by Stacey Hilliard | Sep 15, 2026 | Crawford Excursions, News
Crawford Memorial United Methodist is excited to announce it is hosting a performance by the award-winning Spirituals Ensemble of The Boston Arts Academy. This FREE concert is open to the public and will be held on October 25 at 2pm in Gifford Hall at 34 Dix Street in Winchester, MA.
While this event is free, please RSVP HERE so we know how many seats to set up.
Spirituals Ensemble
Founded in 2009, The Boston Arts Academy Spirituals Ensemble explores the evolution of the African-American sacred choral music tradition. This auditioned group of 30 sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Boston Arts Academy (BAA), the city’s only public arts high school, is directed by Music Department Chair, Michael Bradley. They have performed at numerous community events, including recently for the inauguration of Governor Maura Healy. Several members of past ensembles have majored in music in college and have received full scholarships at leading music colleges including Boston University, Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory, Oberlin and the Hartt School of Music. Other performances include the 50th Anniversary Concert of Sweet Honey In The Rock, the American Choral Directors Association Eastern Conference in March of 2024 and sharing the stage with James Taylor. They also released an album, Genesis, landing at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Crossover Albums Chart. This remarkable achievement marks the first time in the history of Boston Public Schools (BPS) that a music ensemble has charted on Billboard. A second album they recorded, The Kidz at North Station, was subsequently nominated for a Stellar Award in 2025, again making history as the first BPS ensemble to be nominated in the professional Gospel Music community. The Spirituals have competed and won several Grand champion titles in competitions across the country.
Director Bio
Michael W. Bradley has been an active educator in the arts community and K-12 education for over fifteen years and has become an experienced writer and director in the fields of Choral and Gospel music, respectively. Michael’s choirs have competed and won Grand Champion Awards in national competitions and have performed for Yo-Yo Ma, Damien Woetzel, and at the White House for First Lady Michelle Obama. Michael graduated from Berklee College of Music with a B.M. in Music Education in 2012 and a Master’s in Public Administration at Belhaven University . Currently Michael is finishing his Master’s in Choral Conducting at Boston University where he studies with Dr. Daniel Parsley. Now in his twelfth year of teaching, Michael is the Co-Chair of the Music Department of Boston Arts Academy. Michael’s teaching responsibilities at BAA include Freshmen Vocal Technique, Junior and Senior Contemporary Vocal Technique, Lyric Choir, Men of Valor, Concert Choir, and the award-winning “Spirituals.” In 2024, The Spirituals released three albums, “Genesis,” a classical crossover album that reached #1 on the Classical and Classical Crossover Billboard Charts, “The Kidz At North Station,” a kids album that reached #1 on the Kids Album Billboard Charts and “American Dreamers,” a Spoken Word Album. The Spirituals have performed for the inauguration of Governor Maura Healy and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, the homegoing celebration of Civil Rights Activist, Melvin King, for the 50th Anniversary Concert of “Sweet Honey In The Rock”, the American Choral Directors Association 2024 Eastern Division Conference and shared the stage with six-time Grammy Award winning songwriter, James Taylor. Michael manages a Worship and Arts Consulting Firm, Motif Creative Services, whose sole purpose is to strengthen the administrative and liturgical practices and systems of Worship and Production teams of churches of all sizes. Although Michael has joyfully led and served in the Creative and Liturgical Artistic communities, his greatest joy is being married to his amazing wife, Daniella K. Bradley.
by Stacey Hilliard | Sep 14, 2026 | Uncategorized
This September, Crawford’s Food Ministries will receive $1 for every specially marked $11.99 Bloomin’ 4 Good bouquet sold at our local Stop & Shop, 695 Main Street, Winchester MA.
Ending food insecurity is an important mission of Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church whose members serve dinner regularly at The Dwelling Place in Woburn, and have been longtime supporters of the food pantry run by the Council of Social Concern. We opened our first micro pantry (the first in Winchester) in June 2020, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the challenges it created for both those in need and the organizations that had to limit their assistance in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. An Eagle Scout project completed by Kenny Xu (Troop 507) provided a sizable expansion of the pantry.
Funds raised through donations and programs like Bloomin’ 4 Good help fill the gaps in our missions readiness, sometimes buying items for the food pantry and other times helping to purchase meals for the guests of the dwelling place (though most of the time, the meals are home-cooked with love). Learn more about Crawford’s micro pantry and other missions and ministries here.
Brighten someone’s day with flowers today!
by Stacey Hilliard | Sep 14, 2026 | Uncategorized
HOW TO HELP
Wondering how you might get involved with this year’s Holiday Faire? Here is the list of Chairpersons for the many areas that will be looking for volunteers. Please contact them if you would like to help out or have questions about what they need.
Apple Pie Making – Carol &Warren Butt
Bake Table – Sue Powers
Books – Audrey Killion
Boutique – Sandra & Sonja Lawson, & Joanne Hobson
Christmas Room – Laura Myers
Cookies Table – Linda Yew
Frozen Foods – Karen Murphy (See more info, below!)
