At 196 Main Street in Medway, Massachusetts, Medway Community Church is a long-established congregation known for pairing an ancient Christian faith with modern worship. Rooted in 1748, MCC holds Sunday gatherings at 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Its vision is to “multiply communities of grace, making disciples of Christ,” and its life centers on worship, relationships, Scripture, service, and mission from its Medway base in the Boston metro-west region.
Rabbit Hill Roots and Three Congregations
MCC's history begins on December 29, 1748, with the incorporation of the West Medway precinct and a desire for worship on this side of the Black Swamp, near today's Medway and Millis town line, because travel to the East district was difficult. A frame was raised on April 6, 1749, on present-day Evergreen Street. On October 4, 1750, the congregation was officially named the Second Church of Christ in Medway, and 33 men signed its covenant.
A new meeting house rose on Rabbit Hill in 1813 and was dedicated on June 23, 1814, at a cost of $10,000. Rev. Jacob Ide accepted the pastoral call that year and remained for 51 years. A prolific writer, editor, and theology teacher, he prepared 43 men for ministry, and many of his sermons were published. In 1838, 32 members planted a daughter church in Medway Village to make worship more accessible to people living in the factory district.
The congregation became the Second Congregational Church in 1901. The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 destroyed the nearby Baptist church, whose members and pastor were invited to worship with MCC. The Baptists and Congregationalists then formed a federated church called The Community Church in 1940. The hurricane also tore away MCC's roof and steeple; the steeple fell into the sanctuary, leaving a mark that remains visible.
Major additions shaped the church's present facilities. Fellowship Hall was built in 1874, an Education Wing was added in 1969 and 1970 where horse sheds once stood, and an extensive interior and exterior renovation in the 1980s was called “Progress Thru Preservation.” In 1995, the Congregational, Baptist, and Community churches merged into Medway Community Church, replacing three separate governments with one congregation. Travis Bond accepted the call to lead MCC in 2010, and a major sanctuary renovation was completed after a 2009 lightning strike.
Sunday Gatherings Mix Ancient Hymns with a Praise Band
Sunday gatherings begin at 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. A praise band leads a mix of worship music and ancient hymns, with old and new deliberately sharing the same service. Preaching typically works through books of the Bible in a way intended to apply to life. The atmosphere is casual, and the clear expectation is to wear whatever feels comfortable.
For a first visit, MCC offers a guided-visit form that allows an arriving guest to arrange for someone to accompany them. The Sunday gatherings are also available through the church's livestream.
Guest parking is in the main parking lot at 196 Main Street. Guests are asked to turn on their hazard lights when arriving, after which a parking team member directs them to a guest space.
KiC AM Welcomes Children from Nursery Through Third Grade
KiC AM, short for Kids in Community, offers infant nursery care, a toddler class called Explorers, and a PreK through third-grade program during the entire Sunday service. Children follow the Christ-centered Bible Studies for Life curriculum through songs, games, lessons, videos, and activities designed to help them build a relationship with God, their families, and their communities.
Families enter through the MCC Kids side door from the main parking lot and use electronic check-in. A check-in team helps children reach their rooms, and guardians receive a unique QR code for pickup. After service, one parent or guardian goes to the upstairs KiC hallway, scans the code, and receives the child. Volunteers are safety-trained and have completed state and federal background checks. Classrooms have windows and multiple adults, hall monitors restrict access to the children's hallway, and child-specific bathrooms are available during KiC.
Children in fourth grade and older join the sanctuary service for worship and preaching. Fourth and fifth graders can receive age-appropriate sermon notes. KiC-45 continues that ministry on Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. with games, small groups, a snack, and the BE BOLD curriculum, which explores questions preteens face about God, themselves, and others.
Children with behavioral, learning, or physical needs can receive preparation tailored to make their time in ministry comfortable. MCC also practices Covenantal Infant Baptism and Child Dedication for the children of members.
More Than 30 Community Groups at the Center
Community Groups are the largest ministry at MCC and stand at the center of church life. Most gatherings include about eight to 12 people. Each group has its own personality, but they share two commitments: studying God's Word and building relationships with one another. The church offers coed groups for singles and couples, men's groups, women's groups, and a young-adult ministry for people ages 18 to 28.
