Natick's 21st Annual MLK Community Celebration

For ALL AGES, with special focus on being welcoming to families with school aged children.

Connection + Service + Justice. Each year, Natick’s MLK Day Celebration has included a service project and an opportunity for connecting with neighbors and community resources. Community partners also highlight ways for people to deepen their learning, take everyday actions for justice and inclusion, stand up against racism, spread kindness, and help build a beloved community where everyone belongs.

Join us for Community Connection at 9:30am with Starbucks refreshments. The MLK Day Program begins at 10:00 in the auditorium. 

This year's program will feature:

• Student musical performances
• Middle School Creative Contest winners
• Community leaders and partners
• Interfaith Clergy representatives
• Keynote presentation from Audi Lynch, METCO Director at Natick Public Schools

We encourage all community members to bring nonperishable food or personal care items (unopened, not expired) and diapers (all sizes) to help "Fill the Van" for Natick Service Council and A Place to Turn in honor of MLK Day! Drop off at Natick High School (15 West Street) between 10AM - 11AM on MLK Day.

Registration is encouraged but not required to attend this special event. Please contact the Natick MLK Day Dream Team at dreamteam@firstchurchnatick.org with any accommodation questions.

Past MLK Day Community Celebrations

View pictures, videos, and more from past MLK Day Community Celebrations here!

About Our Keynote Speaker:

Audi Lynch is a progressive, faith-driven leader with a multifaceted career spanning pastoral ministry, education, counseling, and the arts. With over 15 years of impact across spiritual and civic arenas, he is deeply committed to the holistic development of individuals, families, and institutions; blending theological insight, educational leadership, and cultural engagement.

Audi serves as the Pastor of the Faithful Church in Boston and as Associate Pastor at The Refuge Temple Church, building ministries that merge biblical fidelity with emotional wellness, community empowerment, and social relevance. A third-generation Pentecostal preacher, he answered the call to ministry at 19 years old..

In the realm of education, Audi is the Director of the METCO Program for Natick Public Schools, where he oversees the academic and social success of K-12 students, spearheads family engagement initiatives, and collaborates with district leaders to promote equity, belonging, and culturally responsive practices. Formerly a METCO Social Worker in Lexington, he has brought strategic, data-informed leadership to one of Massachusetts’ most vital educational programs.

Audi holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music, where he developed as a world-class musician and educator, touring internationally across the United States, Germany, Israel, and the Caribbean. He later earned a Master of Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, equipping him to serve as a clinician, spiritual advisor, and educational advocate. He holds multiple professional licenses in counseling and school-based support services, and is actively involved in advancing equity and achievement across educational systems.

He is the founder of Musician Connect, a platform that trains and mentors aspiring musicians through clinics, workshops, and private instruction. He also leads Faith Readers Press, a growing Christian publishing and printing enterprise committed to empowering voices of faith, culture, and transformation.

Audi is a sought-after speaker at youth summits, educational conferences, church leadership forums, and Christian worship events. His areas of expertise include: spiritual identity, emotional health in leadership, cultural restoration, educational equity, and family discipleship. His work is grounded in the belief that true change begins with identity, spiritually, socially, and structurally.

He is married to his best friend and ministry partner, Jacquelyn Raye Lynch, and together they are raising three sons: Audi II, Aiden Joshua, and Brandon Alexander. In his spare time, Audi enjoys family travel, arranging music, writing, and building systems that make ministry more accessible, sustainable, and impactful.