was added to the Gathering Room, to make it easier to host receptions and special events.  And a Farmer’s Porch creates an outdoor space for community members to gather. 

Open Doors Vision

The Open Doors of the Community Center and the Historical Building are there to welcome in all who need a space to gather.  But more than a physical space, Open Doors has become a part of our whole ministry.  Our programming, our budget, our staff and the gifts of our volunteers are not focused within the four walls of our church, but focused on reaching out into God’s whole world.  Whether that’s a fundraiser for frontline workers, a workshop on dementia, grants for community members struggling to make ends meet, or a concert to bring in the Christmas season, we seek to open doors, build community and grow God’s love with everything we do.

The doors of our buildings are open to welcome in the stranger, as we help to build community. 

And the doors of our sanctuary are open to send us out into the world to grow God’s love everywhere we go. 

The doors of our hearts are open to connect with those different from us, especially those we might disagree with.

And the doors of our lives are open wide to see how we might be transformed.

Join us as we continue to Open Doors:  Building Community, Growing God’s Love!

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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