About Us
Who We Are
We look forward to giving you a warm welcome at the Mary Lyon Church. You will find we are:
- A caring community that puts people before beliefs.
- People who believe that spiritual exploration is vital to their lives.
- People who value music and make it a central part of their weekly worship experience.
- A congregation open to people of all ages, races, and denominational backgrounds.
- An informal, traditional, and family-oriented style of worship.
Below you will find a couple of the many ways we make a difference in our community and in our world.
DONATE
FROM THE FINANCE, INVESTED FUNDS, AND PROPERTIES COMMITTEE
2020
The church’s monthly income has been drastically reduced since COVID-19 mandated isolation has closed us down. We are no longer bringing in over $1,000 a month profit from our monthly public suppers. Weekly offerings are being mailed in by several regular attendees but overall our offering income is lower than usual.
Even though the building is not being used, monthly bills are still due. Whether the building is being used or not we must still pay expenses such as utilities, heat, insurance, and our pastor’s salary. These expenses amount to nearly $5,000 each month. We need your financial support now more than ever.
Please mail your offerings/donations payable to the Mary Lyon Church to our church collector, Vi S. Mail to the church to Vi’s attention at Mary Lyon Church, P.O.Box 87, Buckland, MA 01338
If you would like more details or have questions about our church’s budget, please contact the Finance, Invested Funds, and Properties Committee. Send an email to info@marylyonchurch.org or call the church at 413-625-9440.
Hilltown Churches Food Pantry
Our church has been part of the Hilltown Churches Food Pantry for many years. Each month we collect food and then take the donations brought to our church to the pantry located in the downstairs of the First Congregational Church on Main St., Route 116, in Ashfield. The pantry serves the eleven hill towns of Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Conway, Hawley, Heath, Monroe, Plainfield, Rowe and Shelburne. Our church’s donations are combined with others and every other Tuesday afternoon between the hours of 3 pm and 6 pm individuals and families from throughout the Hilltowns stop in to the pantry to pick up needed groceries. All identification is kept confidential – no financial information is requested – all one needs to do is show up and provide proof of residence and say that groceries are needed – no one is ever turned away. The pantry relies on donations of money and food for continued operation. They are able to stretch their dollars by shopping at the Food Bank of Western Mass. as most foods there are free and a few costs just 19 cents/lb. They spend 96-98% of their budget directly on food. Should you wish to make a donation directly to the pantry, their mailing address is Hilltown Churches Food Pantry, c/o First Congregational Church, Main St. Rt. 116 P.O. Box 161 Ashfield, Ma. 01330. If you have any questions you can call the pantry at 413-625-0020 or contact us. Volunteers are always needed to help with stocking and distribution.
Clothing Shed
The shed pictured is located on the east side of the church. Our church Missions Committee manages this project in collaboration with St. Pauly Textile, Inc. who collects clothing, shoes, linens, and blankets for distribution across the USA and around the world. The church receives a stipend for hosting the shed based on the amount of weight of items donated.
Update 11/24/2020: the shed had been closed since August due the pandemic but it is now open again. Thank you for any and all donations!