Jewelry – Cathy Carr
Luncheon – Colin & Linda Simson
Publicity – Rosemary Monk
White Elephant/Books – Bernadette Higgins
White Elephant/Books – Reminder: we do not have room to store donations in advance of the holiday faire. I will let you know when (dates and times) you can drop your gently used treasures off at the church. Another reminder: we will not accept any electronics, computers, printers, stuffed animals, or pillows.
More information will be forth coming.
Thank you again for your support and if you have any questions, please let me know.
Pam Donaldson – email me, or call me at 617-460-2385.
CALLING ALL CRAWFORD COOKS: FROZEN FOODS RETURN TO THE FAIRE
As announced in the Messenger, we are bringing back frozen foods to the Holiday Faire (Saturday, Nov. 14)!
We are looking for those of you who love to cook and would like to provide proven-freezable entrees, soups, or stews to be sold at the Faire.
Do you have a favorite recipe that freezes well?
Do you want to help out but don’t have a recipe that would work? No worries, I have recipes I can share. I will provide freezable containers so all frozen serving sizes are consistent.
Please contact me if you would like to participate in this fun and important role! Cool weather is coming-let’s get cooking!
Karen Murphy
Kdmurph80@gmail.com
WHITE ELEPHANTS & JEWELRY
Please be patient with your faire items, be they handmade items, Christmas decor, books, or white elephants. Especially with the reboot of Sunday School, we have no space at the church to store items this far ahead of time. We will let you know as soon as possible, when you can bring your items in to the church.
The one exception to this request, is for jewelry. Karen Beals and Cathy Carr would like your donations for the jewelry table ASAP. They need the time to price the jewelry and prepare them for display on the day of the faire. Please talk to Karen or Cathy after church if you have jewelry to donate to the sale.
by Stacey Hilliard | Sep 9, 2026 | Conversations
This coming Sunday (Sept. 13) we begin our fall routines in earnest: worship moves back to the sanctuary, the choir returns, the adults resume their Sunday morning study group. For those who have been away over the summer months—and for those who have stayed—“back-to-church” Sunday is an opportunity to reconnect with our church family and establish a rhythm for the coming season.
This September, as we continue to get to know each other as pastor and congregation, our worship will center around the beloved community, a concept named by Josiah Royce and built upon by Martin Luther King Jr. To them, beloved community was grounded in God’s agape love, a love strong enough to confront injustice without growing to hate “the enemy.” The beloved community is a place where all can participate and flourish even now, and creating that community, King said, would “require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.”
Since arriving at Crawford, I’ve heard many testimonies to the power of community found here: annual traditions that bring people together, small groups that respect and challenge our perspectives, the presence of prayerful friends during a difficult moment. I’ve also heard (and share in) the concern that not everyone has this type of community to turn to. And when we look around, we recognize that our community does not include everyone that it could.
This fall as we worship together, we will do so with eye and heart toward the vision of beloved community that God sets forth. We’ll examine some of the obstacles, but more importantly, we’ll look at tangible steps we can take now to join, create, and invite others into transformative relationship with God and neighbor. And, as Dr. King said, we should prepare for some quantitative and qualitative changes ourselves!
In pursuit of that change, the adult study group will be reading together Mónica Guzmán’s I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. This book, which focuses specifically but not exclusively on political divisions, will be an important guide as we prepare to be beloved community through the midterm elections. This study, facilitated by Pam Reeve, will run through October 11. View the study plan.
Another way we’re refreshing our sense of community is through the (re)connect sessions. Initially billed as meet-the-pastor sessions, these are opportunities to learn a bit about me, but also to share with each other what has been most transformative about life at Crawford as well as where our hopes and energy lie at this moment. It’s my dream that every Crawford member would attend at least one session. There are still several opportunities, including virtual ones. I hope to see you at one of them!
Last but not least, Sunday Sept. 13 will be a special day of celebration. After major renovations this summer, we will rededicate Gifford Hall for future ministry use, dreaming of and praying for the beloved community who would be formed within that space. Also during coffee hour, the parsonage will be open for visitors. My family and I are very grateful for your stewardship of this property which has become our home; we’d love for you to see how we’re settling in.
September Worship Schedule
9/13 – The Vision of Beloved Community | Acts 2:1-21
After church: Gifford Hall Dedication & Parsonage Open House
9/20 – Overcoming Obstacles to Beloved Community | Matthew 23:1-5, 37-39
After church: (Re)Connect session (Meet the pastor) (begin at 11:45)
9/27 – Becoming Beloved Community | Matthew 25: 31-46
After church: Sunday School Showcase in Gifford Hall (11:00)
(Re)Connect session (Meet the pastor) (begin at 11:45)
by Stacey Hilliard | Sep 7, 2026 | Conversations
From the September 9th UMCatalyst, The Weekly newsletter for the New England Conference
As we enter the midterm general election season, the NEAC Board of Church & Society invites you to join us at 7 pm on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, for a special webinar featuring Chavis Jones, Counsel at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Chavis will share with us the current threats to voting rights in our country and how we are called to work for change as people of faith. Click here to register for this event. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Rev. Nicholas Perez at ndperez040592@gmail.com.
