Charlton Federated Church
Charlton MA
01507
Who we are
We are a Congregational-Universalist union in Christian worship together located in Charlton, Massachusetts.
We are a community seeking to live in God’s Word. In our worship, we are a community that listens attentively to God’s Word as it is revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, we seek to be transformed through prayer, hymns, the sacraments and liturgy into the people God is calling us to be.
In our missions, we listen to hear where God is calling us to serve. At locations both near and far we seek to embody the faith that God has placed within us, and to proclaim the Good News of Christ through the actions we take.
Join us as we discover what it means to be a people of faith in the modern world.
We are a community seeking to live in God’s Word. In our worship, we are a community that listens attentively to God’s Word as it is revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, we seek to be transformed through prayer, hymns, the sacraments and liturgy into the people God is calling us to be.
In our missions, we listen to hear where God is calling us to serve. At locations both near and far we seek to embody the faith that God has placed within us, and to proclaim the Good News of Christ through the actions we take.
Join us as we discover what it means to be a people of faith in the modern world.
Church Website
Charlton Federated Church on Social Media
Facebook Video: Our November 20th 2022 Sunday Service
Leadership
Leader Name:
Reverend James Chase
Leader Position:
Pastor
Phone:
Leader Email:
Click here to contact Reverend James Chase
Leader Bio:
Rev. Jim Chase has been pastor of the Federated Church since coming to us in 1987. Prior to becoming our pastor he studied geophysics at Boston College. Following graduation he worked as an exploration geophysicist for Amoco Oil Company in New Orleans. Upon returning to the Northeast he entered a master’s degree program at UMass/Boston, and then attended seminary at Andover Newton Theological School. He is married and has an adult daughter.
Rev. Chase leads our worship services each week, as well as being involved in other church programs including conducting our adult education program which comprises bible studies and mini-retreats where we explore our Christian spirituality. He also teaches our 9th and 10th grade students as part of our Confirmation Program. Rev. Chase also directs mission trips for our teenagers and adults. Our teenagers travel to cities such as St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia where they serve at soup kitchens and homeless shelters. The adults have traveled to New Orleans, Joplin, Missouri, Lake City, Florida, and Biloxi, Mississippi to help people rebuild after natural disasters.
Rev. Chase’s ministry extends into our local community through his role as fire chaplain for the Charlton Fire Department. In that role he has been deployed to various crises around the country including : New York City during 9/11, the Station Night Club fire in Warwick, Rhode Island, the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and Boston for the Marathon bombings in 2013. He was recognized as Charlton’s Citizen of the Year in 2012 for his service. Further afield, during a recent sabbatical, Rev. Chase taught at a seminary in Johannesburg, South Africa, for three months.
Rev. Chase leads our worship services each week, as well as being involved in other church programs including conducting our adult education program which comprises bible studies and mini-retreats where we explore our Christian spirituality. He also teaches our 9th and 10th grade students as part of our Confirmation Program. Rev. Chase also directs mission trips for our teenagers and adults. Our teenagers travel to cities such as St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia where they serve at soup kitchens and homeless shelters. The adults have traveled to New Orleans, Joplin, Missouri, Lake City, Florida, and Biloxi, Mississippi to help people rebuild after natural disasters.
Rev. Chase’s ministry extends into our local community through his role as fire chaplain for the Charlton Fire Department. In that role he has been deployed to various crises around the country including : New York City during 9/11, the Station Night Club fire in Warwick, Rhode Island, the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, and Boston for the Marathon bombings in 2013. He was recognized as Charlton’s Citizen of the Year in 2012 for his service. Further afield, during a recent sabbatical, Rev. Chase taught at a seminary in Johannesburg, South Africa, for three months.
Administration
Admin Name:
Regina Aldahondo
Admin Position:
Secretary
Phone:
Admin Email:
Click here to contact Regina Aldahondo
Mailing Address
PO Box 1700
Charlton, MA
01507-0070
Charlton, MA
01507-0070
Driving Directions to Charlton Federated Church
Travel/Direction Tips
The Federated Church Of Charlton is located at the corner of Main Street (Route 31) and Burlingame Road at the south end of the town green.
Charlton Federated Church Service Times
From June 23 to September 1st our Sunday Summer worship will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
During the worship service, childcare for children first grade and under is available.
Worship returns to 10:30 a.m. on September 8th as does our Sunday school.
