Much more than a building — it's a place of fellowship, solace & contemplation!
Sunday, September 15, 2024 - Worship 10:00 AM (In person or via ZOOM)
Sermon: Jesus Who? - Kathleen Reed, Pastor To join via ZOOM, please contact us at (617) 479-8778 or [email protected] |
Houghs Neck Congregational Church (UCC)
310 Manet Avenue Quincy, MA 02169 (617) 479-8778 Parking & Directions |
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Are you searching for a spiritual home where all are welcome? Look no further. When our forefathers and mothers settled and formed a church in Houghs Neck 129 years ago, they did so to provide a Christian community that would affirm who they were, their histories, their families and their deep faith in a loving God and their unity in the spirit. It is this legacy that we continue to lift up.
We are an open Community of Faith serving the families and people of Houghs Neck, Quincy and surrounding communities. We seek to create a space for all believers who know their spiritual pilgrimage is one among many. We seek to honor each person’s walk with God and see others who seek the loving presence of God as brothers and sisters.
We are an open Community of Faith serving the families and people of Houghs Neck, Quincy and surrounding communities. We seek to create a space for all believers who know their spiritual pilgrimage is one among many. We seek to honor each person’s walk with God and see others who seek the loving presence of God as brothers and sisters.
Pastor’s Note
September 2024
This story didn’t take place in an autumn week in Hough’s Neck, but it could have—a possibility you may dismiss as soon as I say that this happened in Brooklyn NY. But hear me out.
Steve and I, along with our pup Sky Dog, traveled to Brooklyn to visit our son who had moved there to make a fresh start after a painful break-up. Traffic wasn’t bad. We made good time and even found street parking a few buildings down from our Airbnb. After a four-hour drive Sky Dog was jumping out of his skin with excitement to explore, so wrangling both his leash and my suitcase as we walked up the street to the steps of our brownstone was a challenge. But add to that all those trees that grow in Brooklyn with roots that heave up whole sections of sidewalk. (only in Brooklyn?) Right at the front steps of our brownstone, the dog zigged, the wheelie suitcase zagged, and as my grandmother would say, I went ass over teakettle, landing on my knees. As I lay on the ground, several folks who’d been taking in the beauty of crisp fall day on the front stoop rushed forward asking, Did I need help? Was I okay? Would I like some water? No, thank you, I answered. I’m just a klutz. This happens a lot. I’ll be fine.
Only a little bruised in ego and knee, the next day we set out to explore the neighborhood. Nearing the end of the block, we encountered a woman with a broom and dust pan at work sweeping up leaves and litter from the sidewalk. When she spotted us approaching, she stepped back to let us pass. Feeling like we were interrupting her work, Steve and I picked up our pace, which the woman noted and called to us: Slow down! Please, slow down! I don’t want you to trip and fall. If you fall and get hurt. I will take you into my house to take care of you. And I don’t have room in my house! So, we slowed down that day and for several days thereafter as we’d walk by her home where she seemed to always be outside either tending to the sidewalk or to her postage stamp of a garden. A sidewalk saint, one might say. A keeper of the open way, not just with words but with unflagging physical conviction. Hers, a full-bodied faith in and for the wellbeing of her community, the kind of faith that is so necessary in every zip code everywhere including ours.
In the coming days, we will see an uptick in traffic on our sidewalks as children return to school accompanied by parents, grandparents and caregivers. Some will be new to our neighborhood and unfamiliar with the many places where tree roots and other obstacles can trip up the unsuspecting. So, in the spirit of that Brooklyn sidewalk saint, here’s my hope for Hough’s Neck: With sharp eyes and open hearts, we do all that we can to keep the ways clear. And when one of us does go ass over teakettle, let there be a host of ready hands to help get them back on their feet.
September Blessings!
Pastor Kathleen
September 2024
This story didn’t take place in an autumn week in Hough’s Neck, but it could have—a possibility you may dismiss as soon as I say that this happened in Brooklyn NY. But hear me out.
Steve and I, along with our pup Sky Dog, traveled to Brooklyn to visit our son who had moved there to make a fresh start after a painful break-up. Traffic wasn’t bad. We made good time and even found street parking a few buildings down from our Airbnb. After a four-hour drive Sky Dog was jumping out of his skin with excitement to explore, so wrangling both his leash and my suitcase as we walked up the street to the steps of our brownstone was a challenge. But add to that all those trees that grow in Brooklyn with roots that heave up whole sections of sidewalk. (only in Brooklyn?) Right at the front steps of our brownstone, the dog zigged, the wheelie suitcase zagged, and as my grandmother would say, I went ass over teakettle, landing on my knees. As I lay on the ground, several folks who’d been taking in the beauty of crisp fall day on the front stoop rushed forward asking, Did I need help? Was I okay? Would I like some water? No, thank you, I answered. I’m just a klutz. This happens a lot. I’ll be fine.
