In This Issue
Holiday News
Upcoming Events
Current News at UUCW
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Office Hours
(Sept 6, 2016 -
June 29, 2017):
Thursday 9 am - 2 pm
Gmail Users -
Please note that if you stop receiving the Message, Nugget, and Weekend Reminder, check your Promotions tab in Gmail. Often, you will find that church emails are in there! Please click
HERE
for more information. Please share this information with your fellow congregants if they mention they aren't getting the Message!
PLEASE NOTE: Our trash and recycling is generally picked up once a month. Please be sure to break down all cardboard boxes before putting them in the recycling dumpster so it doesn't fill up too fast!
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Congregational Mission Statement "The members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester covenant to be a congregation of love, hope and justice inspiring people to take on the challenges of a changing world." Welcoming Church Mission Statement The LGBTQI and Allies of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester strives to further the affirmation and celebration of LGBTQI individuals in all aspects of the church community. We also seek to increase the visibility of UUCW as a Welcoming Congregation within the greater community.
UUCW Covenant
In consonance with the principles and purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we the members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester covenant to sustain and support a courageous and caring community by:
* Bringing our best selves to form a welcoming, loving, and inclusive community of faith;
* Creating an atmosphere of celebration and worship in a safe environment;
* Providing opportunities where diverse people and points of view are respected and where open-hearted and open-minded discussion of our differences is encouraged;
* Treating each other with kindness and respect;
* Approaching conflicts with a spirit of humility and with the respectful intent for peaceful resolution;
* Engaging in and encouraging spiritual and intellectual growth across the lifespan;
* Fostering social justice and positive transformation in our community and in the world at large;
* Growing and maintaining the resources necessary to support the missions and ministries of this congregation;
* Fostering fellowship and enjoying each other and the unique gifts that each person brings to our community.
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Annual UUCW Craft Fair - December 3, 9 am - 3 pm 
We are looking for people to bake cookies for the fair and to work at the outdoor wreath sale and indoor snack bar.
 We Need Items for Craft Fair Basket Raffle!
Beginning this Sunday ! Please help us build up our Dec 3 Craft Fair Basket Raffle baskets by bringing in a new item that can be included in one of our baskets !! Pet Basket, Spa Basket, Foodie Basket, and Family Fun Night Basket. This was a fabulous fundraiser for our church last year at the fair- and we are hoping to have success with it again!
We're almost there, but still looking to fill foodie basket, family fun Basket with goodies!! This is the last Sunday to donate - or you can arrange with
Jen McCullough for pickup! Thank you !!
Can't attend but would like to make a donation to this important church fundraiser?
? HERE is an easy way to make a donation!
Please contact Robin if you can help.
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Reminders about Fundraising!
 Book & Clothing Donation Bins
Please keep in mind that one of our fundraising programs is the two bins across the street in our parking lot for books and clothing. We actually make very good money from this endeavor! So, as you're doing your fall cleaning or whatever, please take a minute to fill the bins as well as you can!
 Amazon Smile Holiday Shopping Reminder
Just a reminder as you begin your holiday shopping - if you shop on Amazon there is an opportunity to earn money for the church. Just go to
Amazon Smile and select the church as a place where Amazon will provide a contribution based on what you buy. We get a percentage of your total purchase. Even if you are using Amazon Prime it will still kick in but you have to go to Amazon Smile at the outset. Thanks - every little bit helps!
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A Note from Beth Posner-Waldron
Some of you at church heard me tell that an extended member of my family's house had been vandalized with broken beer bottles, toilet paper and other items. My son married into an Indian family in 2013. It was his father-in-law, Prabhakar Rao's, home in Huntsville, AL where he lives with his son Krishna that was attacked. Prabhakar came to the US almost 50 years ago to go to graduate school, went back to India to marry, brought his wife here and raised 4 lovely children, at some point becoming a US citizen. He told me that In 49 years of living in the US, this is the first incidence of any kind of racism that Prabhakar has experienced. Prabhakar is Hindu, practices meditation, and generally looks at the world with a positive view.
Krishna videotaped the outside of the house and posted it globally on facebook where it generated lots of "hits" and attention. Apparently, it caught the attention of a neighbor whose son then admitted that he had taken part in the vandalism.
Prabhakar wrote me by text message:
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Thanks for all the blessings and good wishes from you (Beth) and your side and my children. I am truly blessed. It is working!!
It came to a sort of closure. The culprit who did it came and offered apologies to me, both father and son. Son did it along with his friends.
It was very noble of him to bring is son to me and offer apology in person. It is a good sign. I forgave his son right away and offered sincere thanks to father. It was noble of him to do that. He was only 12-13 year old kid. It goes to prove that the teenagers can be misguided and form misperceptions (sic) and not afraid to cross boundaries in the name of prank or fun. It may take concerted effort at schools and at home to bring about the needed appreciation for "one world family" and respecting others and peace in the world."
