[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
For everything there is a time and a season, and First Parish of Westwood, United Church is excited to announce that the time for building their long-awaited addition has finally arrived.
Extending off the back of its historic Meeting House on Nahatan Street, this addition will create new spaces for education, worship, fellowship, administration and community use.
With a unanimous vote on Sunday, March 20, the congregation made their hopes and visions for the future extend to a bold new reality.
“This moment is filled with good news,” said Pastor Christopher Dodge. “We have walked a thoughtful, prayerful, deliberate and persistent path, always looking toward the future of our beloved church community. Seeds were planted by the work of many before us. Now, we are acting boldly for the future of First Parish.”
The church will hire Curtis Construction Company, Inc. of Canton to build its inviting, energy efficient, fully accessible, two story addition, complete with spaces for education, fellowship, administration and worship. As it has in the past, First Parish also expects to offer its space for community use.
This exciting and historic time in the life of the congregation is the culmination of many years and countless hours of preparation, planning and prayer.
The journey to faithfully consider the future of First Parish began in earnest in 2010. The church made decisions to relinquish buildings, sell land, and raise funds, all to fulfill their vision of having all activities on one side of the street, connected to their Meeting House.
Once the decision was made to build an addition, parishioner Brian Bayer shared his gifts as an architect by initiating a design concept that synthesized both the needs and the wishes of the congregation. The design was further refined upon the hiring of the Quincy architectural firm Holmes and Edwards.
At the same time a capital campaign took place, with an overwhelming response. The faith-filled generosity and participation of so many was quite inspiring, with pledges and gifts surpassing the church’s goal by over $200,000.
Although first-round construction bids were higher than expected, additional funds from the sale of unused land to the Town of Westwood, reasonable construction reductions, and a successful re-bid process enabled the project to meet the needs and financial position of the church.
“Like any journey, this process never promised to be quick and easy,” said Church Moderator Brian Bayer. “Although we have experienced some healthy anxiety in the process, we also have seen so much beauty and joy. We have been blessed by the generosity of many people with time, talent and treasure. We have also been blessed with the prayerful guidance, patience and support of our congregation. Throughout, we have seen and experienced the amazing joy of community and the ongoing wonders of our shared hope and faith.”
Rev. Dodge also has seen many blessings unfold as the congregation walked this path.
“With faithful, patient, and courageous steps in this journey already bearing many blessings, surely the promise is for more to come. We offer our greatest thanks to the God who calls us into the future and guides us on our way.”
A Ground Breaking Celebration is being planned for Saturday, May 21 at 4 p.m.
First Parish hopes that the wider community will join them as they look forward to new spaces that will help their mission of “growing faith, sharing love, and grounding lives”.
First Parish of Westwood, United Church is a congregation of the United Church of Christ. Please visit their website at www.firstparishwestwood.org for more information about this project, including ways to support it in the months to come.