Only a little bruised in ego and knee, the next day we set out to explore the neighborhood. Nearing the end of the block, we encountered a woman with a broom and dust pan at work sweeping up leaves and litter from the sidewalk. When she spotted us approaching, she stepped back to let us pass. Feeling like we were interrupting her work, Steve and I picked up our pace, which the woman noted and called to us: Slow down! Please, slow down! I don’t want you to trip and fall. If you fall and get hurt. I will take you into my house to take care of you. And I don’t have room in my house! So, we slowed down that day and for several days thereafter as we’d walk by her home where she seemed to always be outside either tending to the sidewalk or to her postage stamp of a garden. A sidewalk saint, one might say. A keeper of the open way, not just with words but with unflagging physical conviction. Hers, a full-bodied faith in and for the wellbeing of her community, the kind of faith that is so necessary in every zip code everywhere including ours.
In the coming days, we will see an uptick in traffic on our sidewalks as children return to school accompanied by parents, grandparents and caregivers. Some will be new to our neighborhood and unfamiliar with the many places where tree roots and other obstacles can trip up the unsuspecting. So, in the spirit of that Brooklyn sidewalk saint, here’s my hope for Hough’s Neck: With sharp eyes and open hearts, we do all that we can to keep the ways clear. And when one of us does go ass over teakettle, let there be a host of ready hands to help get them back on their feet.
September Blessings!
Pastor Kathleen
upcoming events in the life of our church
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Bake Sale at the Chowdafest
Bay View Avenue at the Public Landing September 14, 2024 2:00—6:00PM |
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The Houghs Neck Congregational Church will sponsor a bake sale at the Chowdafest to benefit the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Program at the Quincy Public Schools. This valuable program helps children in our school system who are homeless or are in transition. From their brochure —Individuals who are eligible to receive these services include children and youth who:
Services provided include meals and referrals to food stability programs, transportation to their school of origin, tutoring, mentoring, school supplies, fees for athletics and field trips, clothing and much more.
How can you help? Come to the Chowdafest and make a financial donation at the Bake Sale Table. Do you like to bake? Bake cookies or brownies or bars to donate to the table — cookies 6 to a bag or brownies and bars 4 to a bag. We will be setting up that day beginning at noon and we have some availability to pick up items that morning (call 617-669-6349).
Thank you, Maureen Flores and Christine Keating for the Houghs Neck Congregational Church
- Do not have a permanent home.
- Live in motels, hotels, scattered sites, trailer parks or campgrounds.
- Live in cars, parks, public places, abandoned buildings, or similar settings.
- Share the housing of other persons due to the loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason.
- Are considered an unaccompanied youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.
Services provided include meals and referrals to food stability programs, transportation to their school of origin, tutoring, mentoring, school supplies, fees for athletics and field trips, clothing and much more.
How can you help? Come to the Chowdafest and make a financial donation at the Bake Sale Table. Do you like to bake? Bake cookies or brownies or bars to donate to the table — cookies 6 to a bag or brownies and bars 4 to a bag. We will be setting up that day beginning at noon and we have some availability to pick up items that morning (call 617-669-6349).
Thank you, Maureen Flores and Christine Keating for the Houghs Neck Congregational Church
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Lobster / fish dinner
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HOUGHS NECK CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Menu: Lobster or haddock, baked potato, corn on the cob, homemade bread, dessert and beverage.
Price: LOBSTER - $20 FISH - $15
(Children under 12 - $10)
PRE-ORDERS REQUIRED
Call or email Nancy or Ralph Jacobs
(617) 479-6411 (617) 957-6864
[email protected]
Select a timeframe for pick-up:
4:00-4:15 4:30-4:45 5:00-5:15 5:30-5:45 6:00-6:15 6:30-6:45
Menu: Lobster or haddock, baked potato, corn on the cob, homemade bread, dessert and beverage.
Price: LOBSTER - $20 FISH - $15
(Children under 12 - $10)
PRE-ORDERS REQUIRED
Call or email Nancy or Ralph Jacobs
(617) 479-6411 (617) 957-6864
[email protected]
Select a timeframe for pick-up:
4:00-4:15 4:30-4:45 5:00-5:15 5:30-5:45 6:00-6:15 6:30-6:45
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Calling All Who Love to Sing! |
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Both the Merriam-Webster and Oxford English Dictionaries define a choir as an organized company of singers. Neither state that you have to be able to read music, have perfect pitch or an amazing voice. The Houghs Neck Congregational Church choir welcomes anyone who loves to sing. Each Wednesday evening from September through May, our talented director Steve Reed works with us going over individual parts until we are comfortable with them then magically combines our voices and voila - we have a four-part anthem for our Sunday service!
