About Us - Pakachoag Church
Originally founded as a chapel, and then organized as a community church, Pakachoag retains the character of a small church in spite of substantial institutional development over the years. Families and children are very much in evidence, and happily so, and a strong sense of interpersonal attachment prevails among all the members. Friendliness and caring are hallmarks of our life together.
In its eighty year history, Pakachoag has extended this sense of caring beyond its walls in many meaningful ways. One of the most significant efforts this Church undertook was establishing an AIDS Support Group and ministry over twenty years ago when this disease first became identified. AIDS Project Worcester grew out of this effort and that agency continues a worthy service role in the whole Central Massachusetts region.
More than twenty five years ago, the Church established and nurtured the Pakachoag Community Music School, which, while now an independent organization, www.pakmusic.org, remains housed in the Church building. Our affiliations with the Worcester Area Missionary Society (our founding organization), the Worcester Community Loan Fund, and the Auburn District Nursing Association among others are long and sustaining. In short, Pakachoag is a church that understands the notion of “community” in a broad social context, and understands faith as something to be exercised in practical way.
Our worship life is traditional, but “relaxed.” Services follow a liturgical framework that would ring as familiar to someone from another “mainline” church, such as Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, American Baptist, or Roman Catholic. In general, our order of service is simpler than most of these traditions, but would incorporate the common elements of prayer, praise, and text, with a strong emphasis on the homily and music.
Pakachoag recognizes two sacraments, that of Communion, also know as the Lord’s Supper, and Baptism. We practice infant baptism, with confirmation offered to youth about the age of twelve onward. The rite of marriage is offered to all persons seeking to wed, including same sex couples. Funerals and memorial services are also a part of our ritual life.