Virtual Worship Services
Due to the COVID-19 crisis we will not be worshipping in person but online using the software Zoom. Everyone can join in this meeting but you may need to download the Zoom app before doing so. This is a free program. Details about the zoom meeting, the order of worship and additional hymns are below. Please join us!
Jim Moran is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Jim Moran’s Personal Meeting Room
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6327545490
It's been more than a year since the last service times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm service times.
Please contact the church to confirm Service Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
During the worship service, childcare for children first grade and under is available.
Worship returns to 10:30 a.m. on September 8th as does our Sunday school.
Virtual Worship Services
Due to the COVID-19 crisis we will not be worshipping in person but online using the software Zoom. Everyone can join in this meeting but you may need to download the Zoom app before doing so. This is a free program. Details about the zoom meeting, the order of worship and additional hymns are below. Please join us!
Jim Moran is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Jim Moran’s Personal Meeting Room
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6327545490
It's been more than a year since the last service times update. Please make sure to contact the church to confirm service times.
Please contact the church to confirm Service Times or SUBSCRIBE to updates below
PRINT
ZOOM
ICAL
SUBSCRIBE
Special Needs/Accessibility
The church is handicapped accessible with handicapped parking in the rear of the building.
Other information
Charlton Federated Church History
Our church descends from a number of churches active in the Charlton community over the centuries. The first of these was founded in 1761, six years after the town was formed in 1755. We are the first church to be founded in this community and the only one remaining on the town common.
Caleb Curtis (1727-1802), was the first minister. He blessed the Minutemen who left from our town to fight at Lexington and Concord in April of 1775, was the area’s representative to the Continental Congress and in the summer of 1776, he read the Declaration of Independence from the pulpit as ordered by the Massachusetts General Court.
In 1798 our second building was constructed with 100 pews on the main floor and 50 in the balcony. It was one of the largest meetinghouses in the region.
In response to the Unitarian controversy in 1825, the First Congregational Calvinistic Church was formed. A Unitarian church was also created and shortly afterwards it united with the Universalist Society of Charlton becoming the First Union Society of Charlton, which held Christian Universalist beliefs. The First Congregational Calvinistic Church and the First Union Society would draft Articles of Federation in 1922 creating the Federated Church. In May of that same year the Universalist church building burned. The property was donated to the town of Charlton so that the Charlton High School could be built there. The building is currently used as the Charlton Town Hall. A plaque by the front door testifies to the generosity of the congregation.
On Christmas Day in 1939, the Federated Church building burned to the ground. Despite the severe economic times, the Federated Church was able to raise the funds to build a new building which opened in 1941, just two years after the disastrous blaze.
The Educational Wing was added to the present church building in 1964 and the building was made handicapped accessible in 2001.
In 2011, a special March service marked the church’s 250th anniversary, drawing political leaders as well as four former Federated Church pastors: Reverend Tom Bentley, Reverend Tom Howard, Reverend Jerry Kupperschmidt and Reverend Hal Wilson.
In 1798 our second building was constructed with 100 pews on the main floor and 50 in the balcony. It was one of the largest meetinghouses in the region.
In response to the Unitarian controversy in 1825, the First Congregational Calvinistic Church was formed. A Unitarian church was also created and shortly afterwards it united with the Universalist Society of Charlton becoming the First Union Society of Charlton, which held Christian Universalist beliefs. The First Congregational Calvinistic Church and the First Union Society would draft Articles of Federation in 1922 creating the Federated Church. In May of that same year the Universalist church building burned. The property was donated to the town of Charlton so that the Charlton High School could be built there. The building is currently used as the Charlton Town Hall. A plaque by the front door testifies to the generosity of the congregation.
The Educational Wing was added to the present church building in 1964 and the building was made handicapped accessible in 2001.
In 2011, a special March service marked the church’s 250th anniversary, drawing political leaders as well as four former Federated Church pastors: Reverend Tom Bentley, Reverend Tom Howard, Reverend Jerry Kupperschmidt and Reverend Hal Wilson.
With us night and morning
By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered, and confidently waiting come what may, we know that God is with us night and morning, and never fails to greet us each new day. Yet is this heart by its old foe tormented, still evil days bring burdens hard to bear; Oh, give our frightened souls the sure salvation for which, O Lord, You taught us to prepare. And when this cup You give is filled to brimming with bitter suffering, hard to understand, we take it thankfully and without trembling, out of so good and so beloved a hand. Yet when again in this same world You give us the joy we had, the brightness of Your Sun, we shall remember all the days we lived through, and our whole life shall then be Yours alone.
Charlton Federated Church listing was last updated on the 27th of November, 2022