Groups meet weekly or every other week at various times throughout the week. People can join through intentional onboarding periods in September, January, and March. A Connect Card, available online or through QR codes placed around the church, begins a process of receiving weekly communication and meeting other people.
The five-week Inquirers Course is offered twice a year. Each 90-minute class combines teaching with informal discussion and meets at the same time as KiC and Junior High Youth Group. For spiritual growth, MCC recommends gathering on Sunday, joining a Community Group, serving in a ministry, and making prayer and Bible reading foundational habits.
Youth Groups and a Three-Year Mission Rhythm
Junior High serves grades 6 through 8, while Senior High serves grades 9 through 12. Both meet Sunday evenings in an energetic setting that combines games, music, and biblical teaching. Younger leaders also meet in weekly small groups by gender for deeper study and honest discussion. Adult leaders are carefully chosen and have completed background testing.
Monthly outings, weekend retreats, and relationships with students and adults are central to the youth ministry. Each school year, students and volunteer leaders raise support for a summer missions trip. Trips follow a three-year rotation among local, domestic, and international work. Previous journeys have included Guatemala, San Francisco, and Jamaica, with those experiences serving as catalysts for spiritual growth.
Global Missions extends this outward focus through regular prayer, giving, and sending people called into ministry. MCC partners with eight foreign-serving and indigenous missionary families working in places including Egypt, Guatemala, and Senegal. Short-term teams of one to two weeks have served in Liberia, Costa Rica, and Niger.
A Free Tuesday Table and Practical Care
The Community Table serves a free, hot meal from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. The meal is restaurant-style and served in a warm, caring atmosphere that respects the dignity of each individual and family. Everyone is welcome, and the ministry serves people in need in Medway and surrounding communities.
MCC's Men's Ministry also responds to the biblical call to care for widows and orphans by helping meet practical household needs within the church and community. Its rhythm includes quarterly breakfasts, active men's groups, an annual retreat, an annual church-wide Valentine's dinner, and Bible teaching.
Digital Study, Giving, and Shared Spaces
MCC provides free household access to RightNow Media's extensive library of Bible-study videos for children, youth, parents, couples, and small groups. The material can be viewed on a smartphone, tablet, or computer or connected to a television or projector. Sunday messages are also preserved in the church's sermon archive, while the Connector delivers a weekly electronic update each Wednesday.
One-time and recurring gifts can be made through secure online giving. MCC tells first-time guests that a gift is appreciated but not expected, while describing financial support as a responsibility joyfully shared by members and regular attendees.
The church also makes its facilities available for onsite and offsite wedding requests. Members and regular attendees can request one-time personal events, and the church seeks to accommodate affiliated community organizations when possible.
Ancient Confession and Shared Leadership
MCC confesses one God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who created humanity in God's image and calls people to holiness through obedience. It teaches that humanity fell into moral corruption and that God accomplished redemption through Jesus of Nazareth, fully God and fully man. Jesus' substitutionary atoning death and bodily resurrection provide the basis for justification and salvation, received by God's grace through faith alone.
The Holy Spirit regenerates and sanctifies believers, empowers them to witness to God's kingdom, and brings them together as a visible church under the authority of Scripture. MCC believes the Bible is divine revelation and inerrantly inspired by God. Its faith is to be visible through holy behavior, acts of mercy, and verbal witness. The church receives the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Westminster Confession of Faith.
Its ministry pattern moves outward through three directions: reaching up in personal and gathered worship, reaching inward through small groups and fellowship, and reaching outward through service and evangelism. The church describes its government as elder-led, staff-driven, and congregationally supported. Elected elders undergo training, shepherd the congregation, and remain accountable to Scripture and church membership. Paid staff direct ministry, train volunteers, and are accountable to one another and the elders. Deacons focus on physical needs and mercy ministry, while pastors and lay elders share overarching leadership.
Together, these commitments give MCC a practical shape: Rabbit Hill history, an ancient confession, blended Sunday worship, trained children's workers, more than 30 relational groups, a free weekly meal, global mission partnerships, and shared responsibility carried by pastors, elected elders, deacons, staff, and congregants.