Sunday Morning Worship
2026-04-26 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-05-03 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-05-10 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-05-17 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-05-24 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-05-31 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-06-07 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-06-21 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) and 1 more date | Hillside Community Church, 144 North Street, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
Feel the love every Sunday at 10:30am!
Looking for a church that takes faith seriously but not literally? A place where you can breathe, question, laugh, and maybe even find meaning in the chaos? You’re invited to worship with Hillside Community Church – a progressive, inclusive Christian community where curiosity is holy, compassion is central, and nobody pretends to have it all together.
Expect thoughtful messages, good music, real talk, and a community that actually cares. We blend old and new – ancient wisdom and modern vibes – in a laid-back, come-as-you-are environment. Bring your doubts. Bring your coffee. Bring your whole self.
Join Us Onsite
144 North Street, Medford, MA – free street parking, no dress code, all vibes welcome.
Join Us Online
Join us on Zoom
Meeting ID: 862 3424 1417
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Pecha Kucha Coffee Hour Redux
2026-04-26 11:30 - 13:00
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.

Coffee & Connection
2026-05-03 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-05-10 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-05-17 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-05-31 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-06-07 11:30 - 13:00, 2026-06-14 11:30 - 13:00
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.

Davis Square Outreach
2026-05-03 12:30 - 13:15, 2026-05-17 12:30 - 13:15, 2026-05-21 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-31 12:30 - 13:15, 2026-06-14 12:30 - 13:15
Join us for our weekly Street Outreach in Davis Square, where we offer socks, snacks, and solidarity to our unhoused neighbors. It’s a small gesture—walking the streets, offering what we can with dignity and warmth—but it makes a real difference.
We’ll meet at 3:00 PM in front of the Davis Square T Station on Holland Street. Before we head out, Rev. Tom will offer a brief introduction to the work—what we’re doing, why it matters, and how to go about it with care. Then we’ll walk a loop through the neighborhood, finishing up by 4:00 or 4:30.
No experience needed. Just bring good shoes, a compassionate heart, and a willingness to show up.
VOLUNTEER WITH THE OUTREACH TEAM

Cooking For the Friday Café
2026-05-14 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-06-11 18:30 - 20:30
The Friday Café is a ministry in Cambridge that welcomes about 120 homeless men and women each week. More than just a meal, it offers clothing, resources, and—most importantly—a peaceful, dignified space for community.
Once a month, our church cooks for the Friday Café. You don’t need to bring food—just bring your hands and your heart, ready to serve. We’ll provide the ingredients, the instructions, and the company. There’s always pizza and good vibes for volunteers as we cook together.
Come be part of this simple but powerful act of love and hospitality.
SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

Annual Meeting
2026-05-17 12:00 - 13:00
The church doesn’t run on autopilot. Once a year we gather to look at the numbers, name the priorities, and decide together where we’re headed. That’s the annual meeting — practical, important, and open to everyone.

Church Picnic + Chili Cook-off
2026-05-21 11:30 - 13:00
Food, fun, and a little friendly fire (roasted chili-style) — don’t miss it!
Join us after worship for a festive all-church picnic on the lawn! We’re celebrating the energy and joy of Youth Sunday with food, fun, and our second annual Chili Cookoff.
The picnic is potluck-style — bring something to share and help us create a spread that’s as diverse as our congregation. Homemade, store-bought, fancy, simple — it’s all welcome. Just sign up so we don’t end up with twelve trays of brownies and no main course.
Feeling bold? Bring a batch of your best chili and enter our Chili Cookoff! The winner will receive a brand new cast iron skillet and full bragging rights until next year’s showdown.

Hillside High Tea
2026-05-24 11:30 - 13:00
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

Medford Porchfest
2026-06-06 13:00 - 15:15
We’re hosting two acts this year — Slappy Pappy (1:00-2:00pm) and Cassie Kollman (2:15pm-3:15pm).
Porchfest is back for its fourth year, and the premise is still the best thing about it: free music, played outside, in actual neighborhoods, by actual people. No venue, no cover, no algorithm deciding what you should probably like.
Just porches, patios, driveways, and lawns — and whoever shows up.

