Welcome to South Acton Church

Join us for worship!

Sunday at 10:30am in the sanctuary and on Zoom

All are welcome!

 

Worship with Us

Join us for worship!

Sunday at 10:30am in the sanctuary and on Zoom

All are welcome!

 

 

Welcome to South Acton Church

Join us for worship!

Sunday at 10:30am in the sanctuary and on Zoom

All are welcome!

 

 

You’re Welcome Here.
Seriously.

Welcome! Welcome. We are glad you stopped by. We are the church who believe that you are loved and valued exactly as you are. We mean it. When you come to South Acton Church, come as you are and bring your full self. We are excited to meet you and share how God is working in us and in our church.

 

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Discover what to expect

Here’s what to expect.

Where are you located?

We are located at 35 School Street between the South Acton Fire Station and the South Acton Commuter Rail.

Where do I park?

There are two easy options: 1) Park in the small lot on School Street. It is only one building away from our front doors. 2) Park behind the South Acton Fire Station off School Street. It is a quick, 3 minute walk to our front doors. Handicapped parking is available on the street directly in front of the church. 

What is the service like?

We have two worship services each Sunday. Our Zoon worship service begins at 9:00am, and our sanctuary worship service begins at 10:30am. Our services blend traditional elements with new ideas. Services include elements of music, scripture, and prayer. We are a pretty casual group, so don’t worry about what to wear or what to do. Just show up as you are and open your heart to our God. 

Must I be a member of South Acton Church to partake in Holy Communion?

No! We believe the Communion table is the table of Christ. Everyone is welcome at Christ’s table. A couple of notes: 1) Gluten free wafers are available, and 2) We always offer red wine and white grape juice. You are free to pick the best option for you. 

How early should I arrive for service?

Arriving 10 – 15 minutes prior to the start of the service will give you an opportunity to park, drop young children off at the nursery – if desired – and grab a cup of coffee before you find your seat in the Sanctuary. 

Are Kids Welcome?

ABSOLUTELY! We love kids at South Acton Church.  Children are always welcome in the Sanctuary with their adult(s).  We also offer an exciting, intergenerational Sunday School Program for children age 4 years through 8th grade. Children begin the worship service with their adult(s) and are invited to Sunday School following the Children’s Message. During the Summer and on Intergenerational Sundays, children remain in worship. 

If your child wants to stay through the duration of the service, s/he is absolutely welcome. On the left hand side of the Sanctuary, we have a children’s area with coloring pages and art supplies.

Nursery care is also available for infants and toddlers starting 10 minutes before the service starts.

 

just for kids

Kids are always welcome at South Acton Church!

We all develop faith inside community. Learning about the faith of others helps our own faith grow. At South Acton Church, we are all teachers and all learners – no matter our age. Children are invited to participate in our weekly, intergenerational Sunday School. Younger kids concentrate on learning the stories of our faith. Older Kids and Tweens take the next step of engaging our faith stories while exploring some of their core, burning questions. Additionally, we frame studies around the liturgical seasons of Christmas and Easter. 

Nursery care

We are happy to provide nursery care for newborns through age 4. Our nursery care is provided by a paid and trained staff member who is aided by a rotating team of reliable volunteers, many of them are parents and grandparents. All children are always welcome in worship!

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sunday school

Children 4 years old and older are invited to participate in Sunday School. We have two mixed-aged classes. Younger kids concentrate learning the stories of our faith. Older kids and tweens take the next step of engaging our faith stories while exploring some of their core, burning questions.

 

kids in worship

We also welcome and love to have kids in worship. We want kids to feel at home in worship and believe a noisy, active sanctuary is a sign of life. So don’t worry about your kids remaining absolutely silent. We aren’t that type of church. 

 

worship with us

Worship is central to our life at South Acton Church. It is an important Spiritual Practice that reminds us that life and faith exist in community. We gather together, exhale and release all we have been carrying, and remember that God is with us! Worship reminds us that we are the body of Christ, both when we gather together and when we take that love into our ordinary lives. South Acton Church brings together people from the many diverse Christian traditions and some who aren’t quite sure what they call themselves. 

 

The Sacrament of Holy Communion 

The sacrament of communion is a feast of remembrance, of communion and of hope. We celebrate it the first Sunday of every month. We believe that at communion, we gather around the table of Christ, and Christ’s table is open to everyone. 

The Sacrament of baptism  

Baptism is the sign and seal of God’s covenant with all people. In baptism, God promises by grace alone: to forgive our sins; to adopt us into the Body of Christ, the Church; to send the Holy Spirit daily to renew and cleanse us; ant to resurrect us to eternal life. This promise is made visible in the water of baptism.

How Do i take communion?

Communion is served by both intinction and in the pews. 

 If Communion is being served by intinction: 

You will be given instructions and invited forward You will be offered a piece of bread. Take it and dip it in the cup of grape juice. You may eat the elements immediately and then are invited to return to your seats. On these Sundays we only offer grape juice. 

