Christmas Crafting & Santa Visit
2025-12-21 11:30 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Join us for our annual Christmas Crafting Event, a festive gathering where people of all ages are welcome to come together for an afternoon filled with creativity, laughter, and holiday cheer.
Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or just looking to try something new, you’ll find everything you need to create beautiful decorations to brighten your home or share with loved ones. From ornaments and wreaths to garlands and more, there’s a project for everyone to enjoy.
Bring your imagination and holiday spirit as we make memories, connect with friends old and new, and celebrate the joy and togetherness of the season. Don’t miss this fun-filled event that’s sure to spark creativity and Christmas cheer!

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
2025-12-24 17:30 - 18:30 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Celebrate Christmas with a joyful blend of carols and readings that bring the story of Jesus’ birth to life. Together we’ll sing the songs we love, hear the story told simply and beautifully, and end the night with the glow of candles as “Silent Night” fills the room.
It’s a warm, welcoming tradition—real, heartfelt, and the perfect way to pause in the middle of the holiday rush and remember what this season is all about.

Coffee & Connection
2025-12-28 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-01-04 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-01-11 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-01-18 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-01-25 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-02-01 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-02-15 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-03-01 11:30 - 13:00 and 8 more dates | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Grab a Bite. Meet Some People.
After worship, hang out for a low-key coffee hour — a chance to share some snacks, sip something warm, and have real conversation with folks you might not have met yet. No pressure, no small talk required (unless you’re into that).
Want to help make it happen? Sign up here to bring snacks, make coffee, or help with cleanup. It’s a simple way to pitch in — and a great excuse to connect.

"Let's Pretend" Potluck
2026-01-11 11:30 - 13:00 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
This is a let’s pretend potluck. Everyone brings food, and we collectively agree to pretend that everyone made what they brought. We’re aiming for a mix of appetizers and entrees so the table feels abundant and everyone leaves full. Frozen or premade is not just allowed, it’s encouraged. Think spanakopita, potstickers, stuffed mushrooms, meatballs, mac and cheese trays, enchiladas, curry, lasagna, or anything else that heats up well and feeds people.
The goal is minimal stress and maximum enjoyment. Bring something you like, not something that exhausts you. Warm it, set it out, and enjoy the shared meal. No pressure, no perfection, just good food and good company.

Soup-er Bowl Potluck
2026-01-30 08:00 - 17:00 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Winter asks for soup. We are answering.
Join us for a cozy community meal built around big pots of soup, good bread, and shared tables. Bring a soup or a loaf if you can. Come hungry either way. This is not about culinary perfection. It is about warmth, conversation, and the simple pleasure of eating together while winter does its thing outside.
All ages welcome. All soups welcome. Bowls provided. Community guaranteed.

Open Mic Coffee Hour
2026-02-01 11:30 - 13:30 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Open Mic Coffee Hour is exactly what it sounds like. After worship, we’re turning coffee hour into a low stakes open mic. Music, poetry, comedy, short readings, stories, or something wonderfully undefinable. If you’ve got a thing you’ve been wanting to share, this is a friendly room to try it. We’re hoping for five or six short acts to keep things moving and lively.
This is not a talent show and it is not a competition. It’s coffee, community, and creativity in whatever form it takes. Come to perform, come to listen, come to clap enthusiastically. Stay for the caffeine, the courage, and the joy of seeing what your community can do.
If you have an act you’re excited to share, please let us know by filling out this form:
https://hillsidemedford.churchcenter.com/people/forms/1132403

Book Group: Social Change Now
2026-02-05 19:30 - 20:30, 2026-02-19 19:30 - 20:30 | https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9823959325?pwd=[REDACTED]
Social Change Now is a practical, grounded guide for people at every stage of justice work. It introduces ten roles in the social change ecosystem and offers real examples, reflection prompts, and concrete practices you can use right away.
Join us online as we read, reflect, and learn how to stay engaged for the long haul.

Sessions
This first session will cover:

Preface
The Time Is Now
Introducing the Social Change Ecosystem Framework

The second session will cover:

Mapping Social Change Roles

The third session will cover:

For Now, and for the Long Haul

Order Your Copy
Bookshop.org | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
If the cost of the book is prohibitive, just email Rev. Tom at pastor@hillsidemedford.org and we’ll make sure you get a copy!

