Our Denomination: The United Church of Christ
We are part of the United Church of Christ, a community of faith that seeks to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. The UCC was founded in 1957 as the union of several different Christian traditions: from the beginning of our history, we were a church that affirmed the ideal that Christians did not always have to agree to live together in communion. Our motto—"that they may all be one"—is Jesus' prayer for the unity of the church. The UCC is one of the most diverse Christian churches in the United States.
The Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ is comprised of 432 congregations in Massachusetts. The Conference is divided into 11 associations, grouped roughly by geography. The Original Congregational Church is part of the Central Association, a group of 110 congregations in the central part of Massachusetts.
We maintain strong ties to two other churches in Wrentham: Trinity Episcopal Church and St. Mary's Catholic Church. Our yearly Vacation Bible School is run jointly with Trinity. Each year, we have an Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service with Trinity and St. Mary's, rotating the host church. In 1999 we began a new tradition, the Wrentham Ecumenical Choir Concert, where members of all three choirs come together and present 8-10 sacred selections to the public.
Who Attends?
Wrentham is a small community of about 10,000 people, located 50 minutes southwest of Boston, and 1/2 hour from Providence, RI. Our church has approximately 330 members, and many more friends and regular attendees. Members and friends come from many surrounding townships, including Foxboro, Walpole, Franklin, Bellingham, North Attleboro, and Norfolk, MA.
We have several thriving groups in many different age ranges, including both junior and senior high youth groups, the Young at Heart group which meets often for lunch, a new Gen-X youth group for young to middlin' adults, a prayer shawl ministry, the Kitchen Elves who meet to prepare meals for 10 church families as a 'hug', and our monthly Men's Breakfast held the first Saturday of the month at 7:30 AM. Our church attracts a wide variety of people with wide-ranging interests. We want to welcome you and are sure you will find a many opportunities to make friends, have fellowship, and serve the wider community and world.
How Decisions Get Made
Throughout 2005, OCC is experimenting with a new organizational structure designed to break us away from more rigid and redundant forms of church governance and programming. What we are referring to as "ReOrg" is a structure that requires less people at monthly meetings and invites more people to perform or contribute the specific tasks/skills/talents that interest them. In this structure, we no longer have "Boards" but "Teams"--bodies who are not tasked with making sure the "work gets done", but who are primarily responsible for connecting with people, identifying their interests, and finding ways to bring them into the life and activity of the church.
There is not yet a regular time these Teams meet. Much of the work is done over email and at more informal meetings. If you would like to get involved with a specific activity, or serve on a Hub, please contact the appropriate person listed above.
The Rev. Dr. Stephen Austin, Interim Senior Pastor
Sue Schwarm, Director of Christian Education
Coordinates our Sunday School program, trains and supports teachers, provides outreach to families.
Marge Kellner, Organist and Choir Director
Prepares a range of music options for worship; performs for the church on the organ, piano, and flute.
Heather Kent, Office Administrator
Manages the church office.
Bob & Sandy Cummings, Sextons
Carol Steinbrecher, Handbell Choir Director
Trevor Knott, Church Moderator
Joyce Long, Collector
Mary Williams, Treasurer
Nancy Sylvestre, Church Clerk