On a quiet block in Groveland, Massachusetts, the steeple of the Groveland Congregational Church has been marking the hours for the town since 1795, when patriot Paul Revere cast its bell - the eleventh he poured and the oldest of his bells still ringing in continuous service. The congregation that gathers beneath it stretches back even further, to June 17, 1726, when a group of men founded what was then the East Parish of Bradford. Nearly three centuries later, the church at 4 King Street remains an active parish, an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ, and a steady presence in the life of the surrounding Merrimack Valley community.
A Bell Cast by Paul Revere
The Revere bell is the church's most tangible link to its early chapters. Dedicated in 1795, it has rung from the steeple for more than two hundred years, and couples who marry in the sanctuary are invited to ring it as they depart. The building has seen additions and updates over the generations, but the bell, the congregation, and the tradition of New England self-governance remain at the center of its identity. Annual Meeting of the members still sets the church's policy each year, in keeping with the congregational polity that has shaped it since its founding. Annual reports back to 1969 are kept on file and remain accessible to members and visitors who want to trace the parish's recent history.
Worship on Sunday Mornings
Worship is held at 10:00 a.m. each Sunday. The service follows a traditional pattern rooted in the United Church of Christ, with prayer, scripture, preaching, congregational hymns, and choral music. Holy Communion is served on the first Sunday of every month, and the table is open to everyone who wishes to receive. Special services mark the liturgical year at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, and the church supplements the main Sunday schedule with reflective Taizé, Advent, and Lenten services. After worship, the congregation gathers in Fellowship Hall for coffee and conversation, occasionally accompanied by piano music from one of the members.
For those who cannot attend in person, the service is livestreamed each week on Facebook Live and posted afterward to the church's YouTube channel. The video archive means members who are traveling, homebound, or simply curious about a past service can watch at their convenience.
Music as a Cornerstone
Music has long been described as a cornerstone of the church's ministry. The Senior Choir provides the core of the parish's sacred music, while the Chime Choir adds a distinctive, lighter layer to the worship year. Visiting musicians and soloists regularly bring additional texture to the program, and the annual Homecoming Brunch in September gives the congregation a chance to reconnect after the summer.
An Open and Affirming Congregation
On June 3, 2018, the congregation voted unanimously to adopt an Open and Affirming covenant and to seek recognition through the United Church of Christ Open and Affirming Coalition. The covenant, written in the form of a litany, names the church's pledge to welcome all people into the full life and ministry of the parish - across race, ethnicity, creed, class, culture, age, gender, family structure, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Members often summarize the conviction with the simple line: all people are beloved children of God. That commitment shapes not only the church's welcome at the door but also the way it talks about faith, community, and the wider world.
The Thrift Shop: A Small Store with a Large Impact
One of the most distinctive ministries of the Groveland Congregational Church is its volunteer-run Thrift Shop, which has been in continuous operation since 1979. Open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until noon, the shop sells gently used clothing and household goods donated by community members. A large drop-off bin outside the shop makes donating easy, and a small group of volunteers handles the rest.
The numbers tell the story: over its history, the Thrift Shop has directed more than $500,000 into programs that address homelessness and hunger in the surrounding area. The list of beneficiaries includes Emmaus House and Mitch's Place in Haverhill, Lazarus House in Lawrence, the Groveland Council on Aging, and Pettengill Place in Salisbury, along with several other local agencies. Shoppers get affordable goods, donors get a convenient place to pass on what they no longer need, and the broader community gets a steady stream of support - all from a small storefront staffed by church volunteers.
Perry Park Preschool
In the lower level of the church building, Perry Park Preschool has been serving Groveland families since 1977, with roots that reach back even further to a mothers' group started in 1941 and a kindergarten program that ran from 1947 until the state established public kindergarten three decades later. Today the preschool runs Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., with families choosing two, three, or four mornings a week. An optional Lunch Bunch extends the day from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The program serves children ages 2.9 through 6 and is designed to be developmentally appropriate, with a balance of individual and group activities that nurture social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. Staff members are trained in CPR and First Aid, meet or exceed state qualifications, and take part in annual professional development. Director Marie McCall, who has been on staff for more than twenty years, oversees the program.
A Working Parsonage and an Active Pastor
The church is served by Pastor Rev. Donna Spencer Collins, who was formally installed on October 25, 2023, and who also serves as a chaplain with Care Dimensions Hospice. Her path to Groveland included work in daycare, religious education, praise-band worship leadership, prison ministry, pulpit supply across New England, and the founding of Phoenix Rising UCC before she was called to Groveland. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Regis College and a Master of Divinity from Andover Theological School, and is active on the alumni board of North Shore Community College.
Pastor Donna's weekly reflections - known as the Weekly Word - have become a regular feature of the church's life, exploring everything from scripture and stewardship to the theology of belonging. Her July 2023 column, written just after she and her wife Audrey moved into the parsonage, offered a meditation on memory, calling, and the unexpected signs that mark a pastoral journey.
Free Community Lunch and Other Regular Rhythms
On the second Saturday of every month, the church opens its doors for a free Community Lunch served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The meal is homemade, the welcome is open to anyone who walks in, and the seating is continuous, so guests can come and go as their schedule allows. The lunch is one of the most visible ways the congregation extends its Open and Affirming welcome beyond the membership.
Other regular rhythms include a Prayer Shawl Ministry, in which volunteers knit and crochet shawls that are then given to anyone in need of comfort; a Dementia Caregiver Support Group; and the Maddock Scholarship program, which assists the children and grandchildren of GCC members as they pursue post-secondary education. The Snowflake Fair, a two-day late-November event featuring more than twenty local vendors, a Country Store, a Cookie Walk, a jewelry table, and a Christmas sale from the Thrift Shop, draws visitors from well beyond the parish.
Weddings, Hall Rentals, and Community Use
Couples who want to be married in a historic New England church frequently choose Groveland Congregational, both for its setting and for the chance to ring the Revere bell as they leave. The sanctuary is used for weddings and funerals, and a recently updated Fellowship Hall, full kitchen, and Ladies Parlor are available to rent for showers, banquets, meetings, youth theater, scrapbooking events, blood drives, and family gatherings. Among the regular community users of the building are Boy Scout Troop 87 and Cub Scout Pack 113, along with the Red Cross blood drive.
What the Church Believes
The Groveland Congregational Church understands itself within the historic New England Congregational tradition and the wider United Church of Christ. The congregation acknowledges Jesus Christ as the sole head of the church and adheres to the traditional doctrine of the Trinity - God as Creator, Jesus as Son and Savior, and the Holy Spirit as Guide and Comforter. Members are called to live out their faith in the wider community, caring for those who are hungry, homeless, sick, imprisoned, or otherwise in need, and welcoming all who come through the doors.
From the ringing of the Revere bell to the hum of the Thrift Shop volunteers to the laughter in the preschool hallway, the Groveland Congregational Church carries three centuries of history into a ministry that remains rooted in the same town it has always called home.