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Old South's Great Bible

THIS SUNDAY, October 26, 2025 Reformation Sunday

SUNDAY BIBLE STUDY

Sundays,10am, Crawford Library,

click here to join Zoom, password: 477100

Delve into the day’s scripture passage heard in worship. This no-homework Bible study delights in taking a scholarly look at ancient texts. Don’t leave your questions at the door; we need them. For more information contact Justin Dickerson.

COMMUNITY HOUR FORUMS, Sundays, 10am, Mary Norton Hall

OLD SOUTH COMMUNITY HOUR FORUM

PRESENTS A FAITHFUL RESPONSE TO HOMELESSNESS



Homelessness 202: Humanizing Homelessness | October 26

How does our faith guide us to respond to homelessness? Join Rev. June Cooper and invited guests to learn about Boston's homelessness situation, sharing valuable information, challenging stereotypes, and fostering empathy. In what ways can we respond to Boston's homeless community with dignity and compassion? Questions: Paul Brouillette.

Youth Group Pancake Breakfast | November 2

Join the Youth Group as they serve a delicious breakfast to raise funds and supplies for the Allston-Brighton Community Fridge.

Bring a donation of $5 OR a shelf stable item for the pantry:

• canned goods (with pop top lids)
• cereals, grains and pasta
• soup, beans, and canned meat

• flour, cooking oils, and spices
• body care items
• infant formula and diapers

The Business of Incarceration | November 9

Jimmy McCarty shares about his book, The Business of Incarceration and gauges for congregational interest in going deeper on the prison industrial complex. 

This Historic Building

Celebrating the architecture of our building | November 16

In anticipation of 150 years at our Boylston St. location, Kate Silfen shares some of the exciting history of this church building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

CHRISTIAN SERVICE AND OUTREACH

THE WEEKLY PUSHBACK

Christian Friends Mission International

Click here to learn more or donate.

Have other weekly action ideas? Email outreach@oldsouth.org

Pastor Frank has spoken at Old South several times over the last decade as his ministry to provide food, education, and jobs to LGBTQ youth and other marginalized youth comes under threat from the Ugandan government. Old South is proud to support their great work, particularly as the US has taken a step back from its international support.

MUSIC AT OLD SOUTH

DAN FORREST REQUIEM FOR THE LIVING FOR ALL SAINTS DAY

Sunday, November 2, Festival Worship

For this year’s All Saints observance at Festival Worship, the Festival Choir and instrumentalists present contemporary American composer Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living, a cathartic journey through the gamut of human emotion. Commissioned by the Hickory Choral Society and premiered in 2013, Forrest’s setting is an unconventional one, concerned as much with the living (and their own struggle with pain and sorrow) as for those already departed. The Latin text Forrest sets combines sections from the traditional Requiem mass with biblical texts from Ecclesiastes and the Book of Job. The music captures a range of emotion, inviting solace and reflection, and ultimately embraces the beauty of human existence & life.

JOIN GOSPEL CHOIR FOR A WEEK   

Thursday Night Church:  

• Thursday, November 6, 7:00-7:30pm rehearsal
• Thursday, November 13, 6pm worship

Contact Tim Harbold for details and music in advance. You deserve a week of joyful singing. Please join us!

DEL CASE PRESENTS

Abraham and Isaac: Interfaith Performance and Discussion

Saturday, Nov. 22, 6-7:15 pm, Mary Norton Hall, Free, click here for more info.

Longtime friend of Old South Church, Delvyn Case, conducts a live performance of his dramatic new solo cantata based on the sacrifice of Isaac, followed by an interfaith panel discussion. This provocative piece explores this challenging Biblical story by highlighting how the thread of sacrificial violence tragically binds together God, Abraham, and Isaac–and, through its historical legacy–Christians and Jews as well. 

