Eliot Presbyterian Church | Lowell, MA

Presbyterian Church in Lowell, MA

News

This Old Church: Winter 2018

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Our busy summer of 2017 has been replaced with a busy winter in 2018.

Phase one of the kitchen floor replacement is complete. Charly expects to start on phase two in the spring. This is no small project in scope and how to best fix the floor problem. We thank Charly for taking on this difficult task.

A new art and picture hanging system has been installed in the library to display paintings and photos. The system includes tracks, cables, and tamper-proof hooks. The display area includes four walls in the room. Look carefully and you can see the tracks installed abutting the ceiling. Our first use of the new system has been the exhibit Images of Haiti through the Canvas and the Lens in March.

Two pot-cover racks have been installed in the kitchen to reduce the clutter in our storage areas for pots and pans. Let us know your opinion as to how well they work.

The handicap bathroom has previously had a vent fan and light which were individually switched, and as a result the fan was rarely used and/or was left on. The light and fan are now on a single switch which will turn both on or off. This will hopefully improve the ventilation in the room.

Chair tips are being installed on all of our folding chairs to cut down wear on floors and carpets, especially on the recently refinished floors on the first floor. About 80 chairs remain to have new tips installed.


Our flags of nations have been moved to the Olney hall to make the hallways less cluttered and more attractive. Thanks to Lori for flag ID labels under each flag, and for creating a great display, which includes a map with country locations indicated and a few facts about each nation. The display is located on a bulletin board outside the kitchen area. If you know some better information about your own country that can be put on the display, send a note to the office and an update will be made.
You have probably heard about the significant problem we have had recently with the handicap bathroom toilet being clogged. Charly has used his power cable and tips several times to clear the pipe, but with no long-lasting solution. We finally called Roto Rooter in to insert a camera in the pipe, which found a tampon stuck in an elbow. This was removed, and the problem solved. The importance of not flushing foreign material down any toilet cannot be overemphasized. Rose and Walter Bronk have provided us with a new receptacle for used tampons, which has been installed in the bathroom. Hopefully, this will significantly reduce the toilet clogging.

Thanks to all who participated in our activities and helped out in any way. It is much appreciated in caring for This Old Church.

Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future

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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.