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Mar 06 2025

Lent with Irenaeus of Lyons

“We need to be more self-reflective than ever. Marketing has long drawn us into greed. Algorithms now draw us into fear and outrage. Politics draw us into viciousness. But those vices feed a foe within us — one more subtle and terrible than any foe without (Romans 7:14 – 25). How will we – as Christians in Greater Boston – endure the change and hardship coming while relating more deeply with Jesus? “

Lent is upon us, a season of spiritual discipline, reflection, and self-examination. In this week’s newsletter, we’re featuring Lent with Irenaeus, a new book by local author Mako Nagasawa, who is also an elder at Neighborhood Church of Dorchester.

Irenaeus of Lyons, a second-century bishop, confronted distorted beliefs and emphasized the wholeness of body, soul, and creation in the Christian faith. Read an excerpt of his book below to explore his timeless insights on spiritual formation to deepen your faith from the darkness of Lent to the light of Eastertide.

Lent is the forty day period before Easter — that is, Resurrection Sunday. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, when Christians often mark our foreheads with ash to remind us that we are mortal and will return one day to the dust. Lent ends with Holy Week – we recall Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as king, confronting the powers, only to face anguish at Gethsemane, be crucified on Good Friday, and then, at last, be raised on Resurrection Sunday into an immortal life.

During this period in his life, Jesus journeyed to give and to gain. He went to give something up – his very life. He also went to gain something infinitely valuable — his humanity purified and perfected, and a way for us to share in what he accomplished. The letter to the Hebrews says Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame, for the joy set before him (Heb.12:2).

Lent is like a spiritual fitness routine. In order to more fully appreciate the significance of Jesus’ journey during Lent, Christians typically give something up — often a comfort item: meat; sugar; coffee; video games; social media. We let ourselves feel a physical or emotional pang of desire. We let this desire remind us of a deeper desire: the desire for a deeper connection with Jesus. Lent is, therefore, a season where we hope to gain things: a deeper hunger and thirst for Jesus and his righteousness (Mt.5:6), and strength over our lesser cravings – even if those lesser cravings help us cope with pain or loss. Perhaps especially if so.

Irenaeus is an outstanding guide in this Lenten journey. He was a Christian leader in the second century. He had been mentored by Polycarp of Smyrna in western Asia Minor, the region where Jesus’ apostles – his earliest followers – had spent the most time investing in new communities. Polycarp had been mentored by the apostle John, so Irenaeus’ pedigree was impressive. He might have died as a martyr, but certainly he was ready to, as his predecessor Pothinus of Lyons and mentor Polycarp of Smyrna both died by martyrdom. How did he come to love Jesus that much?

Irenaeus defended the Christian faith against “gnostic” influences — those who believed the body was evil or worthless or didn’t matter as much as the soul and the mind. So-called “gnostic Christians” then argued that Christian faith was about simply believing certain ideas while giving up on changing much of anything. It would have been the easier way to live, frankly. But Irenaeus knew that our journey with Jesus had to be more fully embodied, and involve a retraining of our whole being. For we are, as Irenaeus understood, human becomings.

Most of these reflections come from the fourth book of Irenaeus’ five volume work, Against Heresies. In this book especially, Irenaeus connects the stories and practices of the Old Testament to Jesus. The gnostics wanted to disconnect Jesus from the ancient Jewish story and community. Irenaeus points out that Jesus’ physical humanity was dependent on the Jewish community from which he came. God had shaped and trained ancient Israel in certain ways, with their partnership. Jesus embraced that training and journeyed further.

I hope Irenaeus’ reflections on this journey with Jesus helps you this Lenten season. For this early Christian leader – Irenaeus – believed it was a journey of becoming truly human.

Reflection 2: We Ascend to God or Descend to the Animal

We often think of Lent as a season where we give up something, which is often a comfort item: meat; sugar; screen time; chocolate. We let ourselves feel the loss or lack of that thing. We let this lack lead us to feel desire, and this desire reminds us that our deepest desire is for Jesus. So during Lent, we hope to gain things: a deeper hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Jesus (Mt.5:6), and strength over our lesser cravings – even if those lesser cravings help us cope with pain or loss.