 If Communion is being served in the pews:

The pastor will send deacons down the aisles to each pew. You may take a piece of pre-cut bread or tear a piece from the common loaf used during the liturgy. You are invited to hold on to your bread until all have been served so that we may share the feast together. (Gluten Free bread is served by a separate server) Likewise, white grape juice and red wine will be distributed in small cups to all in attendance. We will drink the cup together, then leave the cups in the pews (there are special little cup holders beside the hymn racks.)

How Do I get baptized?

We rejoice in celebrating this sacrament for all infants and previously unbaptized children and adults. Our baptism liturgy is made up of promises from the parents or adult being baptized as well as promises by the entire congregation. This reminds us all that this isn’t a lone-ranger thing. It is ours, together. When someone is baptized at South Acton Church, we promise our “love, support, and prayers”. 

Baptism is offered throughout the year, and can be arranged by speaking to the pastor. 

about us

South Acton Church was founded in 1876. We have always been the little village church with the great big heart. The heartbeat of our mission has been to put feet to our faith. Our missions and outreach include promoting love by working to end food insecurity with our mini food pantry, working to end gun violence by helping to organize a gun buy-back, promoting peace through our partnership with the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, and justice through our commitment to anti-racism with our book group and partnership with local racial equity organizations.We also have a 50-year-old mission, the Mission Movers, that work with local agencies to move those in need who don’t have the resources to do so on their own. We are a steady voice of hope, belonging, and love in our community and in our world.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Group

Mission Movers

Vigils Against Gun Violence

Join the discussion!  Enjoy a variety of books with people interested in deepening their faith and understanding.

 

Need help moving?  We’re here to help! No matter what you can pay, we’re here to support you.

 

We believe gun violence is as much a spiritual issue as a political one. We gather to raise awareness and advocate for change.

 

Book Group

Join the discussion!  Enjoy a variety of books with people interested in deepening their faith and understanding.

 

SACC Movers & Mission Movers

Need help moving?  We’re here to help! No matter what you can pay, we’re here to support you.

 

 

Vigils Against Gun Violence

We believe gun violence is as much a spiritual issue as a political one. We gather to raise awareness and advocate for change.

 

Partner Organizations

The Center at South Acton
Deepen your spirituality through a variety of spiritual practices including: introduction to mindfulness, walking meditation, prayer shawl creation, and weekly yoga. For more information: thecenter@southactoncc.org

 

A Friend in Need (AFIN)
A Friend in Need (AFIN) provides one-time emergency assistance of Acton, Boxborough, & Maynard who have been referred by a social worker or clergy person. AFIN depends on the generous donations from individuals, companies and partnering churches. This is an all volunteer organization and 100% of donated funds go to the emergency assistance we provide.  For more information: afin@southactoncc.org

Contributions can be sent to
AFIN | 35 School St. | Acton, MA | 01720  

our team

Ross M. Allen

Ross M. Allen

Designated Term Minister

 

Ross was called to serve as the Designated Term Minister at South Acton Church in autumn 2022. In this role, he will undertake the normal duties of minister while also working with church leadership to identify a vision for the next chapter of the congregation’s life and prepare the community for its next settled minister. Ross is originally from Kansas and completed his MDiv at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He previously worked in Washington, DC on a congressional staff team and then as an organizer with a housing access ministry. He has served as a campus minister, a hospital chaplain, and adult educator with ministries and congregations in Kansas and Chicago. An ordinand in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Ross represented the denomination as an emerging theologian at the World Council of Church’s 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany. His writing has been featured in the Christian Century magazine and Religion News Service. Ross can be reached via email at ross@southactonchurch.org. He is most available for routine meetings Monday through Wednesday as he commits Thursday to worship preparation and takes Friday and Saturday as his days-off.

 

Ed Rosser

Ed Rosser

Director of Music

 

Edward Rosser has been at South Acton Congregational Church since 1991, soon after earning a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance at Boston University, where he studied with Anthony di Bonaventura. In addition to directing the choir at SACC, and playing the church’s marvelous Mason and Hamlin grand, he also accompanies various local choruses (including the Acton Commnity Chorus), and plays for ballet classes at both the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre in Cambridge and at Dean College in Franklin. He has made three recordings on the Connoisseur Society label – piano music of Grieg, of Schubert, and a recording of various last piano works of the great composers, entitled ‘Visions of Beyond.

Ed can be reached at musicdirector@southactoncc.org.

Karen Fisk

Karen Fisk

Finance Administrator

 

Karen has been at South Acton Congregational Church since 2017, when she joined the staff as the Office Administrator.  She has served as our Finance Administrator since 2020, and is also an Associate at Congregational Finance LLC, providing financial management for faith communities and non-profits.

Karen lives in Maynard with her husband; they have two children.  When she’s not working, she enjoys knitting and crochet, spending time with family and friends, and playing with her dogs.

Karen can be reached at finance@southactoncc.org.

Calendar

GET IN TOUCH

How to find us

35 School Street
Acton, MA

978-263-2332
info@southactoncc.org

We can’t wait to meet you!