First Baptist, Mansfield had a Hanging of the Greens in December. At that time, families gathered to decorate the sanctuary for the Advent season and also make wreaths. Supplies and hot cocoa were supplied. Four other churches in MA were also selected. In the proposal to the Lilly Endowment, Ives said he wanted to do research into the life and writings of Jonathan Edwards, the great eighteenth century preacher and former pastor of The First Church from 1727-1750.
Ives also plans to write a book entitled The Spiritual Response to Violence .
Finally, he plans to live and worship in Scotland, including spending one month at the Iona Community, on the Isle of Iona off the west coast of Scotland. First Baptist, Medfield has a Holiday Shoebox Collection in which they filled shoeboxes with small gifts for the Medfield State Hospital. Boxes included such things as hats, scarves, socks, gloves, paperback books, cards, note paper, shaving cream, shampoo and so on. Last year, the church delivered 40 boxes to the hospital. First Baptist, Marlborough had a live nativity scene in front of their church, complete with live sheep.