Church Building Centennial Events Announced - October 8 -9, 2011
September 3, 2011
The 100th anniversary of the Blackstone Valley United Methodist Church Building at 61 Linwood Avenue, Whitinsville, Massachusetts will be marked with a weekend of special events on Saturday, October 8 and Sunday, October 9, 2011. Events will include a church open house on Saturday, October 8 from 2:00 – 5:00 PM, a centennial banquet at 6:00 PM, and a program of guest speakers, music and church remembrances at 7:30 PM. A special worship service commemorating the centennial will be held at 10:00 AM on Sunday, October 9, 2011.
The 2600 pound cornerstone of the English Gothic stone church on Linwood Avenue was laid on February 4, 1911 and the building was formally dedicated during the weekend of October 19 – 21, 1911. The present structure is located on the site of the first Methodist church, a wooden structure that was erected in 1875 and destroyed by fire on February 27, 1910. The current church was built of stone from the Blanchard Brothers’ quarries with trimmings of terra cotta. A steel framework forms the arch of the auditorium and supports a pitched roof. The sanctuary has a capacity of 350 people.
The centennial celebration will begin with a community open house on October 8 from 2:00 to 5:00 PM. Guided tours of the church building will be conducted and will include displays of historical records, photographs, and artifacts stored in the church cornerstone, which have not been seen since the cornerstone was laid in 1911. Information on over 22 church ministries will also be featured, including several outreach ministries that serve the people of the communities of the Blackstone Valley. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the open house.
The celebrations will continue with a centennial banquet at 6:00 PM. A celebratory program in the church sanctuary will begin at 7:30 PM, featuring guest speakers including current pastor, Rev. Michele Ewers, previous pastors, and local historians. A video of remembrances from church members will be shown and the original dedication hymn from 1911 will be sung.
A special centennial worship service will be held at the church at 10:00 AM on Sunday, October 9, 2011. The service will be led by Rev. Michele Ewers and Central Massachusetts United Methodist Church District Superintendent, Rev. Rene Perez and will feature presentations by members of the church centennial committee. The public is invited to attend the worship service and all other centennial activities.
The Blackstone Valley United Methodist Church, dedicated to “changing people’s lives through a relationship with Jesus Christ”, has been serving communities in the Blackstone Valley in southern Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island since 1828. The church holds regular worship services every Sunday at 10:00 AM, which includes a Sunday school for children from preschool age through high school. The Blackstone Valley United Methodist Church is very involved in community outreach ministries in Blackstone Valley communities. The church hosts a free community Christmas dinner each year, participates in the Peace of Bread community kitchen, supports food pantries in Douglas, Mendon, Northbridge, Sutton and Uxbridge, provides holiday food baskets and gifts for needy families through the Northbridge Association of Churches, makes prayer shawls for the ill and needy, sews and distributes dresses to girls in the community, distributes toys for outdoor play and hosts a number of support groups and community organizations. While the church honors its long and distinguished history, it is looking forward to serving the people and the Lord in the Blackstone Valley as it continues to “celebrate the next 100 years!”
More information about the Blackstone Valley United Methodist Church and its centennial celebration may be found at the church website, http://www.blackstonevalleyumc.org/Centennial/default.htm.