Much more than a building — it's a place of fellowship, solace & contemplation!
Easter, May 5, 2024 - Worship 10:00 AM (In person or via ZOOM)
Sermon: The Easiest Commandment is the Hardest - Kathleen Reed, Pastor To join via ZOOM, please contact us at (617) 479-8778 or hncc@comcast.net |
Houghs Neck Congregational Church (UCC)
310 Manet Avenue Quincy, MA 02169 (617) 479-8778 Parking & Directions |
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
May 2024
In the month of May, motherhood gets a lot of attention. Expanding our circle of gratitude to include all of any gender whose nurturing care reflects qualities conventionally deemed “motherly” is also only fair. Here I take my lead from the many biblical voices who praise the “maternal” qualities of The Almighty. For example, “Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them asunder…” Hosea 13:8; and “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem…” Isaiah 66:13. As the daughter of a single mother, I can especially relate to biblical images of maternal ferocity. My mother, divorced with two daughters to raise in the 1950’s and ‘60’s, had a tough row to hoe. Thankfully, she had a gift for assembling the perfect team that would have her maternal back when the chips were down.
Two of the most memorable members of Team-Momma were a babysitter and a grandmother, both of whom had auburn hair. I’ve come to think of them as my “red-headed saints,” and in honor of their motherly care, I offer the following tribute:
With auburn hair and Presbyterian chutzpah,
Beulah ruled the one-room schoolhouse when she was seventeen.
By the time we got together her hair had taken to turning colors--
Silver, blue, and sometimes purple.
She was a first-grade teacher.
By tasting the letters she taught her children how to read,
Showing them ways to shape their mouths according to the flavors,
Ways to breathe their lives.
Beulah was my mother’s mother and made me promise
To never name a baby Beulah.
On Saturday night when I was three
Beyerlein (rhymes with fire-time) came to baby-sit,
Her hair still the same rocket-flare red
As when she played piano for Sally Rand.
Beyerlein like to say that she would have been a fan-dancer herself
Only God didn’t make the birds with feathers big enough.
Beyerlein did dance with me
To the champagne music of Lawrence Welk.
The trick to dancing, she would say, is to
Wiggle your hips without wiggling the rest.
She could. I tried.
When Beyerlein died the next year, my mother told me
That she had been eighty-two years old,
A Catholic who walked two miles to Mass every morning,
And her first name was Grace.
For both my red-headed saints
I give thanks to our Mothering Creator and pray:
By the lips of Beulah and the hips of Grace,
May every child be schooled in freedom
to dance and wiggle and smack their lips
while sounding out their words.
May blessings!
Pastor Kathleen
May 2024
In the month of May, motherhood gets a lot of attention. Expanding our circle of gratitude to include all of any gender whose nurturing care reflects qualities conventionally deemed “motherly” is also only fair. Here I take my lead from the many biblical voices who praise the “maternal” qualities of The Almighty. For example, “Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them asunder…” Hosea 13:8; and “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem…” Isaiah 66:13. As the daughter of a single mother, I can especially relate to biblical images of maternal ferocity. My mother, divorced with two daughters to raise in the 1950’s and ‘60’s, had a tough row to hoe. Thankfully, she had a gift for assembling the perfect team that would have her maternal back when the chips were down.
Two of the most memorable members of Team-Momma were a babysitter and a grandmother, both of whom had auburn hair. I’ve come to think of them as my “red-headed saints,” and in honor of their motherly care, I offer the following tribute:
With auburn hair and Presbyterian chutzpah,
Beulah ruled the one-room schoolhouse when she was seventeen.
By the time we got together her hair had taken to turning colors--
Silver, blue, and sometimes purple.
She was a first-grade teacher.
By tasting the letters she taught her children how to read,
Showing them ways to shape their mouths according to the flavors,
Ways to breathe their lives.
Beulah was my mother’s mother and made me promise
To never name a baby Beulah.
On Saturday night when I was three
Beyerlein (rhymes with fire-time) came to baby-sit,
Her hair still the same rocket-flare red
As when she played piano for Sally Rand.
Beyerlein like to say that she would have been a fan-dancer herself
Only God didn’t make the birds with feathers big enough.
Beyerlein did dance with me
To the champagne music of Lawrence Welk.
The trick to dancing, she would say, is to
Wiggle your hips without wiggling the rest.
She could. I tried.
When Beyerlein died the next year, my mother told me
That she had been eighty-two years old,
A Catholic who walked two miles to Mass every morning,
And her first name was Grace.
For both my red-headed saints
I give thanks to our Mothering Creator and pray:
By the lips of Beulah and the hips of Grace,
May every child be schooled in freedom
to dance and wiggle and smack their lips
while sounding out their words.
