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STAFF & LAY LEADERSHIP

STAFF & LAY LEADERSHIP

STAFF

Minister

Frances Graveson, M.div.

My name is Pastor Fran Graveson. I was called to be a full time pastor at UCCB in March of 2025.

I came to my calling late in life. For most of my life, I was involved in church lay leadership. I felt a sense of fulfillment and community in church positions from assisting with summer day camp as a teenager to holding positions of leadership on Church Council, Diaconate, and Christian Education committees. Later in life, we all begin to consider what our Christian faith truly means in our lives and in this world. I went deeper into my faith when I was invited to bible studies that allowed me to ask questions and wrestle with difficult experiences. That invitation opened up my call to minister. 

After many years of lay leadership in local churches, I entered Boston University School of Theology. Prior to entering seminary, I had a successful corporate career in project management at both large and small technology companies.

In 2024, I had the pleasure of working with Worcester Area Mission Society, area churches, and community organizations to serve families moving through the refugee, asylum, and immigration process. God’s love for community was rooted in this work. I have had the pleasure of feeling that same community love and service in other organizations such as: Open Spirit Multi-Faith Collaborative; MACUCC Interfaith and Ecumenical Taskforce; LGBT Asylum Taskforce; and most recently the New Arrivals Group of the Mass Council of Churches. I see God’s love through the network of organizations who serve those in need and advocate for justice and peace in our communities.

Pastor Fran lives in Uxbridge with her wife, Jenn, and they have a son Jeffery, who resides in NH. She is a foodie, loves the Celtics, and biking and gardening are some of her hobbies.

Office Manager

Nikki Graham

Nikki lives in Littleton with her husband, her two amazing sons, and her beloved dog Bella. She grew up on Martha’s Vineyard and visits family frequently as time allows.

She is a writer, blogger, and photographer who shares her work with family and friends.

Recently, she traveled to Italy for a writer’s workshop to continue her creative education and sharpen photography skills.

In addition, she returned to school last fall to continue her studies in business and psychology.

You can reach Nikki at 978.263.7387 or via email at boxborochurch@verizon.net.

Choir Director

Cindy Blanchard

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!

Church Musician

Esther Kim

Esther Kim completed her undergraduate studies in Korea and earned a Master’s degree in Church Music from Baptist Theological Seminary. After moving to the United States, she studied Worship Studies at Christ For The Nations Institute (CFNI) and completed graduate-level coursework in Worship Leadership at Dallas Baptist University (DBU).

Esther believes that music in worship is more than performance—it is a way to lead the congregation into God’s presence. With many years of experience as a pianist in worship settings, she carefully supports the flow of each service. She recently began serving as an organist and continues to grow in her understanding of the organ’s role in church worship.

She values serving alongside the church community and prepares prayerfully so that each service may be a meaningful time of worship for all.

Custodian

Lenny Connolly

Lenny takes great care of our facilities. At a our well-maintained historic facility he puts his repair and maintenance skills to good use. He is particularly popular with the kids at Boxboro Children Center, who love to watch him work!

LAY LEADERSHIP

 Lay leadership is an important part of our vital congregation. UCC Boxborough, like other UCC churches, is self-governed by its members. This allows us to grow our church in new, creative ways and also gives members a lot of autonomy and opportunities to get involved in decision-making in visioning and church operations. 

All members on the following governing bodies are elected by a vote of the Congregation:

Church Council: The nine members of the Church Council consist of  the four Church officers -Moderator, Vice Moderator, Treasurer, and Clerk – plus five additional at-large members. Pastoral staff serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of the Council. Members of the Church Council are chosen by a vote of the Congregation at the Annual Congregational Meeting, held each January, on a rotating basis.

Nominating Team: This team invites volunteers to serve on the Church Council and other governance teams. 

Pastoral Search Team: Church members leads the pastoral search process. 

Pastor-Parish Relations Team: This team nurtures the integrity of the relationship between the Congregation and Pastor(s) and fosters honest communication.

Finance Team: Finance Team consists of three to five members including the Treasurer, who chairs the Finance Team. Team responsibilities include determining the total anticipated Church revenue each fiscal year; submitting to the Church Council a budget based on anticipated revenues that reflects the priorities of the Church, as defined by the Church Council and the needs of the ministry teams; empowering a generosity ministry; and developing and overseeing sound financial and investment policies and procedures. Working in conjunction with the Treasurer, the Finance team is also responsible for the establishment, maintenance, and reporting of income collection, financial tracking, and payment systems.

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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