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February 27, 2009 – January 10, 2010
Honoring the past, celebrating the present, transforming the future

On February 27, 1809, twenty-six Bostonians signed a charter that formed Park Street Church. They had the faith and foresight to build an 800-person meetinghouse on the corner of Park and Tremont Streets. The first service in the magnificent sanctuary was held on February 10, 1810. In the two hundred years since its inception, the church has remained Trinitarian, evangelical and congregational. Five facets have built Park Street’s identity and history: orthodoxy, social action and reform, missions programs, evangelicalism, and music.

Honoring the past
Since its founding in 1809, Park Street Church has been the site of many historic events and has been a pioneer in many social and theological concerns. The Handel and Haydn Society was organized at this church in 1815. The first Protestant missionaries to Hawaii were sent in 1819. On July 4, 1829, the famous abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, delivered his first anti-slavery address from the Park Street pulpit. Lowell Mason, considered by many to be the father of American Protestant church music, was Park Street’s first organist. Samuel Francis Smith’s hymn, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” was first sung on the front steps of the church by Park Street’s Children’s Choir on July 4, 1831. The Prison Discipline Society, the American Temperance Society, the Animal Rescue League, and the Boston Chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. all began here. America’s oldest continually-running radio ministry began at Park Street Church in 1923.

Celebrating the present
For over two hundred years, God has provided for the body of Christ at Park Street Church. What a cause for thanks and celebration! The Bicentennial is a chance for the whole church to both celebrate and share God’s grace and faithfulness with the City of Boston and the world.

Transforming the future
The next century is an opportunity for the body of Christ at Park Street to speak to our communities through evangelism. We are a vibrant, growing, exciting church for all ages and nations; we are a church that values intellectual honesty, a place where intellectualism and a faith in Jesus Christ are not mutually exclusive; we are a church committed to continuing and strengthening our tradition of involvement in issues of social justice; and we are a vital and active member of the local and global community.

Mission of the Bicentennial Celebration
The purpose of this celebration is to rejoice in the abundant grace that God has poured upon this church in its 200 years, to recognize the works of faith and love carried out here, to learn from the past as we look to the church’s future, and to reach out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, prayerfully promoting revival in our local and global communities.

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Be Part of Planning the Celebration!
This celebration will be as big or as small as the Congregation would like…it’s up to you!  If you want to set an example for Boston, New England and global communities of the power of God’s love, grace and faithfulness, we need your help. So, jump in and share your ideas, your talents, and your hard work.

There are numerous activities to be planned for the ten-month celebration from February 27, 2009 through January 10, 2010. If you would like to volunteer to serve God by assisting with the planning and implementation of the celebration, please see further details below about how to volunteer.

The following are a list of committees who need volunteers. 
You will assist in planning, developing and implementing ideas throughout the celebration.

Kick-off Celebration Dinner:
This dinner will begin the ten-month celebration by commemorating the exact 200th anniversary of the day the Park Street Church charter was signed. The logistics of the dinner and the distribution of tickets will need to be planned, as well as developing the program for the celebration. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail Dinner200[at]parkstreet.org.

Children's and Family Activities:
If you would like to help plan activities for kids, teens, and families, this committee is for you. Family Ministries is an integral part of PSC and will be an important part of the celebration. This committee will be sure to provide lots of fun and some ties to the history of PSC for our younger congregants. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail Family200[at]parkstreet.org.

Historic Exhibits:
This committee will create interesting and educational displays of memorabilia, pictures, books, and other objects from Park Street’s history based around approximately twelve themes. The sky is the limit on creativity. If you have a passion for history or art, we need you here. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail History200[at]parkstreet.org.

Lecture Series:
The anniversary celebration is not only a chance to celebrate God’s love and faithfulness, it is also an opportunity to celebrate Park Street’s identity and history, which has been built on orthodoxy, social action and reform, missions, music and evangelicalism. This committee will coordinate lecture events to share these ideas with the church’s communities. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail Education200[at]parkstreet.org.

Memorabilia:
Park Street Church is our home. We would like to provide the congregants an opportunity to commemorate their home and what it means to each one of us.  This committee will provide opportunities to celebrate Park Street Church in a tangible and lasting way. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail Memorabilia200[at]parkstreet.org.

Missions:
Missions is a significant park of Park Street’s history, both present and future. This committee will have the opportunity to reach local and global communities with the message of Park Street Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Missions activities will be numerous and significant throughout the celebration. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail Missions200[at]parkstreet.org.

Music:
This committee will plan various special activities to incorporate the music ministries and musical history into the celebration. The committee will also support other committees and activities by assisting with their music needs. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail Music200[at]parkstreet.org.

Oral History and Testimonies:
This committee will plan, organize, and videotape or arrange speaking opportunities for individuals to share their experiences of Park Street, or about their lives at Park Street Church. This is an excellent opportunity to creatively share God’s work in our lives with our communities as well as to commemorate pieces of Park Street history. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail Testimonies200[at]parkstreet.org.

Prayer:
The power of prayer is what Park Street has been built upon for 200 years. It is what we need to continue through the celebration and into the future. This committee will support the planning and implementation of the anniversary celebration through various regularly scheduled and other prayer events. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail Prayer200[at]parkstreet.org.

Small Groups:
This committee will help develop curriculum and activities for small groups to utilize during the celebration. The curriculum will focus on the ideas of the Park Street Bicentennial Celebration mission statement. This will provide unity and a sense of oneness as the body of Christ during the celebration months. If you would like to be a part of this committee or would like more information, please e-mail Smallgroups200[at]parkstreet.org.

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The celebration will also include a new book on Park Street’s history, nationally recognized guest preachers, and various other surprises!