Soup-er Bowl Potluck
2026-02-08 11:30 - 13:00 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Winter asks for soup. We are answering.
Join us for a cozy community meal built around big pots of soup, good bread, simple salads, and all the things that make soup better — crackers, rolls, and dunkable sides. Bring a soup, a loaf, a salad, or something crunchy if you can. Come hungry either way.
This is not about culinary perfection. It is about warmth, conversation, and the simple pleasure of eating together while winter does its thing outside.
All ages welcome. Bowls provided. Community guaranteed.
Let us know what you’re bringing:
https://www.PerfectPotluck.com/LHJJ2032

Coffee Hour: Board Game Bonanza Edition
2026-02-22 11:30 - 13:00 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
After worship, we’ll clear the tables, set out the snacks, and pull out a stack of games for all ages and attention spans. Quick card games. Strategy classics. Party games that get loud in the best way. You’re welcome to bring a favorite from home or jump into whatever has an open seat.
No experience required. No pressure to win. Just an hour of laughing, plotting, bluffing, teaming up, and maybe discovering that the quietest person in the room is a ruthless Settlers trader.
Come for coffee. Stay for the rematch.

Cereal-ously Delicious Potluck
2026-03-08 11:30 - 13:00 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Remember when Saturday mornings meant pajamas, cartoons, and a giant bowl of your favorite cereal? We’re bringing that energy to church.
For this potluck, bring a box of the cereal you love most. The sugary classics. The fiber-packed grown-up picks. The obscure organic granola with ingredients no one can pronounce. We’ll set up a full cereal bar with milk, non-dairy options, fruit, and toppings so everyone can mix, match, and taste.
It’s simple. It’s nostalgic. It’s surprisingly competitive.
Come ready to share, sample, and maybe defend your choice.

Coffee Hour: Team Trivia Edition
2026-03-22 11:30 - 13:00 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Put your random knowledge to good use at Coffee Hour: Team Trivia Edition. We’ll form intergenerational teams so everyone brings something different to the table, from pop culture to history to oddly specific facts you didn’t know you remembered.
Questions will come in a mix of categories and difficulty, so every team has a shot. The winning team will walk away with bragging rights and a small prize. Come ready to think, laugh, and maybe surprise yourself.

Home & Heritage Potluck
2026-04-12 11:30 - 13:00 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Everyone eats. But not everyone eats the same things — and that’s exactly the point.
We’re gathering for a potluck built around a simple theme: home and heritage. Bring a dish that means something to you. Maybe it’s what your grandmother made every Sunday. Maybe it’s something you grew up eating that nobody else at school had ever heard of. Maybe it’s the one recipe that still tastes like home, wherever home was.
The table will tell the story of where we’ve all come from — which, it turns out, is a lot of different places.
What to bring: One dish to share that connects to your background or upbringing. Homemade, store-bought, or somewhere in between. If you want to tell us what it is and where it’s from, we’d love to hear it.
Come hungry. Come curious.

Pecha Kucha Coffee Hour Redux
2026-04-26 11:30 - 13:00 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Come enjoy coffee, snacks, and a brand-new twist on our regular coffee hour!
We’ll be hosting a Pecha Kucha, a lively presentation format known as 20×20: 20 images, 20 seconds each. The slides advance automatically, so it’s quick, energetic, and always entertaining.
The best part? It’s all about sharing what you love. Presenters pick any passion — from gardening to board games, from favorite travels to family recipes — and give us a window into their world. It’s less about polish and more about fun, connection, and curiosity.
Curious about the format? Learn more here:
WHAT IS PECHA KUCHA
We’re looking for at least 5 people to present, so if you’ve got something you’d love to share, sign up here:
SIGN UP TO DO A PRESENTATION
Bring your mug, grab a snack, and settle in for a lively and joy-filled coffee hour you won’t want to miss.

Hillside High Tea
2026-05-24 11:30 - 13:00 | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Come spill the tea – or just drink it.
You’re cordially, casually, and somewhat ironically invited to Hillside High Tea – an afternoon of delightfully over-the-top refinement… or at least our best attempt. There will be tea. There will be treats. There may even be pinkies raised.
Throw on a big hat, a bowtie, a feather boa, or whatever makes you feel extra – and join us for laughter, conversation, and a spread that would make the Dowager Countess raise an eyebrow (in approval, of course). Come to sip, snack, and socialize – no actual aristocracy required.
SIGN UP TO BRING HIGH TEA SNACKS
