The Union Church in Waban
Inclusive, Child Cherishing, Outreach and Mission Minded
           Weekly Updates - Friday, May 20, 2016
Visit Our New Website Here
Children's Sunday is June 12th a nd the theme will be Care of Creation, lifting up our care of all things God has created.  This is a Sunday for all children to participate in and create worship.  Please plan on attending and having your kids participate in this beloved service.  It is a highlight of the year and a joy.  If you have questions please see Karen Weisgerber. 
The service will be followed by our 
annual  All - Church Picnic.  There will 
be lots of delicious food, fun games, and
good fellowship. The picnic will take 
place at church this year. 
 
ThisSundayThis Sunday 
Bible Discussion this Sunday: 8:00 a.m.
We are reading the Letter to the Hebrews, one of the epistles in the New Testament.  All are welcome. 

Choir Rehearsal: 
9:00 a.m.  

Sunday Service:
10:00 a.m. 
 
 Guest preacher Rev. June Cooper from The City Mission Society will take us into the breach and ask us to consider the role of the church in today's world.  We will also enjoy a Mission Moment from Principal Tamara Blake of the Russell Elementary School in Dorchester. 

Worship and Music
New Members :
We will be receiving new members into our life together on Sunday June 26.  If you are interested in joining the church or would like to learn more about this vibrant community of faith, please see Pastor Stacy. 
Fellowship and Spirituality
May Book Club Selection
Crossing to Safety  by Wallace Stegner

Next meeting Tuesday , May 31 at 7:00 p.m.
Tracing the lives, loves, and aspirations of two couples who         move between Vermont and Wisconsin, it is a work of quiet     majesty, deep compassion, and powerful insight into the           alchemy of friendship a nd marriage.  (Goodreads.com)  


Mission and Outreach
City Mission Society, the Russell School and the Union Church Partnership!
This Sunday, May 22nd
 
June Cooper of City Mission Society , our partner and facilitator of the Russell School Partnership and Tamara Blake, Principal of Russell Elementary will join us Sunday, May 22nd, at Union Church! After church, join us on the stage for questions and conversations with June and Tamara, who know us and this work, and can answer your questions, and can hear your comments. For example, what are the best ways for us to partner with Russell School parents, staff and students? How should we reflect on, and evaluate our years of partnering with Russell? What are your thoughts on our partnership for the year going forward? Why are America's public schools funded primarily by property taxes, when the bottom line for poor communities will be obvious? How does our faith inform this work? Does quality education change outcomes for urban students? And more...  You are invited. We look forward to seeing you then!  Child care will be available. 

Discovering God's Economy/1K church
May 26 th at 7:00 p.m., at the home of Brita Gill-Austern

The Union Church in Waban has committed itself to become a part of the 1K movement of churches to reinvigorate and support local economies in the United States by making a microfinance loan to a small business of five or less employees, in the larger metropolitan Boston area, as far north as Lowell and as far south as New Bedford. We are currently reaching out to organizations and individuals who may be able to put us in touch with people who may benefit by receiving one of the microfinance loans we hope to make available.  If you are interested in learning more about this program, or in suggesting someone who may benefit by it, please be in touch with Brita Gill-Austern at chief2347@icloud.com .  

A Season for Stewardship
It is the wonderful time of year when we embark on our annual stewardship 
campaign. The theme for this year's retreat was finding rest and renewal and building resiliency.  This also seems perfect for the stewardship campaign.  My family has 
been attending the church since 2004 and I think our leadership, congregation and 
overall state of the church are as strong as they have ever been.  This was not always 
the case and our current circumstances certainly help me find rest.

Continue reading                                                           (Pledge card is available 
here)

The Wider Community
Bethany Worrell
Performs Bach Solos
T omorrow, May 21 -  details below

Greetings Union Church Family!
This Saturday (May 21) I'll be performing the first Bach solos of my career with the engaging Metropolitan Chorale. I'm looking forward to be singing such a moving piece with orchestra, and in addition I'm super excited for the opportunity to share my personal faith through my musical performance. J.S. Bach's Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis (I had much grief), BWV 21 features two "parts." Part 1 journeys through the grieving and sorrow that is part of our human grappling with sin. As Part 2 unfolds, grief is replaced with praise for God and His unfailing redemption and love. The first half of Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis is sure to offer a contemplative listening atmosphere and then delight the audience's spirit with the concluding half of the cantata. To read more about J.S. Bach's Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, click here
 
In addition to performing this Bach cantata, the Chorale will be singing Concert Selections from Leonard Bernstein's Mass. I'll be singing both as a soloist and as a chorister in the Mass. Like the Bach cantata, the Bernstein Mass also explores the unease that is part of the human experience. Bernstein integrates text samplings from the Hebrew tradition, Latin Mass, and more current texts by Stephen Schwartz that exemplify the age of the early 1970s. To read more about Bernstein's Mass, click here.