Irenaeus speaks of this training of our desires. He says we either ascend towards God, or descend towards the animal – or, at least, certain types of wild animals. As finite beings created and loved by the infinite God, we are meant to grow infinitely in relation to God… Yet, the apostle Peter said that those who sin without repenting eventually become “slaves to corruption, for people are slaves to whatever masters them” (2 Pet.2:19). Peter, quoting King Solomon in Proverbs 26:11, says that such people are like dogs that return to their vomit or pigs that return to mud. Irenaeus, citing Peter, explains it in terms of desires and longings: “Now, spiritual men shall not be incorporeal spirits; but our substance, that is, the union of flesh and spirit, receiving the Spirit of God, makes up the spiritual man. But those who do indeed reject the Spirit’s counsel, and are the slaves of fleshly lusts, and lead lives contrary to reason, and who, without restraint, plunge headlong into their own desires, having no longing after the Divine Spirit, do live after the manner of swine and of dogs; these men, [I say], does the apostle very properly term “carnal,” because they have no thought of anything else except carnal things.”(AH 5.8.2, italics mine, quoting 2 Pet.2:12 – 22; Prov.26:11; cf. AH 4.4.3, quoting Ps.49:12)

Consider how we might “live after the manner of swine and of dogs” as Peter and Irenaeus mention, unpleasant as that might be. We can make our habitats – our families, friendships, and organizations – morally and spiritually unhealthy. For example, if we make a home for toxic favoritism or disdain, allow gossip and conflicts to fester in our presence, or get defensive when we are wrong, then we are like those pigs who sit in the mud and their own excrement. If we are in leadership and allow sins to go unaddressed, we contribute to an unhealthy environment where other people suffer.

We need to be more self-reflective than ever. Marketing has long drawn us into greed. Algorithms now draw us into fear and outrage. Politics draw us into viciousness. But those vices feed a foe within us — one more subtle and terrible than any foe without (Romans 7:14 – 25). How will we – as Christians in Greater Boston – endure the change and hardship coming while relating more deeply with Jesus?

Feb 19 2024

The Church: A Place of Belonging

In an age of global migration and mass displacement, what is the responsibility of the Church to respond to the needs and realities of migrant and displaced communities? All too often, the narrative surrounding immigration is depicted within mainstream media as highly political and divisive. In evangelical and charismatic circles, many Christians are more likely to be influenced by what the media says about immigration than the Bible.

For our week on “Believe,” we are sharing a piece entitled, “The Church: A Place of Belonging” which is a chapter from local author Daniel Montanez’ book entitled, “The Church and Migration: A Theological Vision for the People of God.” The book seeks to transform the narrative of immigration by approaching it from the larger lens of human migration. By exploring the theme of human migration throughout the grand narrative of Scripture, this resource sets forth a theological vision for understanding migration from a Biblical-theological perspective. Read below to hear some practical ways in which Christians can get involved in serving migrant and displaced communities.

The Sojourner, the alien, the foreigner, the exile, the refugee, the immigrant, or whatever name is used to refer to those who may not be like us or from among us, still refer to persons who are created imago Dei and deserve the treatment afforded to everyone created as such. Just as the Temple in Jerusalem, with its imposing structure and radiant splendor, stood as a representation of the God to whom it is was constructed and dedicated, so also is the Body of Christ, the Church, the representation of God in the world today. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the Church to be Christlike in its actions and treatment of people. And the church, as a building or locale is to be equally welcoming to those who may not be part of the Body of Christ—the “other.”

Immigrants make the move from one country or location to an other because they might be seeking safety from a dangerous situation in their own land, looking for employment to help provide for their families, looking to start a new life in a foreign land, etc. Despite the variety of those mainly extenuating circumstances in which the immigrant population finds itself, the Bible gives only one way in which to treat them—with love and compassion—because the God is the One who loves them, and the Body of Christ follows the Head of the Church. Additionally, Israel was constantly reminded that they, too, were sojourners: “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt”(Deut 24:14).When they went to the temple to make their sacrifices they were to “declare before the LORD your God: ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous'(Deut 26:5). In Leviticus, Israel is commanded, “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God (Lev. 19:33-34).”

