Seeking a church

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

I checked the Tags and didn't find churches mentioned...

My nephew is 19 and living in Somerville. He is a Christian and the son of a pastor. He's looking for a church in the Somerville/Cambridge/Boston areas. He is most familiar with the Assembly of God churches.

I can't help him out because I am only familiar with Unitarian Universalist and Episcopal churches. I don't recommend any of the ones I've attended.

He's also looking for a church that will have peeps his own age.


Thanking you in advance,
Abbey



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Comments

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Tagged. My guess is we slanted toward religion vs. churches in the interest of neutrality.

[ron_newman]

Yes, especially since some of the earliest 'religion' posts were about Jewish congregations and events.

What are 'peeps', and why do you think the UU or Episcopal churches would be a bad fit? (I don't know anything about the Assemblies of God, except that they once had a church on College Avenue, which they no longer occupy. It's some ethnic congregation now.)

A lot of folks here have some affiliation with First Congregational Church, a UCC congregation on College Avenue. Check them out and see if you like them.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

Yeah. They really seem to be much more conservative than most UCC congregations (it's important to note that the UCC is a congregational church, so individual churches can vary widely in their doctrine), and I doubt that someone who prefers the Assemblies of God would feel very comfortable at First Congregational, which seems quite liberal in my experience. Which suits me fine, of course, but I can see how some people would feel less comfortable there.

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

Would imagine OP means slanting toward a young congregation or has a strong ministry for that age group.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

Peeps = people

I just have a gut feeling he is not going to enjoy the UU churches nor the Episcopol churches I have tried. I didn't care for them either! If I did, I would be a regular member...

[arrowintwolakes.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm staunchly irreligious, but I can echo the UCC recommendation. It's what my family attends and when I've been suckered or otherwise coerced into church attendance I've liked the services. It's a very "New England" kind of denomination, has that town council, inclusive feel to it.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'll go look that up then...

[studeronomy.livejournal.com]

The Vineyard in Cambridge has a lot of young people, and is relatively similar to AoG. That's probably the closest to an AoG in this area. There are a few hipster churches in Boston that are Evangelical-Pentecostal, and similar to a lot of west coast AoGs: Reunion is the name of one that I know off the top of my head. It's a bit of a hike from Somerville, but might be worth checking out.

[ron_newman]

And here's a link: Vineyard Christian Fellowship. They're on Rindge Avenue in Cambridge, a short walk from Davis Square.

[studeronomy.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I probably should have included a link. And yeah, they're practically in Davis Square. Like most Vineyards, they lean to the right (theologically and politically), but they seemed friendly. I visited with a friend, and it was a fairly comfortable environment. And there's definitely a lot of college-aged kids.

[ron_newman]

And if the OP is curious how such a young congregation is in such an ornate old church building .... it used to belong to a French Catholic parish that closed a decade or so ago.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have been to this church but it's hard to get to by public transport. I enjoyed it so he might also.

[ron_newman]

I'm not sure if you're referring to Vineyard or Reunion, but Vineyard is very easy to reach on public transport. If this is the Reunion you're both referring to, they meet in a Back Bay hotel which is on the Green Line.

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

After a little digging on Google, I found this:

http://ma.citysquares.com/somerville/sullivan-square/religious-organizations/religious-services-organizations/world-revival-church-assembly-of-god

It's in the Sullivan Square area, which is accessible by the Orange Line, the 89 bus and other forms of public transit -- though I can't say how easy it'll be to get to from the station. I'm afraid I also can't tell you how this particular church is. Nevertheless, I hope this helps your nephew.

[ron_newman]

50 Inner Belt Road? That's in an industrial park! Short walk from Sullivan Square, but not an especially pleasant one.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

I live in Sullivan Square, in Somerville but my backyard is practically in Charlsetown. Duely noted!

[ron_newman]

And my sentence above was not intended as a slight against your residential area; my apologies if it appeared that way. But Inner Belt Road is a strange place for a religious congregation.