COMMUNITY AT OLD SOUTH CHURCH

RETIRED AND READY AT THE ARBORETUM

Tuesday, October 28, 10am,

Hunnewell Visitor Center, Arboretum Gate, 125 Arborway, JP

Join us for a walk around Arnold Arboretum. This will be a self-guided tour focusing on fall highlights. Meet at the Hunnewell Visitor Center at the Arboretum Gate. Contact Mi Herzog at miherzog1@gmail.com or text 617-939-3966 to let us know you are coming to the Arboretum. Also indicate whether you plan to join us for lunch. We look forward to seeing you!

FIFTH THURSDAYS: A TNC OPEN MIC NIGHT

Thursday, October 30th, 7:15pm, Gordon Chapel

After Thursday Night Church, join us for our TNC Open Mic Night. All are welcome to gather after worship for supper club and an informal sharing of poetry, music, story, and art hosted by our Creative Director, Audrey Woodhams. Contact Audrey at audrey@oldsouth.org to sign up, or just show up and there’s a spot for you!

CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER

First Sundays, 10am, in the Columbarium, Next session November 2

Need some space to breathe? Time to rest in the spacious silence of God's presence? Please join us for Contemplative Prayer. Together, we'll engage in practices of contemplative prayer, share from our hearts, and find strength and solace in God's abiding love. Questions? Email Rev. Ashley. 

CONNECTIONS LUNCH

Sunday, November 2, 12pm in the Phillis Wheatley Room

RSVP by October 29 to Ashley Popperson

Interested in joining the church? To be a member of Old South Church is to enter the company of Revolutionary Era heroes, abolitionists, suffragettes, anti-poverty crusaders, and poets. Our saints include Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, Phillis Wheatley... and maybe you! Want to learn more about the life of this community of faith while sharing lunch with other newcomers and church members? Join our Connections Lunch!

ONLINE SMALL GROUP

November 2nd at 7:30pm EST and every first Sunday of the month

Click here to join, password 684963

Gather with other online members and Rev. Ashley for a time of fellowship, communion, and deepening our relationships with one another. Please bring something to eat (bread, cracker, cookie) and something to drink (juice, water, coffee) as your communion elements. 

Click the picture for more information

NEW AROUND HERE?

Every 3rd Sunday, in Rev. Ashley's office,

meet in Elevator Lobby at 10:05am

Join Pastor Ashley and church members for informal conversation and coffee. If you've been coming for one week, or a dozen, or just exploring online, join us to get to know more about the church and to make a friend or two! Questions? Email ashley@oldsouth.org.

HOST AN OSC GBIO HOUSE MEETING IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Navigating this moment requires getting back to the basics. In that vein, GBIO has just launched its House Meeting Campaign with the goal of engaging over 2,000 individuals at local small group gatherings across the city. This will be a time to deepen relationships, build power, and share stories that will get at the heart of our needs here in Greater Boston. Curious about hosting a house meeting? Reach out to Christina Gregg Fitzgerald.

JOIN A SMALL GROUP AT OLD SOUTH CHURCH

Wanting to deepen your relationships at OSC? If you enjoy movies, walking, eating, reading, crafting, studying the Bible or just being in community with others, you're invited to join our growing Small Groups program. We have all kinds of groups doing all kinds of things this fall at Old South Church, and you're invited to join in! Click here to get more details and to sign up. Questions? Contact Rachel Barton.

HEARD IT AT COUNCIL

Click here to read the full report

September’s Council meeting was full of finances, inclusion work, building issues, and small group news. Read all about it in Church Historian Kate Silfen’s report.

CELEBRATING 150 YEARS AT BOYLSTON STREET

Save the date—Saturday, December 6, 7pm

It has been 150 years since Old South Church moved into its historic building at 645 Boylston Street. Join us for a celebration of the church’s storied legacy in the heart of the city with a special concert program If These Walls Could Talk: A Celebration of Sanctuary in the Heart of Boston, to be followed by a festive reception in the Chapel. Registration details to follow.

