A Family Church in Northborough
Church of the Nativity sits on Howard Street in Northborough, Massachusetts, a town within Worcester County. It is an Episcopal congregation in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, part of The Episcopal Church and, through Province One, the wider Anglican Communion. The parish describes itself as "family-oriented, with family-friendly programming, as well as traditional and modern-style services," and that combination shapes nearly everything about it, from the way children are folded into worship to the music that fills the hall on Sunday morning.
Step through the blue doors on a Sunday and you are greeted by the parish administrator, with the sounds of about 50 preschoolers drifting in from the classrooms next door. In the sanctuary, two distinct Eucharists take place back to back, and the rest of the week spreads into Bible studies, scouting meetings, choir practice, and the steady work of feeding neighbors and packing Thanksgiving baskets. A fire in early 2024 damaged the parish hall, which is not currently available for outside rentals; Sunday worship has continued, and recovery is being funded through a dedicated donation page.
Two Services on Sunday Morning
The central act of life at Nativity is a weekly celebration of Holy Eucharist, and Sunday mornings are split between two services that share the same Book of Common Prayer root but travel in different directions.
At 8:15 AM, the traditional service draws on Rite II from the Book of Common Prayer and other Anglican liturgical sources. It is quieter and more contemplative, the kind of service where the congregation follows a printed order with stillness to spare. At 10:00 AM, Rite II returns, but the music is contemporary: a praise band with flute, bass, piano, acoustic guitar, and guest instrumentalists leads centering songs, liturgy and lyrics are projected on screens, and the priest preaches sermons meant to be practical and engaging. The parish notes that this later service draws "some raised Christian, some seekers, and everyone in between." During the summer both services collapse into a single 9:00 AM Eucharist.
Services generally run 60 to 75 minutes, and members of every stripe are welcome at the table for Communion. Visitors looking to arrive a few minutes early will hear the praise band leading the assembly in song before worship formally begins. The 10:00 AM service closes with a joyful Ribbon Recessional that sends the congregation into the week.
Children at the Center: Kids Table and Sunday School
Children have a permanent place in the building. In the back of the hall, the Kids Table is set up for both services, stocked with age-appropriate crafts and puzzles that correspond to the day's lectionary. Children are encouraged to be present for the Liturgy of the Word at their own table, then rejoin their families for the Liturgy of the Table.
Sunday School runs in three stages during the 10:00 AM service:
- Godly Play (ages 3 to 8): a Montessori-based program that tells the great biblical stories and invites children into wondering questions, meeting in the downstairs classrooms.
- R.O.C.K. (ages 9 to 12): a more interactive program where children explore ancient Hebrew and Greek words, map biblical journeys, and lead much of the discussion themselves, meeting in the conference room during the Liturgy of the Word.
- Journey to Adulthood (J2A) (ages 12+): a transition program built around Rite 13, a rite of passage that prepares middle schoolers for Confirmation and a deeper understanding of their faith.
The Preschool on Site
Sharing the campus with the parish is Nativity Community Preschool, which serves about 50 children during the school year, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Operating by values shared with the church, the preschool offers a Christian atmosphere of caring and acceptance but does not teach from the Bible; its curriculum blends several educational theories and emphasizes hands-on, experiential learning. The program is open to families whether or not they attend Nativity's worship services, and a scholarship application is available for families who need financial help. Preschool families often see "Mother Meghan," the Priest-in-Charge, dropping in as a "mystery reader" in the classrooms.
Music, Acolytes, and the People Behind the Liturgy
The rhythm of worship at Nativity depends on a roster of lay ministries that make the services run week after week. Ushers and greeters are the first faces visitors see, helping with anything needed before, during, and after worship. Readers and acolytes carry the scriptures and lead the Prayers of the People, restoring the congregation's prayer to the voice of an entire body rather than a single leader. The Altar Guild prepares the table for Communion each week, working behind the scenes to keep the sanctuary beautiful, while a volunteer counting team tallies attendance and offerings.
A volunteer production team runs the sound, slides, and the livestream that lets those at home worship with the parish. The music ministry, working with a Pastor of Worship Arts and Spiritual Formation, includes a praise band for the 10:00 service and an organist for the 8:15 service, supported by guest musicians and vocalists throughout the year. A separate men's ministry gathers around the broader mission "to provide an encouraging and safe space for men to be formed into authentic manhood on the journey of becoming like Jesus."
Pastoral Care for the Whole of Life
Nativity's pastoral care reaches into hospital rooms, hospice situations, and quiet homes around Northborough. The Priest-in-Charge, the Rev. Meghan Mantler, is available for Christian counseling with parishioners, and the parish maintains a prayer chain for any request, held in confidence or read aloud in Sunday announcements at the petitioner's request.
Trained Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEVs) bring Communion and prayer to parishioners who are homebound, recovering from surgery, or living with prolonged illness. Hospital visits are coordinated through the Pastoral Care office; the parish asks to be notified when a member or family member is admitted. Funerals are planned with the Pastoral Care office to lighten the load on a grieving family, and one-on-one grief support is offered along with small groups, especially through the Advent season.