Creating Places of Belonging

How does the church become a place of inclusion for immigrants? What are their needs? How are they to be treated, and how can the church effectively minister to them? The parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:23-37)is a powerful example of inclusion and ministry and answers the question about how to practice inclusion. That is done by showing compassion to the other when the other is a stranger and even an enemy. The actions of the good Samaritan are non-judgmental and carried out only in compassion for the person in need. There is no questioning of the legality of travel, or intentions at point of destination, or even of the moral character of the wounded person, i.e., whether or not he is a “bad” person and not worthy of assistance. Help is rendered based on the need of the person and goes way past the bandaging of his wounds to his healing and wellbeing.

Miroslav Volf, in what is probably his most popular work, Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation shows his own wrestling with showing compassion to the other: that as he tries to answer the question posed to him by his Professor Jürgen Moltman about embracing his enemy—the Serbian fighters: “But can you embrace a četnik?”After giving it some thought, he knew that his response would be: “No, I cannot—but as a follower of Christ I think I should be able to”(9). The church in this country has not always been a place of inclusion. It is a reflection of the society in which it finds itself. But there is hope that we can become a place of belonging. Tex Sample has said that in dealing with those who are different to us we must “deal respectfully, authentically, and transformatively.” To do so “could lead to a quantum leap in the way the church understands the faith, reckons with and makes moral decisions, celebrates Christian faith, and moves in a mission to the world” (139).

That mission to the world is to minister to its needs. Faith is not detached from providing tangible ministry to those in need, as so clearly explained in James 2:14-26. Martin Luther King, Jr. in his book Strength to Love argues that “A religion that professes a concern for the souls of men and is not equally concerned about the slums that damn them, the economic conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them, is a spiritually moribund religion” (250).

A church can do the following to become a welcoming place of belonging to immigrants:

Be a welcoming by opening its doors to them. Have programs and resources that they need even without preaching to them: ESL classes, GED classes, computer classes, child-development classes, after-school classes, and care, etc.
Help with their specific needs. To do so effectively, the church needs to know who lives in the community, town, or city. Who are they trying to reach? Who can they reach most effectively with their resources and human capital (members and workers)? Immigrants in the neighborhood need access to immigration assistance and information, child-care, translation services, food and nutrition, clothes, furniture, etc. As a church in a neighborhood that is 73% Hispanic with a majority being first generation immi grants from Central America and Mexico, our church aims specifically at reaching that population and those who help ministering to their needs. We share resources with the “Clínica Santa María” next door and try to minister to their staff also as caregivers.
Adopt a family, mentor parents, teens, etc. Recently arrived families can be paired with families who have been in church for a while and who can help them during their adjustment period. Mentoring programs for family members and, especially, teens are very effective.
Make church a host site for workshops, conferences, community action and meetings on issues that have to deal with immigration, social justice, racism, etc. Offering the use of the local church building and facilities is a good way to get the community to feel welcome and have a sense of belonging to this important house of faith in their community. There are always social work organizations, educational institutions, various non-profits, etc., that are looking for spaces in the community to offer their programs.
Be a friend and loving neighbor. Recognize important dates in the community and celebrate the heritage of the members of the community. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage and Black History Month, Independence Days, etc. help the community see the church as a place to which they belong, and which shares their moments of joy and celebration.

As a recently arrived international student in a small southern town which has its history of struggles against racism, I was welcomed by a church and a family that “adopted” me and helping me get acclimated to life in this country demonstrating the love of Christ. In difficult moments, they served as advocates helping to fight for justice and even opened their home when I was unable to afford to live in campus housing. The “Adopt-a-Student” program of that church gave me something to which I could belong—a family, a church, a denomination, and the Body of Christ. It was a tangible way for a local church to embrace an immigrant.

Churches must continue to envision and embrace a world and their communities with more immigrants and accept their mandate to represent Christ and be a place of belonging for sojourners, aliens, and immigrants.

But Wait! There’s More…

This is a chapter from Daniel Montanez’ book “The Church and Migration,” which serves as an accessible and educational guide for pastors, church leaders, and parishioners to better understand what the Bible says about God’s heart towards people on the move and how these truths can be applied in our modern world. It is available for purchase in English and Spanish.

Our page “A Sanctuary for Strangers” also has a variety of other pressing action steps that churches can take to support our new neighbors.