The 86 and 91 buses actually run closer to Inner Belt Road than the 89 does. (But they run to Harvard and Central squares, not to Davis.)

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

*bows* No offense taken...

[infinitemorning.livejournal.com]

I've so rarely had to go out to Sullivan (and mostly to catch bus or train connections, at that) that I'm really not familiar with the area at all. Completely relying on Google/CitySquares here.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :)

[ron_newman]

It looks to me like that's a primarily Brazilian congregation:

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/ouriel-de-jesus/

I know nothing about the web site I linked to above. The content of that page seems to be lifted from a now-deleted Wikipedia entry about the minister.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's all goood dude. ;-)

[ron_newman]

This 2004 Globe article appears relevant to that church as well: Lawsuit on Cape imperils thriving Brazilian chapel

My guess is that unless your nephew speaks Portuguese, this is probably not the church for him. Vineyard would probably be a better choice.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

He's only fluent in English as far as I know...

[annalauwa.livejournal.com]

i'd recommend he try out Highrock in arlington center. there are a lot of young people there, and i personally really enjoy it. it's an evangelical covenant denomination, of which there are a few in new england, but i doubt he will have heard of them.
plus we offer free food every single sunday! :)
if he's interested, the website is www.highrock.org .

[studeronomy.livejournal.com]

I forgot about this church. I had an Evangelical friend - former AoG - who attended there when he lived in Boston. Great church.

[ron_newman]

Another young congregation in an old building -- this one used to be a Greek Orthodox church.

[ifotismeni]

it wasn't originally a greek orthodox church. it was some other denomination beforehand.

[ron_newman]

I didn't know that.

[studeronomy.livejournal.com]

Wow, it could've fooled me. That's the most Greek Orthodox-looking non-Greek Orthodox church I've ever seen!

[ifotismeni]

haha, not really though. the architecture is nothing like a proper greek orthodox church. st. athanasios has never had its own proper building, right now it's in a former catholic church a little further up mass ave.

[studeronomy.livejournal.com]

I guess it was just the colors that fooled me! It's a pretty building.

[moireach.livejournal.com]

Park Street Church has a lot of young people, I hear. My roommate likes it.

[anomie666.livejournal.com]

I can't really help the OP, but I can say I am very pleased with the helpful comments. At first I thought this was posted on b0st0n and was preparing for something that didn't occur.

If i were religious....

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

I'd start my own Church.

Re: If i were religious....

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

My nephew might like that idea...

[heliopsis.livejournal.com]

I'm a member of the First Congregational Church of Somerville. We are indeed theologically liberal, but firmly grounded in the Bible. There are lots of young people in the congregation, and we're certainly convenient to Davis Square. While the Assembly of God is typically more conservative, it's firmly in the Congregational tradition. He might find FCS quite comfortable. I'd certainly recommend that he come give us a try. Services are at 10 on Sundays.

assemblies of God

[catswym.livejournal.com]

Boston Harbor Community Church in the North End is and AoG church. It used to be called Boston Worship Center back when I went. I haven't been in years but I know folks who still go.

It definitely has a large young person contingent, lots of college and just post college age people.

There is also Four Square church in Harvard Square that I know of (and know folks who go to) called Grace Street. That church is primarily young folks.

Re: assemblies of God

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

I really appreciate this! I have been forwarding these to my nephew so hopefully he'll find a church that is home to him.

Thanks!

Re: assemblies of God

[ron_newman]

Oh, that's what that church is on a tiny side street in the North End? I've been walking by it for four years and had no idea what it was, other than that it wasn't Catholic like everything else in the neighborhood. Since I'm never around there on Sundays, I've never seen anyone go in or out of the building.

Now that I know the proper name of it, I can throw in a link: Boston Harbor Community Church

Their website says they purchased the building in 1985, so I'm curious what it was before.

[ron_newman]

I don't know much about Hope Fellowship Church other than that they do good work around here feeding the homeless, but check them out. They're at Beech and Orchard streets.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

Thanks!