So, if you love to sing, give us a try. We meet at the Church (310 Manet Avenue, Quincy, MA 02169) Wednesday evenings from 7:00-8:30 PM then again at 9:30 AM Sunday mornings to prepare for the 10:00 AM Worship Service.
Seaside Social Club - September 10, 2024
The Seaside Social Club of the Houghs Neck Congregational Church, 310 Manet Ave., will begin their 80th year on September 10, 2024. The club was formed in 1945 by young women of the church with three tenets:
1. To share interests of all people, especially children, and to include in our program schedules ways of implementing those interests.
2. To promote friendship and sociability among the members and others in the community.
3. To share in the financial and spiritual support of the Houghs Neck Congregational Church. Though there have been several name changes, the club remains committed to those ideals.
Membership is open to all women of the community and dues are just $20 per year. The club meets the second Tuesday of each month - September to December and March to June. Business meetings begin at 6:30 and the monthly programs begin at 7:00 and are generally open to the public.
The opening meeting on September 10 brings back Houghs Neck historian Patti Williams who will talk about the “Houses of Houghs Neck” at 7:00. Houghs Neck contains a rich mixture of unique houses: a house that was a hotel, houses that were army barracks and a house made to look like a ship. Some of the houses exist only as photographs or on maps; some are there to see today. Learn about the first house (no longer standing) built in Houghs Neck in the 1600s and what is one of the oldest houses (still standing) in Houghs Neck and more.
The program will run roughly from 7:00 until 8:30 and is open to the public. Members, and those wishing to join, will gather at 6:30 for a brief business meeting.
The Seaside Social Club of the Houghs Neck Congregational Church, 310 Manet Ave., will begin their 80th year on September 10, 2024. The club was formed in 1945 by young women of the church with three tenets:
1. To share interests of all people, especially children, and to include in our program schedules ways of implementing those interests.
2. To promote friendship and sociability among the members and others in the community.
3. To share in the financial and spiritual support of the Houghs Neck Congregational Church. Though there have been several name changes, the club remains committed to those ideals.
Membership is open to all women of the community and dues are just $20 per year. The club meets the second Tuesday of each month - September to December and March to June. Business meetings begin at 6:30 and the monthly programs begin at 7:00 and are generally open to the public.
The opening meeting on September 10 brings back Houghs Neck historian Patti Williams who will talk about the “Houses of Houghs Neck” at 7:00. Houghs Neck contains a rich mixture of unique houses: a house that was a hotel, houses that were army barracks and a house made to look like a ship. Some of the houses exist only as photographs or on maps; some are there to see today. Learn about the first house (no longer standing) built in Houghs Neck in the 1600s and what is one of the oldest houses (still standing) in Houghs Neck and more.
The program will run roughly from 7:00 until 8:30 and is open to the public. Members, and those wishing to join, will gather at 6:30 for a brief business meeting.
Eldy’s Yoga
Houghs Neck Congregational Church – lower level
Resuming Tuesday, September 24, 2024,1:00 – 2:00 (and each Tuesday after)
Cost $5 per session
Let’s Get Moving – Even if you think you can’t
Eldy’s yoga was developed specifically for those over 50 or those with joint issues who might find other forms of exercise difficult. The sessions can be done entirely from a seated position or can be done standing and seated (no poses that require you to be on the floor). You will learn to coordinate your breath and movement. You will also increase your strength and flexibility. If this sounds right for you please join us with our certified yoga instructor, Linda Beck. Hope to see you there. Namaste.
Houghs Neck Congregational Church – lower level
Resuming Tuesday, September 24, 2024,1:00 – 2:00 (and each Tuesday after)
Cost $5 per session
Let’s Get Moving – Even if you think you can’t
Eldy’s yoga was developed specifically for those over 50 or those with joint issues who might find other forms of exercise difficult. The sessions can be done entirely from a seated position or can be done standing and seated (no poses that require you to be on the floor). You will learn to coordinate your breath and movement. You will also increase your strength and flexibility. If this sounds right for you please join us with our certified yoga instructor, Linda Beck. Hope to see you there. Namaste.
Bible, Brews & Qs - 9-10AM
On break until September
On break until September
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Gather for a midweek pick me up. Bible for inspiration, Brewed coffee and the Questions we all wrestle with.
Reading prep: Mark, Chapter 15 To join via ZOOM, please contact us at (617) 479-8778 or [email protected] Houghs Neck Congregational Church (Coffee Room) 310 Manet Avenue Quincy, MA 02169 |
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