Youth Sunday Service
2026-06-14 10:30 - 11:30
Youth Sunday is one of the best mornings of the year at Hillside — energetic, a little unpredictable, and frequently loud. There will be music, movement, storytelling, and things that wouldn’t fly in a more “proper” worship service. That’s the point.
This service meets kids where they are rather than asking them to fit into adult spaces. Adults are more than welcome — children tend to understand things about joy and trust that most grownups spend years trying to get back.
We’ll also be gifting Bibles to kids marking landmark years in their faith journey.
Come ready for something heartfelt, playful, and just a little chaotic.

Join Us Onsite
144 North Street, Medford, MA – free street parking, no dress code, all vibes welcome.
Join Us Online
Join us on Zoom
Meeting ID: 862 3424 1417
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Lowkey Summer Coffee Hour
2026-06-21 11:30 - 13:00
Summer’s in gear, so we’re taking it slow. No fuss, no production—just iced coffee, the Keurig humming along, cold lemonade, and a plate of cookies. Come by, grab a nosh, catch up if you feel like it, and head back out to enjoy the rest of your afternoon. No stress, no agenda. Just a relaxed stop on a summer day.
Hope to see you there.

Memorial Service for Rebecca Ramsay
2026-06-21 12:00 - 12:45
Join us in commemorating the life of our longtime member and friend, Rebecca Ramsay. There will be a time during the service to offer any stories or memories you wish to share.
If you are unable to join us in person, you can join us online via Zoom at the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9823959325?pwd=[REDACTED]

Obituary

Rebecca Linnell Ramsay, 80, died peacefully on May 31, 2026, at The Current South Shore in Weymouth, Massachusetts. She had spent most of her life in Cambridge, a city that suited her perfectly: quirky, intellectually serious, and full of hidden gardens.
Rebecca was born in Concord on January 28, 1946, the daughter of Robert and Eve (Dyer) Ramsay. She earned a Master’s Degree in French Literature and spent much of her career at Harvard University, supporting faculty in the Economics Department. But her education was never limited to what a degree could certify. She read continuously, attended lectures at the French Library, participated in French reading and poetry groups, followed the politics and human rights movements of Central America with sustained attention, and showed up for decades to a Suitcase Seminar whenever our denomination offered one. Learning, for Rebecca, was not a phase of life; it was her whole approach to it.
She also loved birds and animals and gardens with a devotion that was more than sentiment. It showed up in how she tended things, how she paid attention to the natural world, and even how she ate. Rebecca was a lifelong vegetarian and she avoided sugar with a discipline that most of us could not match (and she was not shy about recommending that others do the same!).
Those of us who knew her from her decades as a member of Hillside knew her as someone who consistently showed up to serve. She sang in the choir. She edited the newsletter. She served on the Church Council. She greeted people at the door. She helped with coffee hour. She attended Women’s World Days of Prayer and women’s spiritual growth groups. And, most telling of her character, she volunteered to mow the lawn, biking over in the August heat and refusing to use anything but a manual push mower.
Her life outside the walls of our church was equally full. She sang for decades with the Somerville Community Chorus and later with the Senior Center chorus. She volunteered with Fresh Pond cleanup. She belonged to an organization that tended apple trees in Cambridge yards, harvested the fruit, and made applesauce, returning some to the homeowners. She spent weeks of vacation cleaning up sections of the Appalachian Trail in exchange for room and board. She skied and rowed, sailed and canoed, ran races, ice skated, and danced ballet. She kayaked. She drew and painted. She printed her own Christmas cards by hand, block print by block print.
Rebecca was preceded in death by her brothers Stephen and Robert. She is survived by her nephew Todd Newton Ramsay, his wife Leann, and a wider circle of family and friends who were lucky enough to have known her well.
There is a kind of person whose presence registers quietly but whose absence registers loudly. Rebecca Ramsay was that person. She never needed to be the center of attention. She was too busy doing the actual work: the mowing, the harvesting, the singing, the showing up. We give thanks to God for a life lived with that much intention and that much grace.
In lieu of flowers, her family invites donations in her memory to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), honoring her lifelong love of animals, birds, and wildlife. Donations may be made at www.worldwildlife.org/donate