There have been two other articles written by UniteBoston Staff exploring themes in the Good Samaritan: Rev. Kelly Fassett invites us to consider, “To whom must I become a neighbor?” and Rev. Devlin Scott challenges us to consider how we might inadvertently seek to justify ourselves instead of fully embracing Jesus’ radical acceptance.

Feb 07 2024

Ecumenical Spring Celebration – March 16, Saturday

At the request of local pastoral leaders and in faithful response to Jesus’ prayer “that all of them may be one” (John 17:21), Kinship Farm occasionally supports events where Christians throughout the North Shore and beyond can come together to share in the beauty of nature and fellowship.

Join us on Saturday, March 16! The centerpiece will be an outdoor, hour-long ecumenical Christian worship service. For an hour beforehand and afterward, participants may peacefully and contemplatively walk along woodland trails, and occasionally stop to engage with displays offered by Christians from a variety of denominations. Displays may include scripture and other text, music, art, woodworking, and other creative, interactive, youth-friendly displays about spirituality that is informed by Christ Jesus and that promotes healthy relationships and/or celebrates the natural outdoor setting.

The worship service and displays will be suitable for youth, teens, and adults and general registration is free. The event will be held in South Hamilton, MA. Displays will be staffed from 1-2 p.m. and 3-4 p.m. and the worship ceremony will run from 2-3 p.m. We regret and apologize that the trails, tents, and worship service will not be equipped with facilities or features to ensure full accessibility for individuals with mobility challenges.

To host a booth, churches will need to fill out an application form by February 26 and pay a modest commitment fee of $30. In return, on the day of the event, a basic tent and table will be set up for them and they will need to bring whatever additional materials they need to respectfully present their message. If you know of a church who might like to participate in the planning of the worship service or to host a booth, please forward this information to them.

The General Registration deadline is March 6. Click on the blue button on our website page to register. The application for displays can also be found on the same webpage.

Please direct all question, ideas, and desire about this celebration to info@kinshipfarm.org.

About our Demonstration Application and requirements:

Outdoor interactive tented booth spaces are limited and are on a first come basis. We are asking for a $30 commitment fee along with your completed ‘Display Application’ form to secure your space. The $30 commitment fee is a small contribution towards the broader expenses associated with furnishing you a tent and table.

We appreciate your cooperation with the application process and kindly ask you to submit your completed Display Application and $30 commitment fee by February 24, 2024 to reserve your tented booth space.

Jan 23 2019

2019 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Photos and Stories

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international initiative where Christians worldwide are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (John 17:21). In 2019, the theme was “Justice, Only Justice, You Shall Pursue,” (Deuteronomy 16:20), and was chosen by Christians in Indonesia. We coordinated a combination of nightly worship services and neighborhood dinners aligned with this theme to focus attention on how we can contribute to acts of unity, justice and mercy in our personal lives and within our communities.

Check out the photos below, and be encouraged by the growing interest in neighborhood-based collaboration among Christians from a variety of backgrounds – for the glory of God and the good of the city.

Night 1: UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinner: North Shore

We had an incredible start to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on Thursday evening with the inaugural North Shore neighborhood dinner, hosted by Peggy Hothem from Our Savior Lutheran Church. 35 people from 16 different churches crowded into her home in South Hamilton. We shared a potluck meal together, discussing our various ministry interests and the justice issues that each of us care about. We then joined our hearts in prayer and sang together “The Church’s One Foundation.” You’ll see there are three photos below – too many people to fit in one picture!

There was a tangible desire shared among the group to partner across our congregations and model a different way of doing “church” that is characterized by unity and reconciliation, rather than conflict and division. A particular highlight of this gathering was the large representation of both Catholics and Protestants. What a great start to the week!

Night 2: The Art of Hope: Creation

This event had art, spoken word, music, and creative performances related to creation, hosted by Hope Fellowship Church in Cambridge. Kiki Densamo, who is a UB Neighborhood Dinner Coordinator in Cambridge, also showed her short film documenting the story of a young man who immigrated from Ethiopia to the US. It was awesome to see how this evening intentionally welcomed people who don’t normally attend church!

