Centre Congregational Church, UCC, Lynnfield, Massachusetts

Centre Congregational Church, UCC, Lynnfield, Massachusetts

My intent with this blog is to explore and experience the services of many different churches, predominantly near where I live in Massachusetts. These institutions are important, often overlooked and even misjudged centers of our communities that seek to make a positive impact on their participants as well as others through their generosity and public service. It is possible that through this activity I may eventually consider a long term relationship with one of these pillars and foundations of the community, however I am eager to do a lot of exploring first.

The Building & History:

Centre Congregational lies in bucolic Lynnfield Massachusetts, populated with wide expanses of tree-filled yards with grand colonial structures, often covered in white clapboard as is the church itself. It feels like a living museum on display, as the people of Lynnfield have clearly made efforts to preserve the historic character of the town. The Centre Congregational Church is surely one of the focal points of the community.

From what I've been able to learn, Centre Congregational Church's structure has a portion that dates to 1832 which is noted on a sign on what appears to be an older portion of the complex, however the main Sanctuary was rebuilt after a fire in 1979. You would not know it from appearances as it blends seamlessly into Lynnfield's historic common. A meeting house is across the street dating to 1714, and an adjacent town library, dates to 1904. All of these structures in their white clapboard feel like they would not have been too out of place in the 1700s. Of note one of the architects of Centre Congregational, Royal Barry Wills, had much of an impact on Lynnfield designing many buildings. 

Inside the church has a lot of exterior light flooding the sanctuary through large arched windows. Walls are whitewashed in the traditional protestant fashion, a warm off-white. The pews painted white with the exception of the trim. White wainscoting and trim accent the room and the lectern. 

Who Are the Congregation?

Like many of the protestant churches in the vicinity, Centre Congregational proudly asserts their status as open and affirming. They are open to people from diverse cultural and faith backgrounds. My wife and I were warmly greeted and handed a pamphlet for the service.

Upon initiation of the service there is a wonderful choir that alternates between some more contemporary pieces, to more traditional sounding hymns backed by an organ.

The children scurry around the sanctuary as the service falls into place. At one point a little girl runs up and sits on Reverend Nancy Rottman's lap as announcements are made, and stands near by in hand as the service is launched. Children are brought to the front to gather semi-circle for a brief message where Rev. Rottman speaks to the virtues of not hiding your gifts, talent and wealth but sharing them with your community.

To summarize, Centre Congregational was warm, vibrant, and exudes positivity and hope.

The Service:

Matthew 25:34b-40 was read as it speaks to the importance of giving back. This ties into the Sermon, titled "Sound Investing." The focal point of this sermon was that God has blessed humankind with certain gifts, and as stewards of such blessings, people should bless others, help them on their journey. One example of such an effort is how the Centre Church has helped KIVA, an international non-profit organization that provides "micro-lending" in order to fight poverty. Some statistics referenced by Rev. Rottman which were inspiring were that around 80% of these loans go to women in developing nations. 

At a more intimate, local level, Rev. Rottman encouraged listeners to give back to the community, to invest time in Centre Congregational Church, to be involved in their ministries that do a lot for various causes. 

Inside the leaflet, tying into the theme of the sermon is a line from Corinthians 9:6 (CEV), "A few seeds make a small harvest, but a lot of seeds make a big harvest." In short, try to make a difference, you can.

The Activities of The Congregation:

Between all of the different ministries, social activities, and outreach programs it is really difficult to cover it all and Centre Congregational's website will do it best. It would do a disservice to the sermon not to provide a link to the Stewardship webpage, since this topic was a focal point for the service. In the leaflet provided quickly mentioned are Haven from Hunger, Bread and Roses, Heifer International, and City Mission to just scratch the surface on some of the organizations that the church supports. Also listed on the website are various social events for the congregation and community.

Conclusion:

It is difficult not to be inspired when ever you see others doing so much good in the world. Small actions make small differences, and shouldn't be taken for granted, but there are people out there investing in great actions as well. I think Lynnfield and the surrounding communities are lucky to be home to Centre Congregational Church.

Text and photographs by George Parks
Sources are embedded in links