A Brief History of the Mashpee Congregational Church
Phase I-Pre launch
The Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ by 2005 had identified Mashpee as one of the fastest growing communities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by Paul Nickerson and the Conference's Church Growth Team. In 1990 the Town had a population of a little over 3,000 people. By 2004, it was apparent that the population would soon exceed 12,000 residents. The decision was made to seek out seed money support to help grow a new United Church of Christ, the first one on the Cape and Islands in over 80 years! Mashpee clearly needed a community-oriented, mainline Protestant church.
With sufficient funding in place, Rev. Dr. Jim Scovil was called to be a full-time Organizing Pastor, January 15, 2007. He nestled himself into a corner of Starbucks in Mashpee Commons (his new office) and set out to meet and greet the residents of the town. Shortly after that, he and his wife Diane attend a four-day Boot Camp with Church Growth Consultant, Jim Griffith and a plan began to unfold.
For the next fifteen months, Jim sought out every community leader he could find and even arranged to interview many of them asking three primary questions: 1) What can you tell me about the Town of Mashpee? 2) What difference could a new church make in the Town? and, 3) Could you suggest other people I should interview?
In the meanwhile, Jim and Diane visited over 45 local UCC congregations on Sunday mornings. Sometimes Jim preached, sometimes he and Diane made a brief presentation during announcement time, and sometimes they provided a program during coffee hour, but on all occasions they thanked the congregations for their financial support and prayers. Interested new church folks traveled with the Scovils and enjoyed our "church suppers" at local restaurants after worship.
Open houses and gatherings for interested people led to the start of a new congregation. The networking was beginning to take effect and although worship was a long way off, outreach to the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod, Inc. began as teams took over cooking responsibilities for the Friday night dinners. The group also set up plans for "Fifth Sundays" the first of which involved our group's first-ever "overseas mission trip" to Edgartown. The team provided a preacher, ushers, greeters and even coffee hour refreshments for the church. By this time, there were some 25 people involved in the new Mashpee United Church of Christ "project."
Phase II-Launch
By spring of 2008, Pastor Jim was closing in on the list of items needing attention before launch would be possible. The key was not so much planning a major kick-off event, but rather of being assured of the sustainability of a worshiping congregation of 70 or more people after the excitement of launch had subsided. Pre-mature launch is one of the biggest causes for failure with new church starts.
On Sunday, May 4th, 2008 Mashpee Congregational Church launched public worship in the Bellamy Meetinghouse in Popponessett Marketplace, New Seabury. Each of the four Sundays in May was considered part of the launch. Attendance held, although on opening day some 120 people were present including many guests from area churches. Cathy Bonnett, the Music Director, arranged for great music each Sunday, setting the stage for what has become an outstanding music program.
On Sunday, November 2, 2008, as the Marketplace was shutting down, the congregation moved into the building known as Hannah's. This was a major development since it now had 24 x 7 use of the entire building including an upstairs office and a finished basement. The building was upgraded with a stage area giving it remarkable semblance to a real church. A water line circumventing the seasonal Marketplace line was run into the bathrooms providing year-around use of the facilities. Chris Burden, owner, has shown great generosity and kindness in allowing the church full use of such incredible space up to this very day!
Phase III-Full Standing in the United Church of Christ
By the summer of 2010, Organizing Pastor Jim Scovil realizing that the church would soon be ready to request full standing in the Barnstable Association after having been granted an "in discernment" status the year before, appointed a Transition Team to take the church through the final stages. The Team met though the summer and into the fall addressing multiple organizational issues such as by-laws, Safe Church Policy, and other legal matters incorporation.
On November 7, 2010 during a meeting held in Marion on the occasion of a combined meeting of the Old Colony, Plymouth and Barnstable Associations, the motion to grant membership with full standing was met with a resounding "yes" vote and a standing ovation! The newest UCC church on the Cape and Islands in 80 years and the newest UCC church in the SE Area in 40 years was enthusiastically welcomed! The project started by the Massachusetts Conference was now a full-fledged congregation.
On January 15, 2011, the Moderator of the Barnstable Association, Adrienne Latimer, and Area Conference Minister, Dale Hempen, formally welcomed the Mashpee Congregational Church into the Association during Sunday morning worship. The Organizing Pastor was now the Founding Pastor of a fully established church and no longer an employee of the Conference. A dream starting close to ten years ago was fulfilled!
Since then, the Church Council has appointed several new key teams to help keep the church growing. The calendar has become filled with events and activities: fund raising, membership growth, along with newly established neighborhood groups to help maintain personal connections as the congregation continues to grow along with already established programs such as the church choir, bell choir, prayer shawl ministry and outreach. This is the first year of being free of all subsidies from the Massachusetts Conference.
Our existence bears testimony to the current message of the United Church of Christ: "Never place a period where God has placed a comma. God is still speaking."