Day 3: UniteBoston Neighborhood Brunch: Watertown/Belmont

Rebekah and Stephen Nyakairu from Grace Chapel Watertown graciously opened their home for a delicious brunch and great conversation around racial justice, multiethnic congregations, and reconciliation. Here is a discussion guide that can be used to foster conversation within your own home or community group around racial justice, which incorporates the artwork of Stephanie Irwin.

Night 3: Anchor Prayer and Worship Service

We had a moving prayer service on Saturday evening for the anchor gathering of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – it was great to join together in prayer amidst the snowstorm outside. Thank you to Rev. Amy and St. Paul’s Cathedral for hosting this beautiful time of worship and prayer, as well as all participating clergy and congregants.

The many clergy present represented a variety of traditions, including Catholic, Evangelical, Episcopal, and United Church of Christ.

The Crossing band led us in lively song – jazzing up the traditional Christian hymns and choruses.

Ylisse Bess Washington preached a powerful word, describing that truth telling, truth seeking and living is the beginning of justice, and how we need each other to do this well. Click here to listen to her sermon.

We then lit candles and passed the light from one person to the other – A great symbol of our need to receive from one another in sharing the love of Christ to the world.

The evening concluded with writing our own commitments of how each of us can contribute to acts of justice in our own lives. Each person was invited to take home the card displaying someone else’s commitment to remember our need for one another in the work for justice and to keep them in prayer.

Day 4: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Service Projects

UniteBoston’s Team Leader Kelly Fassett at the Boston Cares MLK Day of Service at Boston Latin School. They had a variety of opportunities, including creating conversation Jenga games and journals for English Language Learners and constructing bed frames for youth who don’t have a bed to sleep in. She helped to paint this mural – It had the word “unity” in different languages.

UniteBoston’s Cambridge Neighborhood Coordinator Kiki Densamo served at the Cambridge MLK day of service by creating valentines for elders and veterans.

Night 5: Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Dinner

There was a great group at our Jamaica Plain neighborhood dinner! Good conversation about the need for economic justice, yet a recognition that systemic complexity provides no easy answers. There was enthusiasm for neighborhood-based connection and collaboration among the group to minister to the needs of the community in the likeness of Christ. Thanks to Kate Devane Brown and her husband Matt from Mosaic Boston for their gracious hospitality in opening up their home for their first neighborhood dinner!

Night 6: Medford/Malden Neighborhood Dinner

We had a great conversation last night at the Malden/Medford neighborhood dinner. There were some deep thinkers in this group – we considered questions involving the tension between unity, justice, and truth, and how we might keep unity at the forefront of our minds in the midst of conflict. It was also great to see the partnership between Mambi and Rebekah working together to host this dinner.

Night 7: Greek Orthodox Vespers Service

We had the opportunity to experience an Orthodox Great Vespers service this evening – for many of us, this was the first time ever worshipping in the Orthodox tradition. What a deep, rich, reverent style of worship that takes seriously the historical roots of the Christian faith!

We are grateful to Rev. Dr. Demetrios Tonias, Dean of the Anunciation Cathedral of Boston, for hosting us and teaching us about the Orthodox Church, such as their understanding of liturgy as the meeting of heaven and earth. People expressed gratitude for this opportunity to learn about the beautiful ancient traditions within the Orthodox Church, and the continuity with the Jewish roots of the Christian faith.

Delicious Greek food and fellowship with our Orthodox brothers who led us with the chanting of the service.

We are grateful to these clergy and priests who have served as ecumenical pillars in leading the work towards Christian unity. This group represents Catholic, Lutheran, and Greek Orthodox traditions.

Night 8: Taize Prayer Service

The concluding gathering for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was Taize Prayer at the MIT Chapel. Taize prayer connects people with God though contemplation, prayer, and melodic singing and has an international message of Christian reconciliation and unity. Together, we will continue to pray, “Lord our God, you have revealed yourself as One who wishes to bring about justice and true peace among people. Be present with your church, Lord, as we respond to your call. Set us free from pious exercises that prevent us from the true worship you choose: Sharing bread with the hungry, sharing homes with the homeless, sharing clothes with the naked, sharing hearts with our own kin. May your justice roll down like waters, your righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Lead our footsteps to stand with the poor, that we might stand with you.”