Additional notes from me:
Prabhakar is unlikely to continue to pursue this with the police or court system. It is not in his nature. This boy lives just 4 houses down from Prabhakar. The father and Prabhakar spoke for a few minutes afterwards and the father said he'd like to get to know Prabkakar better.
Our family is happy to put this event behind us but not naive enough to think that this is the end of this type of racism. In this one situation, a positive result has occurred, hopefully making a difference one person at a time.
Thank you to my community of faith for the support extended to me.
Beth Posner-Waldron
member of UUCW since September 1990
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Photo of the Week
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The Rev. Thomas Schade delivers the reflection "The Elephant in the Room" during the service on Sunday, November 27, 2016.
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Compulsive Gambling and Addiction Training - November 30 & December 14, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
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Game Night - December 9, 6 - 8:30 pm
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Parent's Night Out - December 10, 5 - 9 pm
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Religious
Exploration
and
Education
at UUCW
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RE News for December 28, 2016
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One Church, One Book All Church Read 2016/2017
This year the REC and I are excited to announce that our One Church- One Book , all church read will be the graphic novel "El Deafo" by Cece Bell.
Graphic novel , you say??
Why yes, graphic novel!
Reading a graphic novel is an exciting way for folks of all ages to experience a story.
Please don't dismiss this as too juvenile for you, because we think you will really enjoy the ageless concepts in this beautiful story.
The themes in this book speak to children and adults alike .
Experience
Cece's life : a young girl who loses her hearing and grapples with experiences that we have all felt or may feel at one point or another during our own lifetime.
This is an honest book, with straight and informative talk about accessibility issues, friendship, acceptance , advocating for yourself , and how being authentic and practicing humor
can help with all of these life experiences.
For the next five weeks , we will free raffle a copy of 'El Deafo" during coffee hour.
On January
29th we will hold a multigenerational discussion with Betty Jenewin during a special "One Church -One Book" Coffee Hour in the lounge.
Our popular
multigenerational service will be held on Feb 5th- highlighting thoughts and readings and themes from this lovely book.
I hope you all reserve your copy at the library and/or try to win a copy
at the church up until Dec 18th.
Here's to happy reading
and realizing your own SUPERPOWERS!
Robin Mitzcavitch, Betty Jenewin and the REC
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Touchstone Monthly Theme
November Theme - Care of the Soul
December Theme - Healing
November 29 - December 5
November 29:
"How many times do we lose an occasion for soul work by leaping ahead to final solutions without pausing to savor the undertones? ...thus we lose opportunities to know ourselves for our motives and our secrets." ~ Thomas Moore
November 30:
"Beauty awakens the soul to act." ~ Dante Alighieri
December 1:
"Healing is a mystical, undefinable experience that is part of being human." ~ Susanna Barlow
December 2:
"Healing may not be so much about getting better, as about letting go of everything that isn't you-all of the expectations, all of the beliefs-and becoming who you are." ~ Rachel Naomi Remen
December 3:
When you don't give people the chance to say "I hurt," they end up saying "I hate." ~ Don Wheat
December 4:
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you." ~ Rumi
December 5:
"Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them." ~ Leo Tolstoy
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Weekly Worship
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HosT Coffee Hour News
The HosT coffee hour team thank all the many church teams, groups, and committees who have signed up to HosT coffee hour this year!
At coffee hour we extend the hospitality we proclaim! Many people judge a congregation by its coffee hour hospitality - especially newcomers . Please make it a point to speak to someone you don't know!
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Date
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Group on deck for hosting
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Hospitality Team Contact
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| December 4 |
HosT and
Soup with Kristen Payson
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Nancy Hancock |
| December 11 |
COA |
Robin Mitzcavitch |
| December 18 (10 am) |
Members & Friends of UUCW |
To Be Announced |
 Fellowship Hour with Soup!
This Sunday, November 6, soup returns to coffee hour. Join us in Fellowship Hall after service for soup and social time. Soup offerings are at the whim of the soup creators, but definitely will include at least one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian offering. Cost is $4 for soup. For more information, contact Kristen Payson.
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Ongoing Meetings
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One of the exciting parts of the new Touchstones Ministry Themes program is the launching of Touchstones Small Group Ministry Groups. These groups will meet regularly throughout the year to discuss the monthly themes published in the Touchstones Journal. If you are interested in being part of a Touchstones Group, and/or becoming a leader/co-leader of one of our groups, please take a moment to fill out our short survey HERE.
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Holiday Shoe Boxes Project
