Every August we pack 100+ brown-bag lunches for Boston’s unhoused and deliver them to Boston Common. This year we’ll be visiting the Common on August 30.
Help pack lunches during church that morning from 10-11 AM or if you’re interested, join a group that will go into the city at about 11:30 AM (likely you’ll be back in Reading by 3 PM).
Contact Rev. Emelia if you are interested in serving lunch so we can coordinate our carpool!
Use the link below to sign up to donate supplies.
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Have you been wondering how you can add your talents to the Faire this summer?
Join one or all of our crafting mornings and help make four different crafts to sell at the Farm Stand.
Come to all of them, or just drop in whenever you can! All materials will be provided, but please bring scissors if you have them.
Reach out to the church office at 781-944-0205 or office@churchofreading.org with any questions.
Hope to see you there!
P.S. Remember to save the date for this year’s Old Redding Faire: Saturday, September 26!
Can you believe that it is TEN (10) weeks to the Olde Redding Faire and Silent Auction? Even though we are in full-on summer mode (what books are you reading at the beach?) your friends on the silent auction committee are working to gather some terrific items for the auction.
What kinds of things sold well in previous auctions?
Handmade items were a BIG hit at last year’s auction. If you have a skill to share and are willing to give what you make to the silent auction that would be a true gift! What kinds of things had a lot of bids (and disappointed bidders) were things like:
Your creativity can do something special for our church and community. Wouldn’t it be relaxing to create something during the summer that can benefit our church and our neighbors here in Reading?
Please use the link below to list your item for the Silent Auction. Thank you for sharing your creative gifts!
Throughout the summer you are invited to join a constellation — a small group gathering — where you will have an opportunity to get to know others in the church a little bit better and share in conversation about what you value in our community of faith.
These constellations are an opportunity for us to explore these interconnected realities, build new connections, and discover what makes our church unique. We’re hoping everyone can have a chance to attend one.
They will be held July, August, and September on different days, times, and locations (some will be held in the backyard of a church member’s house, others in the church parlor).
Sign up for a date you’d like to attend!
Mission Ministry is ramping up to assemble kits for Church World Service to distribute to children in the US and beyond. Last year we filled 62 bags. Thank you to all who donated!
Please note that specific sizes are requested for uniformity.
The wonderful sewing group is making needed cloth bags to augment supplies.
You can provide all items for a kit or any quantity of individual components.
Shopping for items can be a fun way to feel like you are providing resources for a child.
Not a shopper? Funds to cover costs of items (approximately $15 per bag at full price) and shipping (over $100.) You may donate by check or click here to donate online. Be sure to select “Give to CWS School Kits” from the dropdown menu.
Staples often has great sales on many of the needed items. Other summer back-to-school sales will follow in July and August.
Donations can be dropped off at the church office Tuesday-Thursday, 10am-1pm, or on Sundays in the sanctuary collection area.
We plan to assemble the kits in church in early September.
Thank you for joining this worthy project.
These intergenerational Sundays might feel a little more like camp and less like church — but it’s all worship-FULL! Each Sunday will feature prayer, music, and activities for all ages. You’ll want to make sure these Sundays are saved into your calendar.
On August 30 we’ll transform the Sanctuary into a giant assembly line to make 100+ bagged lunches for Common Cathedral and volunteers are needed to bring them to Boston Common after church.
Our church sponsored book group meets on the first Tuesday of the month on Zoom. It’s always a great discussion, and we welcome new folks. Reach out to the church office if you would like to join us.
We will take a break for July and August. Our September book is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.
Here are the books we read and discussed during the 2025-2026 year:
June – The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, a novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and a life-altering bond.
May – Abundance, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, a nonfiction work examining the reasons behind the lack of progress in the US on such things as affordable housing, infrastructure, and climate change.
April – Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks – a novel loosely based on a real village in England in 1665 and 1666, which, encouraged by a passionate minister, isolated itself from the surrounding area to prevent spread of bubonic plague, and which follows the development of housemaid Anna Frith into a heroine in the midst of catastrophic events.
March – The Jackal’s Mistress: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian, inspired by a real-life friendship across enemy lines, an historical novel about the wife of a missing Confederate soldier who risks all to save the life of a stranger, a wounded Union soldier.
February – The Sinners All Bow by Kate Winkler Dawson, in which the author reconstructs and attempts to finish the true crime investigation into the death in Fall River, Mass. of a young woman begun by Catharine Williams in the 1830s, the conclusions of which were likely influenced by wealthy mill owners as well as America’s burgeoning evangelical religious movements.
January – The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance by Edmund de Waal, a renowned ceramicist and the fifth generation to inherit a collection of 264 exquisite wood and ivory netsuke, saved by a loyal housemaid and all that remained of the vast fortune of the Ephrussis, a grand banking family in 19th Century Paris and Vienna society, after the Nazis imprisoned or scattered the family and confiscated all their wealth, books, art, and properties.
December – Table for Two by Amor Towles. Amor Towles, a favorite author whose works include A Gentleman in Moscow, wrote this collection of short historical fiction pieces, including a novella which is a continuation of Rules of Civility.
November – Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg, on the art and science of successful communication – techniques we can master to successfully connect with others even in difficult circumstances.
October –The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain combined with the Pulitzer Prize winning James by Percival Everett. James is a re-imagining of the Huckleberry Finn tale, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view, highlighting his agency, intelligence, and compassion.…
Join us for a facilitated conversation about “what we learned” during Rev. Emelia’s sabbatical last Fall. Everyone is invited to visit coffee hour and then join others in the parlor for a brief discussion about the opportunities and lessons learned from this experience.
As our music ministries take a break for summer, we rely on our talented musicians for “special music.” Can you play one or two songs on an instrument or sing a solo? Sign up in the Music Room. Need help selecting music? Contact Rev. Chad.
Get involved and join one of our groups. Drop in or reach out ahead to learn more.
Yarning to Care meets Monday, June 1, (rescheduled due to Memorial Day) and also Monday, June 29, at 1 PM in the Parlor.
Bible on Tap meets Monday, June 1 at 7 PM at Bunratty Tavern. This summer we’ll be exploring the theme “That’s Not in the Bible!” considering phrases we think are biblical, but aren’t (and what the Bible actually says instead!).
Book Group meets Tuesday, June 2 at 7:30 PM on Zoom to discuss The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong.
Let’s Talk meets on Tuesday, June 9 at 1:30 PM in the Parlor. This month, we’ll be talking with a special guest from the Reading Mosque.
Women ‘N Stitches meets on Tuesday, June 9 at 7:15 PM in Room 17.
To learn more about these groups reach out to the church office at office@churchofreading.org or 781-944-0205…