Experiences & Stories

“During the discussion at the Jamaica Plain dinner, I was struck by the emphasis on place in the week’s theme passage from Deuteronomy, which describes the need to pursue justice “in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you… that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” Our conversation reminded me that my specific neighborhood is not only a calling but also a gift to me, and I am so excited to continue building these new relationships with neighbors!”
-Kate Devane Brown, UniteBoston Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Dinner Coordinator and member of Mosaic Boston

“I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Anunciation Cathedral of Boston and worshiping God in the tradition of a Greek Orthodox Vespers Service, which I attended as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The service was beautiful in spirit and in ritual and Rev. Tonias’ explanation of the Orthodox tradition and liturgy following the service was a total treat…fascinating and inspiring and enlightening!”
-Matt Crane, Director of Christian Education for the Presbyterian Church in Sudbury, and Director of the WEE Forum for the Institute for Christian Unity

“I love how UniteBoston has embraced this important international expression of ecumenism that has been around for decades and integrated it with UB’s vision to bring all the streams of Christianity together to enjoy and learn from one another. This year’s theme “Pursue Justice, Only Justice” helped me to understand how critical “pursuit” is to not only justice, but unity and so much more. We had an enlightening discussion at the Medford/Malden neighborhood dinner I attended: We realized that unity and justice are not things we can create but only pursue, with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And pursuit means placing yourself in settings outside your familiar faith communities – like an Orthodox or Episcopal Cathedral. Each time I set foot in these unfamiliar places, God blesses me in unexpected ways with new relationships and perspectives. I am realizing that unity and justice grow out of the pursuit of those new relationships and perspectives rather than pursuing them in and of themselves.”
-Rev. Dana Baker, UniteBoston Board Member and Pastor of Social Justice, Multicultural Ministry, Grace Chapel

“Worshipping with believers from different streams of the church at the Saturday service at St. Paul’s made me thankful for all the hard work Kelly and the team at Unite Boston have put into promoting the unity of believers in our city. I had several significant discussions with people I had never met after the service that were uplifting and which made me glad to have been at the service. God is good.”
-Pastor Dave Hill, Abundant Grace Church

“This year it was a pleasure to see the Deacons of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston at so many of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity events. The services I went to were incredibly beautiful manifestations of our bond in Christ and the desire to complete that unity.”
-Vito Nicastro, Member of the UniteBoston Board and Associate Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston

“Given the divisiveness and fear in the air all around us these days, as well as the injustices that threaten to overwhelm our hearts and hope, it was deeply nourishing to stand together affirming our commitment to one another and to a better future.”
-Amy McCreath, Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston

“The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is not meant to be the only time we come together as followers of Jesus, but an energizer for our doing so throughout the year. The wonderful cornucopia of dinners, discussions and prayer services during the week here have likely lit that fire in the hearts of many. Let’s keep the fire burning! Winter is not the only season Jesus’ heart needs warming in seeing his followers join hands and hearts and voices.”
-Fr. Tom Ryan, director of the Paulist North American Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations at the Paulist Center in Boston

“At the Malden/Medford neighborhood dinner, I learned three things:
-We should make choices to get to know others of different backgrounds, even when it’s messy
-We should start each endeavor asking, “how can I seek unity in this?”
-We should remember that seeking unity means unity comes from God rather than our tired efforts to create it.
If we do these things, we will be closer to the will of God and to the rest.”
-Rebekah Kerstetter, leader of the UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinners in Malden/Medford and member of Highrock in Arlington

“I’m always encouraged to see the number and diversity of people who God has called to his service in Boston, and of their visions for his Kingdom work here. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity reminded me that the grandness of God’s redemptive work for our city (and country, and world) extends far beyond the imagination of my own congregation!”

-Jeremy Wolcott, member of Park Street Church

Jul 14 2018

Summer Block Party

Free Summer Block Party
hosted by First Church in Charlestown

Date: Thursday, July 19th

Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Come join us for our FREE summer block party!!
We will have a FREE raffle raffling off a family 4 pack of Red Sox tickets (must be present to win), pictures with WALLY, a bounce house, petting zoo, music, food and much more!!

For more details:
Email: office@fccharlestown.com

Church website: www.fccharlestown.com

Facebook Event Page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1961121807254031/

Give to Further Christian Unity