Our values
Mission
Christ Church is a spiritual, inclusive, welcoming, multi-generational community, seeking to strengthen our connectedness to God and our neighbor. We celebrate a traditional liturgy in an informal environment. We provide generous hospitality, serving as a beacon of Christian love and witness to the Medway area community.
About Us
Who we are
About Christ Church
Christ Church is a family-focused Episcopal church located in Medway, MA, about 25 miles west of Boston. Our members come from diverse faiths and backgrounds and we welcome that diversity.
Christ Church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Our parish is rich in the heritage and tradition of the Episcopal Church and also reflects today's world. We respect individual thought and reason as we meditate together upon Christian Scripture and seek to live lives full of worship and joy.
A glimpse through time
History
Christ Church is a spiritual, inclusive, welcoming, multi-generational community, seeking to strengthen our connectedness to God and
Christ Church began in 1865 as St. Clement's Church when several area communities worked together to build an Episcopal church. The church prospered until Sunday, February 5, 1871 when, on the coldest day of the year, an overheated furnace caused the church to burn down in a matter of minutes.
The beautiful historic stone structure was built over the next decade by a particularly talented local stone mason and veteran of the Union Army named Elmer Videtto. The parish was renamed Christ Church. The first service was held on Christmas Eve, 1881. The Parish House adjoining the church, named after Mary Croswell, was built from the same local stones and completed on April 25, 1899. The hall provides a large meeting space, a kitchen, a stage, offices and classrooms.
Throughout the years, the structures have undergone renovations (mostly recently new heating and cooling in 2017 and a remodeled kitchen in 2018). The church population has alternatively grown and declined but has always shown the same faith and resilience it showed when it rebuilt itself after the fire.
our neighbor. We celebrate a traditional liturgy in an informal environment. We provide generous hospitality, serving as a beacon of Christian love and witness to the Medway area community.
We experienced tremendous growth in the 1990's and our first female priest, the Rev. Margaret Quill, also came to be our first full-time priest. Today we boast an energetic, tight-knit community of members–spanning the generations–who are dedicated to growing the church's presence in our community and welcoming more people to join us in worship and service.
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FAQs
Absolutely. Jesus is the host for the sacred meal we call Holy Communion and he welcomes all his brothers and sisters to the table, regardless of their denominational background or affiliation.
Baptism is the principal rite of initiation into the Christian community. So baptism is generally the first step, followed by the other sacraments.
You make that decision as a parent. Some parents want their children to receive Communion as soon as they are able to come to the altar rail and receive. Others prefer to wait until their children have received Communion instruction, which is offered in Sunday school. Children who are not yet receiving Communion may come to the altar to receive a blessing. Like adults, children should be baptized before receiving communion. If you are unsure about your own preferences in the matter, or would like to explore baptism for your child, speak with the Rector.
If you have chosen to make our church your spiritual home, simply speak to the Priest about scheduling a date for baptism. Baptism is especially appropriate on the feast days of All Saints (the first Sunday in November), the Baptism of our Lord (the second Sunday in January), Pentecost (usually in mid-May), and at the Easter Vigil (the night before Easter Sunday). Unless you have a special family circumstance, the Priest will ask you to choose one of these days for the baptism. Click here for Baptism form.
Absolutely! Blessings on your engagement! We are glad you are seeking out a church wedding to have God part of your special day. You and your future spouse need and deserve the support of the Christian community in your married life. Thus we suggest that in seeking out a church wedding, you are also making a commitment to regular church attendance and involvement. Christ Episcopal Church, in accordance with the policies of the Episcopal Church in Massachusetts, is inclusive in offering the Sacrament of Marriage to couples, regardless of gender.
To prepare for your wedding, the Priest will meet with you three or four times to discuss Christian marriage, your relationship, and to plan your service. Click here for more information and forms.
Of course you can. The Episcopal Church recognizes that some marriages do not work out. The Church mourns with you, but welcomes you to Communion as part of your healing and growth.
Please come to our church services and participate in the activities we have to offer. When you feel ready, you may ask for your membership to be transferred (if you have come to us from another Episcopal Church). You may also want to consider being Confirmed or received into the Episcopal Church. Whether or not your membership is formally recorded with us, you are invited to participate in all aspects of our parish life.
They are similar. Some parts, in fact, are identical. However, we are part of the worldwide Anglican Communion - the group of Churches whose traditions and history are in accord with the Church of England. We have some doctrinal differences with the Roman Church. But in many ways our basic structure, order, liturgy and spiritual life are indeed very similar to the Roman Catholic Church.
The Episcopal Church is both Protestant and Catholic. Our history sets us apart from the Roman Church in that we are the result of a thorough-going reform movement that spread across Europe, beginning in the 16th century. Our traditions and liturgy, however, are mostly more ancient than those of most Protestant churches. An excellent way to put a label on the Episcopal Church is to think of us as a bridge church between the two great traditions, practicing what we believe to be the best of both.
Christ Episcopal Church is incorporated as part of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, which consists of 200 parishes in eastern Massachusetts. The members of each Episcopal parish elect a group of lay persons to the Vestry, which is like a Board of Directors. The Vestry controls the operation and finances of the parish and makes the day-to-day decisions needed to carry on the mission of the congregation. The Rector is elected by the Vestry and, as the pastor and priest, has authority over the worship and spiritual life of the congregation. Each January, an annual meeting is held to elect the Vestry and hear reports on the operation of the church in the past year. Occasionally, major decisions that go beyond the scope of the Vestry's responsibility are also made at this meeting. It is open to all members, 16 years of age or older, who are worshippers and contributors of record.
Click here to learn more about the Episcopal Church