“… Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives…It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opponents into friends… It is this love which will bring about miracles in the hearts of men [people]… It is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. It is the love of God working in the lives of men [people]. This is the love that may well be the salvation of our civilization…”
– Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of Beloved Community – a compassionate and radically inclusive community of diverse people gathered together in God’s love, working together for justice for all of God’s people. Our calling at Haydenville Congregational Church is to create Beloved Community within our church community and beyond. We are committed to caring for each other and those in need through compassionate service and social justice activism. Each Sunday at Haydenville Congregation Church we end the service by saying: “Our Worship is Over – Now our service begins.”
They ways in which we minister to the needs of those in our Beloved Church Community are through our Angel ministries, which provide hands on care and support like transportation, meals, etc.; Shepherds who provide spiritual support; LaLa Sisterhood, Men’s Fellowship groups; and our Sunday coffee hour, which offers opportunities to nurture friendship and connection.
We also are involved in in helping to create Beloved Community in the world at large, beyond the walls of our Church. Our Peace and Justice Committee hosts programs to keep parishioners engaged with important political, social, and environmental issues.
HCC has participated for many years in the annual Northampton Gay Pride march and is a committed Transgender Ally Church. From our embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement, to our participation in the Climate Change March in NYC and other climate change actions, to service at homeless shelters and Cathedral in the Night, to sponsoring a series of events to better understand Islam and combat Islamophobia, Haydenville Congregational Church offers members a range of opportunities to serve, address social and environmental issues, and work together to affect change.
Information about these and other programs can be found here.
Angel Ministries
Men’s Fellowship
Peace and Justice
Programs & Activities