OTHER WORSHIP SERVICES

THURSDAY NIGHT CHURCH

Thursdays, 6pm

Thursday Night Church is a worship service where the music is contemporary, the space is open-hearted and in-the-round, and the preaching is focused on how we can be the church together in the world. 

THURSDAY NIGHT SUPPER CLUB

Thursdays, 7pm

After worship, join us for Thursday Night Supper Club. Each week, folks can gather after worship for dinner and an informal small group hosted by some of our friendly and hospitable lay leaders.

VESPERS HEALING WORSHIP

Next service November 9, 5pm on Zoom,

Click here to join

Please join us to take a moment for rest and renewal in the presence of God and other spiritual companions gathering by Zoom. All are welcome to share this quiet space and lift up our concerns, our losses, our hurts, and our celebrations in the Healing Presence of God and one another. 

WORSHIP SUPPORT

THE SANCTUARY IS GETTING A SOUND UPDATE!

Starting October 26, the last four rows of pews in the Sanctuary will no longer have cushions. This is part of an acoustic experiment aimed at improving the overall sound quality in our worship space. Because the Sanctuary is a fairly “dead” space in terms of acoustics, sound doesn’t carry well. The Old South team is exploring ways to add more sound-reflective surfaces to the space. Removing the cushions is one simple method we’re testing to enhance sound reflection and clarity. This change may also serve as a visual cue to encourage sitting closer to the front, where it’s easier to hear and engage with the service. We appreciate your flexibility as we explore how to make worship a more immersive sonic experience for everyone!

HEARING ASSIST DEVICES

Hearing assist devices are available from Ava Welling, our Director of Audio. Please see Ava for a device and instructions on how to use it. For more information or answers to questions, please contact Ava.

GREEN TIP: Ditch The Plastic

Plastic decorations have become a Halloween staple, from spooky skeletons to jack-o’-lanterns. Most plastic decorations end up in landfills, taking hundreds of years to decompose. The manufacturing and disposal of plastic items also contribute to pollution and climate change. To make your Halloween eco-friendlier, consider these alternatives:  

• DIY decorations: Get creative and make your own decorations from recyclable or biodegradable materials like cardboard or paper. This way, you can reduce plastic waste.  
• Second-hand finds: Explore op shops or Facebook marketplace for pre-loved decorations. You might find unique, second-hand items that add charm to your Halloween display without contributing to plastic waste. This is also a great way to find second-hand costumes!
• Natural décor: Incorporate nature into your decorations with fallen leaves, branches, or pumpkins. These items are biodegradable and can be composted after Halloween.   

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Click on the video to hear Senior Minister John Edgerton preach a sermon at Festival Worship titled Where to Begin?

BEWARE OF EMAIL AND INTERNET SCAMS

Every day spammers and scammers get better at spoofing emails to make them appear as if they are legitimately from someone else. It has come to our attention that emails have gone out that appear to be from Old South Ministers and Staff asking for money and gift cards. When in doubt remember:

• Never open a link in an email when you haven't verified the sender.
• Old South ministers and staff will never email anyone asking for help with gift cards or other financial issues.
• Check the sender and if it doesn't match the ministers and staff emails here, it isn't from us.
• Call the church and ask to speak to the person the email seems to have come from to see if they really sent it.

OTHER INFORMATION

COVID PRECAUTIONS 

• Masking is optional.
• Masks are available at the front desk for those who choose to wear one.
• We strongly encourage everyone to be fully vaxxed and boosted.

MASKED SECTIONS OF THE SANCTUARY AND CHAPEL

Did you know that we have masked sections in the Sanctuary and Chapel?

We do! It's in the left transept (under the balcony) of the Sanctuary. In the Gordon Chapel, the Columbarium is the designated section. In both sections, masks are required. If you still aren't sure how to get to either section, ask an usher!

SANCTUARY IN THE CITY

Our Sanctuary in this City is open to visitors for prayer and reflection.

Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.; Fridays 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.;

and Weekends, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.