Outreach Across Worcester County and Beyond
The parish outreach page opens with "Walk in Love," and the commitments behind that phrase are concrete. Each week, volunteers prepare lunch bags that are distributed by Worcester Fellowship to the homeless community in Worcester. The congregation supports Northborough Helping Hands through year-round drives: winter gear for children, Thanksgiving food baskets that members help assemble and deliver themselves, and gift cards for families around the holidays. Each May, the parish hosts a community baby shower for Marie's Mission, a diaper bank serving more than 500 families in Worcester; guests play games, share refreshments, and donate diapers and other essentials.
Outreach also reaches across the border. Through Project STRETCH, church member Debra Hesek travels each year to Teacapán, Mexico, to provide dental care and education to local children, and the congregation contributes small toys and stickers to make each visit a warmer experience. On Wednesdays, Mother Meghan can be found in conversation at the Coleman House or the local Senior Center, and on Fridays she volunteers next door at Zeh School's Technology Lab. The parish also reports a steady pipeline of food pantry donations, a pet-food collection for local organizations, and a scouting program that charters Scouting America Troops 1 and 823 and supports Pack 55.
A Calendar Marked by the Church Year
The annual rhythm at Nativity follows both the civil and the liturgical calendar. The Sunday after Christmas brings a service of Lessons and Carols, weaving the story of Christ's birth through scripture and song. The night before Lent, the parish throws a Mardi Gras and Shrove Tuesday dinner, complete with pancakes, Creole dishes, music, and games, raising money for the parish's ministry with Worcester Fellowship. During Lent, a day-long contemplative retreat is held for prayer and reflection.
On the Saturday before Palm Sunday, the church's sprawling lawn turns into a town-wide Easter Egg Hunt. In late spring, the Marie's Mission baby shower fills the calendar. And during September and October, part of Creation Season, the lawn returns for the Blessing of the Animals, when the community brings pets to receive a special blessing in keeping with the church's commitment to stewardship of all God's creatures.
Retreats and Quiet Gardens
For decades, Nativity has been a setting for retreats in New England. The campus includes meeting rooms of various sizes, two fully ADA-accessible worship spaces, an accessible kitchen, and accessible restrooms. Three quiet gardens for reflection sit alongside a walking labyrinth, and the grounds offer ample parking. Each year, the parish hosts two in-person day-long retreats, one in mid-fall and one in mid-winter, with gifted facilitators leading on themes such as "The Seven Last Words of Jesus," "Shining Your Light in Epiphany," "How to Forgive When It Hurts," and "Reflecting with Hymns." Online "mini-retreats" are offered throughout the year for those who want to participate from home, and the weekly newsletter is the best way to keep up with upcoming dates.
Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation
Holy Baptism at Nativity is open to adults, students, children, and infants. The parish asks that families seeking baptism for a child be committed members of the congregation and bring the child to worship regularly; parents are expected to be enrolled members, and full immersion is an option for children six and older. Adult baptism or older-child baptism is arranged through the parish office.
Confirmation is the sacramental rite in which candidates make a mature commitment to Christ and receive the laying-on of hands by a bishop. At Nativity, young people prepare for Confirmation through the Journey to Adulthood and Rite 13 programs described above. Adults who were baptized without a bishop's laying-on of hands may also seek Confirmation, while adults already confirmed in another Trinitarian tradition may be received by the bishop into The Episcopal Church, and those returning to active faith may reaffirm their baptismal vows. Each of these is celebrated when the diocesan bishop visits.
The Diocese and What Episcopalians Believe
Church of the Nativity belongs to the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, one of two Episcopal dioceses in the Commonwealth, alongside the Diocese of Massachusetts. The diocese was formed in 1901 to relieve the original Diocese of Massachusetts, which had grown too large for efficient administration under a single bishop. The current diocesan bishop is the Rt. Rev. Douglas Fisher. Both Massachusetts dioceses belong to Province One of the Episcopal Church, which covers New England (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) and in turn to The Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The diocese describes itself as "51+ congregations and community-based ministries serving God's people in Worcester County, the Pioneer Valley, and the Berkshires," following "Jesus' mission of mercy, compassion, and hope in this beautiful part of the Commonwealth," and emphasizes that "you are welcome here. Diversity is God's gift." The Episcopal Church, in Nativity's own words, is "descendants of and partners with the Church of England and the Scottish Episcopal Church, and part of the third largest group of Christians in the world," with a "legacy of inclusion" that calls both women and men to serve as bishops, priests, and deacons and affirms that "no one shall be denied rights, status or access to an equal place in the life, worship, and governance of this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disabilities or age."
Visiting Church of the Nativity
The parish is at 45 Howard St., Northborough, Massachusetts 01532. Services are held on Sundays at 8:15 AM (traditional Rite II) and 10:00 AM (contemporary Rite II with praise band), with a single 9:00 AM service in the summer. The 10:00 AM service is livestreamed on the church's Facebook page, where recordings of past services are also posted. The nursery and the Godly Play, R.O.C.K., and Journey to Adulthood classes all gather at 10:00 AM. The office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at (508) 393-3146 or info@churchofthenativity.org. The preschool is at (508) 393-1210. A Friday-morning email newsletter carries parish news, recovery updates from the 2024 fire, and the following Sunday's readings, and online giving, including a fire restoration fund and a general donation or pledge, is available through the parish's giving page.