Please join me and my friends in the Metropolitan Chorale for this exciting concert!

 
Concert details:
Metropolitan Chorale
Bach Cantata 21 and Bernstein Mass Selections
Saturday, May 21, 2016
8:00 PM
First Baptist Church, Newton
848 Beacon St, Newton Centre, MA 02459
Metropolitan Chorale Website
Facebook Event Page
Purchase Tickets Here
Thank you!
Bethany Worrell


The Wider Community
2016 Mayor's Prayer Breakfast

Wednesday, May 25th from 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. 
 
McElroy Commons Building at Boston College.
 
Dear Resident,
 
The 42nd annual Theodore D. Mann Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast is only two weeks away! Tickets are on sale now, and I hope you will be there to enjoy this terrific event with me.
 
Each year, the Prayer Breakfast is an opportunity for residents, businesses, non-profits, clergy and staff to come together and celebrate the strength and diversity of our community. 
 
This year, I am pleased to welcome as our keynote speaker MassChallenge CEO and Founder John Harthorne.
 
The 2016 Mayor's Community Prayer Breakfast Keynote Speaker John Harthorne
 
MassChallenge is a leading global startup accelerator, driving growth and innovation throughout the world. Last year we welcomed MassChallenge to Newton as they opened a site at 124 Vernon Street in Newton Corner.
 
The breakfast will be held on Wednesday, May 25th from 7:30am-9:00am at the McElroy Commons building at Boston College.
 
In addition to remarks from Mr. Harthorne, the breakfast will also feature readings from an interfaith representation of clergy, musical performances from Newton Public Schools students, and the presentation of awards, including the annual Community Service Award to some very dedicated residents of Newton.
 
Each year, this award is presented to a few Newton residents who have gone above and beyond in giving back to their community, and demonstrated a firm commitment to public service.
 
This year, we will be giving out three Community Service awards, to the following:
 
* Terry Yoffie and Claudia Wu, for their creation of an extraordinary civics class and initiative at Newton North High School.
 
* Kevin Kelly of the Carpenters Union Local 75 will also receive the award, for his incredible commitment to giving back. Kevin has dedicated countless amounts of time and labor to numerous community projects including the construction of several public playgrounds. 
 
* Lastly, we will be honoring the following High School students from both Newton North and Newton South, who have publicly worked to promote a commitment to making Newton the most welcoming and inclusive community it can be: Becca Wishnie, Josh Sims-Speyer, Mirabelle Espady, Sam Kesselman, Marchaina Roscoe, Maya Gomberg, Everett Gilpin, and Noosha Aliabadi.
 
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now. This year, we are partnering with the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce to make tickets available for purchase online.
 
To purchase tickets today, please click here and then click on the "Register Now" button. 
 
Tickets can also be purchased by contacting Tony Bibbo at Tony Bibbo at 617-969-5906 x305, or ajbibbo@aol.com
 
Proceeds from the event will go toward the Foundation for Racial, Ethnic and Religious Harmony, a terrific local non-profit which provides grants for worthy organizations in Newton and beyond.
 
Thank you so much, and I look forward to seeing you there!
 
Sincerely,
 
Setti D. Warren
Mayor
City of Newton, MA

WeekAhead
The Week Ahead at UCW

For more information on any of the following  offerings,  please cont act the church  office  at ucw@ucw.org  ,  call  (617-527-6221) or visit   www.ucw.org
Sun., May 22
11:30 a.m.
Russell School, CMS and UCW Partnership Conversation.  
Mon., May 23
7:00 p.m.
Choir Practice
Weds., May 25
7:30 a.m.
Prayer Group
 
9:00 a.m.
Coffee w/Stacy at Starbucks
 
6:30 p.m.
Wellspring
Thur., May 26
7:00 p.m.
1K church - at the home of Brita Gill-Austern
   Sun., May 29
8:00 a.m.
Bible Study
 
9:00 a.m.
Choir Rehearsal
 
10:00 a.m.
Sunday Service

Mission and Outreach