Eliot Church Prepares for 150th Birthdays
It can be difficult to mark the birthday of Eliot Presbyterian Church. The obvious choice might be May 1, 1955, when the First Presbyterian Church and the Eliot-Union Congregational Church merged to form Eliot Presbyterian Church. Or, you could go back another eighty years, to July 1, 1874, when the cornerstone of Eliot Congregational Church was dedicated on the hilltop where John Eliot had long ago preached and taught among the Penacook tribe. Or, you could look back even further to June 23, 1869, when the First Presbyterian Church of Lowell was established with 56 charter members.
No matter how you mark the date, Eliot Presbyterian Church has some significant milestones coming up. Next year we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Presbyterian church in Lowell. Five years later, in 2024, we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of our building at 273 Summer St.
The technological revolution that is shaping our world today is every bit as significant as the changes of the industrial revolution that gave birth to Lowell and Eliot Church. We cannot expect that ministry will look the same tomorrow as it did yesterday. But we can trust that God is as faithful and active now as ever. As we celebrate 150+ years of ministry, we must also seek God’s guidance for the next 150 years.
The Session has already begun thinking about the past as well as the future:
- Joyce Hughes is chairing a History Team to tell the story of Eliot’s roots, including the roots of our multi-culturalism.
- Khien Nkimbeng is chairing a Celebration Team to plan celebratory events related to these significant milestones. Get ready to party from 2019 to 2024!
- The Session has begun Visioning Work to listen and discern what God might have in store for our future.
- Lori Hoffman is leading a Prayer Team to support this work with prayer.
- As our vision becomes clear, we may also look to develop a Fundraising Team to support our future ministry.
I encourage you to get involved in any of these areas.
I do not know yet where all of this will lead, but I am hopeful that the five-year period between our 150th birthdays will be a rich season of remembrance, celebration, prayer, hope, and growth. I am confident that God who has blessed Eliot Church richly in the past will use us to be a blessing in the future.