Road Notes: New England Lectureship gets ‘Back to Bible Basics’

Blogging from Taunton, Mass.

I’m in the Boston area working on a feature on the New England Lectureship, an annual event that aims to create greater fellowship and relationships among the region’s Churches of Christ.

The 2014 theme is “Back to Bible Basics.” 

A highlight Friday night was the lectureship chorus, made up of talented vocalists from area congregations, singing “Here I Am To Worship,” “Home of the Soul” and “Sunday morning.” The above video provides just a small taste.

Between sessions, New England Lectureship participants enjoy fellowship, including Chris Black, left, a deacon of the Melrose Church of Christ; Billy McGuiggan, center, minister for the Natick Church of Christ; and John Kurpel, right, minister for the Lawrence Church of Christ. (PHOTO BY BOBBY ROSS JR.)

I arrived Thursday and enjoyed spending time with Eric Greer, former lead minister for the Westgate Church of Christ in Dothan, Ala. Greer, his wife Traci and daughters Melanie and Rachel moved to the Boston area last year. 

Inspired in part by The Christian Chronicle reporting that most members of Churches of Christ reside in a red state, the Greers intend to plant a new church in the Boston area. Eric Greer said he is working with Churches of Christ and independent Christian Churches.

“I feel like the Restoration plea is still a very simple, beautiful plea for New Testament Christianity,” Greer said. 

Thursday night, Greer took me to see the Boston Red Sox play, my first game ever at historic Fenway Park. If you’ve read my occasional (or more than occasional) baseball-related columns, you know what a thrill that was for me.

Boston area church planter Eric Greer, right, introduced me to Fenway Park. (PHOTO BY AN UNIDENTIFIED RED SOX FAN)