May blessings!
Pastor Kathleen
upcoming events in the life of our church
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.
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.
Bible, Brews & Qs - April 31, 2024 9-10AM
Gather for a midweek pick me up. Bible for inspiration, Brewed coffee and the Questions we all wrestle with.
Reading prep: Mark, Chapter 10 To join via ZOOM, please contact us at (617) 479-8778 or hncc@comcast.net Houghs Neck Congregational Church (Coffee Room) 310 Manet Avenue Quincy, MA 02169 |
Houghs Neck 1890s
May 16, 2024
Sponsored by the Seaside Social Club of the Houghs Neck Congregational Church
Presented by Patti Williams
During the 1890s Houghs Neck continued to develop into a desirable seaside community. The Manet Land Associates developed hundreds of residential house lots and the Manet Street Railway brought a new way for people to get here. Illuminations and Shipbreaking continued. New hotels opened. The first Catholic church opened. In 1895 water pipes were installed and in 1899 electricity came to Houghs Neck.
May 16, 2024
Sponsored by the Seaside Social Club of the Houghs Neck Congregational Church
Presented by Patti Williams
During the 1890s Houghs Neck continued to develop into a desirable seaside community. The Manet Land Associates developed hundreds of residential house lots and the Manet Street Railway brought a new way for people to get here. Illuminations and Shipbreaking continued. New hotels opened. The first Catholic church opened. In 1895 water pipes were installed and in 1899 electricity came to Houghs Neck.
2024 Houghs Neck History Talk Series
Seaside Social Club – May 14
Tracing your Family Tree
Houghs Neck Congregational Church
310 Manet Ave., Quincy
The Seaside Social Club of the Houghs Neck Congregational Church will meet on May14, 2024. We are pleased to welcome Mike Brophy, of Brophy Genealogy and Heir Searching as our guest speaker at 7:00 for our program “Tracing Your Family Tree.” Michael Brophy is a nationally known, professional genealogical researcher, heir search specialist, and lecturer from the Boston area. Mike was featured on the TV series Who Do You Think You Are? and the Irish TV series Dead Money, a genealogy show about heir searchers. Mr. Brophy was hired to conduct research for Ancestry.com. and several historical authors. This lecture covers the basics of starting out in the search of one’s ancestry. Topics to be covered are first why do we study our ancestry and what makes it so compelling? Basic methodology will be explained along with the first steps to beginning research. Record sources such as vital records (birth, marriage, death) will be explored along with census, passenger lists, naturalizations, and cemeteries. Examples will be given with noteworthy and common people from various time periods and ethnic groups. Recent advances in the field such as DNA and the internet with popular websites will be discussed. This program is free and open to the public.
Club members will meet in the sanctuary at 6:15 for the installation of the officers for the coming year, followed by a brief business meeting.
HOUGHS NECK CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
2024 ballot
Election Meeting April 28, 2024 following service
All Terms 6/1/2024 to 5/31/2027 except where noted
Office Nominee
Sunday School Superintendent on hold
Deacons: Ralph Jacobs
Vacant
Vacant term ending 5/31/25.
Deaconesses: Maureen Flores
Ruth Gamble
Vacant term ending 5/31/26
Board of Christian Education Gail Jacobs
Board of Trustees Tom Hawes
Joe Flores
Harry Olson
Board of Finance and Investment Gayle Mackay
Council Members at Large Joe Flores
Communication Committee Gayle Mackay
Vacant
Board of Mission Gayle Mackay
DELEGATES one year term through 5/31/2025
Southern New England Conference Maureen and Joseph Flores
Interfaith Social Services Ralph Jacobs
Vacancy
Submitted by Nominating Committee:
Gayle Mackay, Maureen Flores, Christine Keating
2024 ballot
Election Meeting April 28, 2024 following service
All Terms 6/1/2024 to 5/31/2027 except where noted
Office Nominee
Sunday School Superintendent on hold
Deacons: Ralph Jacobs
Vacant
Vacant term ending 5/31/25.
Deaconesses: Maureen Flores
Ruth Gamble
Vacant term ending 5/31/26
Board of Christian Education Gail Jacobs
Board of Trustees Tom Hawes
Joe Flores
Harry Olson
Board of Finance and Investment Gayle Mackay
Council Members at Large Joe Flores
Communication Committee Gayle Mackay
Vacant
Board of Mission Gayle Mackay
DELEGATES one year term through 5/31/2025
Southern New England Conference Maureen and Joseph Flores
Interfaith Social Services Ralph Jacobs
Vacancy
Submitted by Nominating Committee:
Gayle Mackay, Maureen Flores, Christine Keating