New to our Church or the Community?
Learn more about us on this page and please visit us for Sunday morning worship. I look forward to speaking with you.
- Pastor Laura
- Kimberly & Betsey
The first thing you might see when you arrive at Second Church is a large Adirondack chair on our front lawn that boldly declares “There’s a seat for you at Second Church!” The chair is as welcoming in its colors as it is with its words, adorned with the many colors of the pride progress flag. We are proud of the covenant we share to be an Open and Affirming Church of the United Church of Christ.
We are located in beautiful Boxford, MA – a rural community in Essex County with a population near 9000 located about 30 minutes north of Boston. Our church was established in 1736. Our current building was erected in 1843 and it sits proudly in the center of West Boxford.
We are blessed with a church campus that includes our church sanctuary building and hall, an outdoor garden chapel (summer worship by the pond), our administrative office building and classrooms called, “The Park House” and the parsonage (pastor’s home). Our campus is also home to a non-profit organization that serves low-income families with basic necessities for children, Community Giving Tree, and to a preschool, Village School. The buildings are maintained well including improvements such as accessibility (see below). Additionally, we take pride in the restoration of our Woodberry & Harris organ, originally built in 1890.
We are an active congregation of all ages and many talents.
We typically welcome 100 people to our Sunday morning worship and attendance rises to 200+ on church holidays. Our Sunday school program currently welcomes all ages from pre-school through high school.
Some members of our congregation enjoy putting on their “Sunday best’ while others feel comfortable in casual dress.
We believe that the focus is on worship, not wardrobe, so please come in whatever feels right to you. However you come, we are happy to welcome you!
Second Church is accessible to all, regardless of physical ability. We are happy to have an accessible entrance and a modern lift/elevator.
Additionally, we have
accessible restroom facilities, large print bulletins and assistive listening devices.
Our Open and Affirming Covenant, adopted in June 2013, is reaffirmed annually in June as part of our Inclusive Sunday celebration. It reads:
As people who walk in God’s way, we are a congregational church of Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors. Second Congregational Church of Boxford genuinely, enthusiastically, and lovingly welcomes all people to share in the full life and ministry of our church.
We are committed to loving each other as God loves us, freely and unconditionally, and to affirming everyone regardless of age; race; faith; mental, physical, or intellectual ability; socioeconomic status; marital status; family configuration; sexual orientation; gender identity; gender expression; or ethnicity.
Although we are many members, we are one body in Christ. As one body, we are called and challenged by God to respect and reconcile our differences. Our faith calls us to speak up in the face of prejudice, injustice, and exclusion, and to express, in word and deed, our hope for justice and inclusiveness for humanity.
Worship services are celebrated each Sunday morning throughout the year. In the summer months, we worship together outdoors in our garden chapel, nestled under the pines along the water’s edge. Our services include a bible-based sermon by our pastor, lots of singing, the sharing of joys and concerns and of course, prayer. For more details of worship at Second Church, visit our WORSHIP page.
Our staff is wonderfully helpful, qualified and experienced in church ministry. For information about our Staff team, visit our STAFF TEAM page.
A picture speaks a thousand words – check our out our PHOTO GALLERY page to see our church family life in action.
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU ARE ON LIFE’S JOURNEY, YOU ARE WELCOME HERE!
We believe that Jesus is God manifest in human form, and is a healer, leader, and teacher who welcomes all. We believe Jesus is our way of both better understanding God, and of developing a permanent and loving connection to God.
We believe the Holy Spirit of God permeates all life, and is the nature of God that challenges, empowers, encourages and nurtures us.
The church is a community of people who covenant with God and with one another to provide a safe, loving, and caring environment to worship together, to grow in faith, to support and encourage one another, and to extend support to those in need – both locally and globally. We believe that it is our responsibility to share God’s blessings with others through our financial resources as well as our time and abilities, and to work to provide justice and compassion for all God’s children.
We must reach out to all who are interested and welcome them into our church home.
We, the Second Congregational Church of Boxford, are a family of faith gathered together to worship and serve our loving God. Christ is our example and teacher. We strive to imitate his life by loving, respecting and caring for one another.
Our future lies with our children. We will nurture them and guide them by personal example, sound Biblical teachings, and a spiritual education that affirms God’s love. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves as well as our children so that we, like Christ may understand God’s will for our lives.
God has given each individual unique and diverse gifts. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to use these gifts in the service of God, ministering to those in need for the benefit of all creation.
We covenant with God and with one another to live this vision through our words and by our deeds.
