Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, Malden, MA

Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, Malden, MA


Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. The hope is to provide a window into these organizations allowing those who might not other wise venture in to appreciate these thoughtful, often intimate groups in our midst. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work.


History/Building


Historically there have been at least two Methodist churches in Malden Massachusetts prior to Good Shepherd United. Centre Methodist Episcopal church is one, and another Maplewood Methodist Church was the direct predecessor of Good Shepherd United, which was constructed on or near the same location in the late 1960s. Today Malden's Methodist community has consolidated to this location which has a sizable sanctuary, as well as a community space adjacent to it called Bayrd Hall. The building contains a unique looking organ which has thin sets of pipes mounted to the wall. I found this youtube video of it being played. In addition to hearing the music, it also showcases more of the sanctuary and chancel than I capture in my pictures. The décor is minimalist, but the wooden eaves and pastel windows create the perfect contemplative space, and the building is angled such that the morning sun brightens the nave.

The Congregation


Rev. Nizzi Santos Digan warmly greeted us when we arrived along with several other congregants some of who were assisting with passing out the bulletin, others who were just being inviting. If you are an introvert, Good Shepherd will draw you out as their service is very interactive, from the universal passing of the peace, to various activities that have you participating. Rev Digan also took time during the start of the service to welcome the visitors to the church. The bulletin had smiley faces printed throughout it which was very amusing and welcoming. A search online turned up some older bulletins revealing that it is a reoccurring feature, which I like. It seems like a group of people that share a lot of happiness each Sunday, so the smiling emoticon is a very appropriate choice.

Chancel area of the church, note the unusual components of the organ, there are more as well to the right of this area.

The Service

A large group of children who are part of the Good Shepherd congregation, played an integral role in the service. It was a special children's service, and a gospel reading on the front of the bulletin summarized "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these," (Matthew 19:14).

It was fun to see the congregation's children sing and perform all of the hymns including Glory Glory Halleluja, This Little Light of Mine, and Father Abraham. Father Abraham brought back memories of singing this song in my Catholic elementary school when I was in Kindergarten or first grade, complete with the arm gestures that the children were acting out. 

There was a special interactive activity, where Rev. Digan had the congregation bless all of the children in the center aisle, tying their value in with the overall them of the service, and the promise they hold for the future. Symbolically one could touch a large cloth/tapestry held above the children by parents and loved ones, or raise a hand in the air.

Readings were Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, and Luke 18:15-17 which are variations of the same gospel passage that is shared earlier. The children also in turn, read portions of some separate passages.

Especially unique was the closing of the service which was an activity called "Draw the Circle," where the entire congregation made a ring around the sanctuary, linked hand to hand while singing a hymn.

Outreach

Good Shepherd United Methodist Church may be an intimate congregation in the Maplewood neighborhood of Malden, but their impact is surely felt throughout the area. Good Shepherd's Missions page speaks to the generosity of the congregation. This includes supporting a Christmas "Angel Project," where they buy gifts for children in need, participation in the Bread of Life program to help provide food to people, care packages for the armed services in affiliation with Anysoldier.com, as well as many other specific programs done through the United Methodist Church network.

The church has social and educational ministries such as several youth ministries which meet throughout a given month. Their social activities include coffee after church as well as dinners and picnics throughout the year.

During this week's service they were participating in a clothing drive for children from Africa as an example of how they reach beyond the immediate community.

Clearly Good Shepherd Methodist Church dedicates itself to making a difference and they succeed in their goal.



 Text and photographs by George Parks
Sources are embedded in links

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Lady of the Rosary, Sabattus, Maine

Image
Our Lady of the Rosary, Sabattus, Maine At the end of 2017 I decided to set out on a personal journey to explore and experience the services of many different churches and faith based organizations, 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. I knew from the outset  of this project that eventually I would make my way home to Our Lady of the Rosary , my childhood church. It probably has been 20 years, maybe more since I stepped through those doors which played such a crucial role in my childhood. This church was my community, it contributed to my moral compass, and many of my earliest memories have this pillar of Sabattus, Maine woven into them. I went to school here up until the 3rd grade, and I had my first communion and confirmation at this church. Somewher
Read more

First Congregational Church, UCC, Melrose, Massachusetts

Image
First Congregational Church, UCC, Melrose, MA Pillars & Foundations was started as an effort to explore my surrounding communities through their religious institutions, and to share my experiences at them with my neighbors and beyond. These organizations that are both social and spiritual, leave lasting impressions on the communities that they are in, and I find in my experiences that I've taken them for granted, and I suspect I'm not alone. What strikes me what all of these institutions strive to do is make a difference, and they do, regardless if it is one person looking for hope & community, or a with recipient of their charitable work. Building & History People who pass by the low profile octagonal church in Melrose should not be fooled by the contemporary campus. This organization has a long history ( information on FCCM website ) in the community dating back to 1848. The new building was constructed in 1970 following a fire tha
Read more

Immaculate Conception Parish, Malden, MA

Image
Immaculate Conception Parish, Malden, MA My visit to Immaculate Conception on Ash Wednesday is part of an effort 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. Building and History The parish itself was founded in 1854 however the current sanctuary appears date from the mid 1960s. The church building is modern, but still possesses a more traditional layout. It has art deco features throughout the church, and I had always assumed that it may have been older than it actually is. The stained
Read more

Most Blessed Sacrament Parish - Wakefield Massachusetts

Image
Most Blessed Sacrament, Wakefield, MA  I chose a local Catholic Church, Most Blessed Sacrament (MBS) for my first true entry of this blog. I thought I would start out where I am the most familiar. It was very cold on this morning, after mass the temperature still read only 8℉. Normally I would have walked here, but not today. As I drove into the parking lot the sound of ice and compacted snow made that snapping and rubbing sound that all of us in colder climates know. The lot was largely empty, there was a breeze, and despite steady weekend traffic on main street, a sense of quiet. I was concerned at this point that the mass may even be cancelled as the atmosphere outside the church was desolate. Thankfully the door was open and I was greeted by a friendly usher, and a surprising amount of warmth considering the temperature outside. I made my way to the back of the church and took in my surroundings. The building: The dark stained beam interior reminded me of Sacred Heart i
Read more

Porter's Burial Ground, Danvers, Massachusetts

Image
Porter's Burial Ground, Danvers, Massachusetts On another one of my weekend walks I stopped into Danver's town center, did some exploring and took a break for a drink. While wandering around I came upon Porter's Burial Ground , which is also known as High Street Cemetery. This cemetery is the resting spot for veterans of several wars including the French & Indian War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and the Spanish-American War.  Information on some of these older cemeteries is actually quite extraordinary. People have taken time to catalogue graves, photograph them, and occasionally write some details about the individuals. Sites such as Findagrave, and Gravematter provide links to these. Next time I am in a cemetery with history such as this, I really should take time to do research while I'm there. In a google search to find discussion points for this posting I came across one interesting story about a lost Revolutionary War Grave of Army P
Read more