Pillars & Foundations

Old South United Methodist Church, Reading, 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. Building & History Old South United Methodist Church sits in the Common Historic District of Reading on the corner of Main and Salem St. It is one of the most distinctive buildings in the town, and a sign inside the foyer states that it was constructed in 1817. The National Register of Historic places , which the church is listed with, describes the building as a Feder...

Temple Shir Tikvah, Winchester, Massachusetts In Pillars & Foundations I intend to share my exploration and experiences of many different organizations of faith, 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. I was honored to be approached by fellow Wakefield residents Caroline and Dan Lieber, who had expressed appreciation of these blog posts. They extended an invitation to attend Shabbat with them at their Temple in nearby Winchester. This was the first experience attending a Jewish service for my wife and I and this entry is written with that context. As a...

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 ...