The Beacon Hill Friends House is a Quaker meeting house and a nonprofit residential co-op. Two adjoining row homes on Chestnut Street house 21 tenants who pay rent in exchange for room and board. The rent money goes to support the Beacon Hill Friends House, which hosts a Quaker meeting service every Sunday from 10:30am - 11:30am.
The Friends House mission is to embody the principles of simplicity, integrity, community and faith. The property was handed over to the Quakers when the owner died in 1957. In addition to serving as a co-op and a meeting house, the Friends House hosts a Quaker Studies Program every fall and occasionally presents speakers.
Residents of the co-op typically only stay for two years. Many are Quakers but the house invites anyone to apply for a spot and they encourage diversity among tenants. The rent is lower than the average rent on Beacon Hill and meals are included in the price. The Friends House has a charming library and parlor for resident use.
The meeting space is simplistic but classically beautiful and looks out onto a lovely garden. Typically, between 30 and 40 people attend meeting services.
North Shore Community Baptist Church is an evangelical church where a multigenerational family of believers from a variety of denominational backgrounds worship and serve the community together. The church offers small group, youth and children ministries, as well as mother's groups, college ministry and other outreach opportunities.
Worship takes place on Sunday mornings at 8:30am and 11:15am. During summer months, Sunday services are held at 9:30am.
The Abundant Life Christian Center Church is an evangelical church as well as a school and "Learning Center." In the day care, known as the Learning Center, you will find children from three- to 24-months old. The pre-school and pre-K age-range is from 2 to 5 years. There is also an elementary and middle school that runs up to 8th grade. The center stresses Christian philosophy and beliefs in all its classrooms. It was founded in 1982 by the First Baptist Church of Wilmington and moved into its current 21,000-square-foot space in 1996.
This church has a firm foothold in the 21st century, with a website featuring archived sermons and music spanning three decades. In addition to numerous worship opportunities, St. Luke's has vibrant Sunday School and VBS programs, an active music ministry offering several concerts each year, and an established Preschool.
St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church, in Dover, is located on Springdale Ave. Led by Rev. Mark McKone-Sweet, St. Dunstan's prides itself on community outreach and fundraising for causes such as the Walk for Hunger and the Rodman Ride for Kids. Its Sunday worship services begin at 8am and 10am.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Westborough is a multi-faith house of worship on the corner of West Main and Ruggles streets. It is one of the three churches that stand as landmarks at the intersection. Services at the church take place between September and June at 10:30 a.m. Sundays. The staff can be reached at [email protected].
The Boston Shambhala Meditation Center combines Buddhist and Shambhala teachings to offer a wide range of classes and events. It emphasizes the practice of meditation but also explores other methods of spirituality. It offers yoga and tantra workshops, and also has frequent lectures. The center is one of 180 located around the world.
St. John The Evangelist Parish is an Episcopal church. The members are committed to worship and preaching and reaching out to the wider community and world. It has adult education and Bible study groups, where people gather to learn and share in the name of the Lord. St. John's also takes pride in its ministry to children. It has a youth group program that promotes learning and growing together by taking field trips, playing games and bringing faith into their everyday lives. Services begin at 8am and 10am on Sundays.
This picturesque church has been a focal point of Reading Center for generations. Its tower has been the focus of many photos depicting the New England town center.
Old South United Methodist Church features youth and family ministries, music ministries, Sunday school, adult education and small group meetings.
Rev. Janet Smith-Rushton is senior pastor at the church.
Founded in 1911, St. Benedict has been a Somerville institution for a century. Located on a quiet side street, just off of Broadway, St. Benedict also owns the school across the street. It maintains a congregation of 900, a spectacular feat for a building of this size. It gives Mass in English and Spanish. The Sunday night Spanish Mass is also broadcast live on the internet.
Episcopal Church of Our Saviour hosts a worship service every Sunday morning at 10:30 at it's location on 25 Monmouth Street. It welcomes individuals from all walks of life - liberals, conservatives, college students, families and older people - who are looking to create deeper relationships with God. The church's one-hour worship service includes a full choir, a Hook and Hastings organ, a selection of English cathedral music and a spiritually-based sermon with a coffee hour following in the Lawrence Room. The Rev. Joel Ives has served as rector since January 2007.
Episcopal Church of Our Savior offers infant/toddler child care and a K - 12 Sunday School program that many children look forward to attending.
Located in the historic center of Natick, the First Congregational Church is considered one of the oldest in town. The Victorian Gothic style red brick building was built in 1651 and moved from South Natick to its current location in 1799. It was named to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1977. Rev. Victoria Alford Guest and Rev. Summer F. Shaud preside over the church, which runs its own non-sectarian pre-school.
First Parish in Framingham is a Unitarian Universalist Congregation located next to the Town Green. The church's history dates back to the founding of Framingham in 1700.
The spiritual leader of the Congregation is Rev. Kathleen Hepler. The congregation hold weekly services on Sundays at 9:15 and 11am Sept. through May. 10 am services are available from Memorial day through August.
First Parish offers many opportunities to connect, deepen and serve for youth and adults. Religious exploration programs for pre-k through grade 8, and youth groups for teenagers. Childcare is available during both services. First Parish is very active with social action work groups, fellowship events, spiritual journey groups and more. The congregation has a choir, children's choir, handbell choir and youth chimes choir.
Located in a beautiful building overlooking Sider's Pond, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church offers year round and seasonal services. During the summer months, the church offers weekly "Lobster on the lawn" events and the "Strawberry Festival." Membership is obtained through baptism, financial support and involvement within the church.
One of Brookline's oldest churches, First Parish in Brookline traces its roots back to 1717. It still meets in Brookline's original town hall, which predates the town itself, and an adjacent church building constructed in 1893.
Though nearly three centuries old, First Parish is "passionately dedicated to responding meaningfully to the world here and now and to spiritually nurturing ourselves and our children for the challenges of the future." The Rev. Martha Niebanck and Rev. Jim Sherblom serve as the congregation's co-ministers.
Trinity Episcopal Church, led by Rev. Tony Buquor, was founded in 1884. Sunday services are at 8am in the chapel (no music) and 10am in the main church (full choir and hymns).
Church school for children ages 4 to 14 is conducted at 10am, and a nursery is available for infants and very young children. A coffee hour follows both services.
Once during the year, the church offers a class for people interested in learning more about the Anglican Church and the background and meaning of its worship. The class lasts four weeks and begins after the 10am service.
Trinity offers a wide variety of other activities, including a book group, bike club and outreach programs. A schedule of events is available on its website.
St. Mathews United Methodist Church of Acton is a Christian community that offers Sunday services at 8:30am and 10:30am. It also offers Christian Education classes on Sunday at 9:15am during the school year that serve all ages.
Founded as Brookline's first synagogue in 1917, Congregation Kehillath Israel continues to be a pillar in the town's thriving Jewish community more than 90 years later. The congregation offers regular opportunities for adult religious study, youth groups for children and teens between 10 and 16 years old and nursery school programs. A variety of events are held throughout the year on the grounds of Congregation Kehillath's synagogue in Coolidge Corner.
Congregation Beth Elohim is a community synagogue. It celebrates diversity and is proud to have members of various ages, ethnicities and spiritual backgrounds and welcomes all people. Congregation Beth Elohim combines Jewish tradition and culture with progressive thought and provides weekly worship services and Jewish education for adults and children. Its library houses more than 3,000 items of Judaica for children, teens and adults.