The Union Church in Waban               
Friday, January 4, 2019

 
This Sunday 
8:00 - Bible Study Resumes
Over Christmas as we came together with family and friends, I am sure many stories were told and remembered.  Stories help us understand who we are and where we come from.  Stories give us a context for meaning making and can help shape our aspirations and longings for the future.  The Bible is many things but most basically it is a collection of stories of how people experienced and understood the relationship between God and humans across time.  Its stories are beautiful and troubling, inspiring and full of challenge.  On Sunday mornings at 8:00 am in Pastor Stacy's study we step into these stories, walk around inside them and wonder at what they have to say to us today.  How about a New Year's resolution to join us?  The conversation is rich and the coffee always hot!  If you'd like more information please be in touch with Stacy. 

9:00 - Choir Rehearsal

10:00 - Sunday Worship 

Church Matters 
Mark your Calendars!  Church Council calls a Special Congregational Meeting for Sunday January 27th. 

Agenda will include a vote on affiliation with the American Baptist Churches to install Rev. Amy Clark Feldman at the Union Church in Waban, a vote on the updated church by-laws, and some church visioning. Please look for more details in a letter coming soon.
Coffee Hosts Needed for January, February and March 
Thank you to all those who have already signed up to host our coffee hour. We have many slots open as we  move into the new year.
We currently are in need of a coffee hosts for January 20th
and on through the rest of the church year. 
If  you are available, please consider signing-up    HERE  ,
or  let Aidan know at ucw@ucw.org.
Thank You!  
Mission Matters

THANK YOU FOR A FABULOUS MITTEN TREE!  
The generosity of our members was once again on display this Christmas season with donations of a grand total of nearly 100 gifts collected for residents of the former Waban Health Center and those at Project Care and Concern. It was wonderful share in joy and love with our friends during the holiday season. Special gratitude to Molly Owen-Kiritsy, Erika Pond, and Betty O'Beirne for organizing the effort and to Pastor Amy and our youth for decorating mittens.


AN INVITATION TO CONSIDER -- NICA Leadership Team - 
Did you know that the Union Church has had over a decade long partnership with the people of Nicaragua?  Did you know every other year a sizable number of our congregation (over 50 people in 2018) travel to San Juan del Sur to give of our time, talents and love in service to our Nicaraguan friends?  Did you know that our partnership over all these years has grown to encompass so many aspects including not only our every other year service trip but also support of a local college student through the Brugger Foundation, continued support and relationships with past project communities, a church partnership, ongoing collaboration with a Mobile Library as well as helping all of us who do not travel to Nicaragua feel a part of this partnership?
 
Because this partnership has become such a significant part of our life at the Union Church in Waban we are embarking on the formation of a NICA Leadership Team.  This will be a small group of 3-5 people who have a particular gift for nurturing the partnership with our Nicaraguan friends by supporting and coordinating the leadership of various team leaders that would take responsibility for different aspects of our Nicaraguan partnership (i.e. being the point person for support and communication with our scholarship support of a Brugger scholar; being the point person for ongoing continuity and support with past projects and partnerships; being the point person for nurturing UCW connection with Nicaragua).  We are looking for 3-5 people who would meet monthly to manage the big picture of our relationship and support the lay leaders who would take responsibility for supporting the specific areas of engagement.

If you have questions or are interested in being a part of the NICA leadership Team, please be in touch with Co-Moderator Kent Wittler. In addition, please be stay tuned for ways that you can weigh in on this relationship by sharing in conversations where we will learn about how this partnership began, what it has entailed and hear from you as to where you think it ought to go. 

Children Youth and Families
Good News - A New Sunday School Classroom for Little Ones! Calling New
Teachers
We are glad to announce that beginning in January, we will open a new Sunday School class for our pre-school through early-elementary school children, which will meet in the "Turtle Room" next to the nursery.   The addition of a new class means that we are also looking for some new teachers/helpers to assist in that and our other classes. If you would like to learn more, or can volunteer a few Sundays this winter or spring to share time with our children and young people, please connect with Pastor Amy (amy@ucw.org). Thank you!
 
 

UCW Parent Group: Next Tuesday, January 8
Gather the 2nd Tuesdays of the Month in the Reception Room -- 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
As we and our children begin this New Year, let us come together to support and learn from each other, and share in the joys and challenges of parenting. We hope you will join us for this evening of warm welcome, conversation, and connection.


Adult Education and Spiritual Formation 
Midweek Bible Study . 
Does Sunday morning Bible Study at 8:00 a.m. feel like an impossibility? Do you feel like you don't have any idea really what the Bible is, where it came from, how it was formed, or even how best to engage with it? Does the Bible at best seem a bit suspect and at worst rather scary? Pastor Stacy wants to hear from you. She would like to offer a mid - week (day time or evening depending on what works best for everyone) six week overview of the Bible using the Massachusetts Bible Society's "Exploring the Bible" series. Please be in touch with Stacy if you are interested.
 
Wellspring, Jan. 16th at 6:30 and -- Women's Retreat at Toah Nipi, May 17-19. Every third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. the reception room at UCW comes to life and light as the women of the church gather to share our lives and the food we have prepared with each other. It is a sacred time of laughter and tears, singing and sharing where all who gather are affirmed and loved for who we are however we may be. Our next gathering is Wednesday, January 16th. If you have questions, please reach out to Priscilla Kelso or Pastor Stacy.
 
And then, plan on coming away! Whether you are a regular attender of Wellspring or not, you are welcome! Come away to the beauty and silence of Toah Nipi Retreat Center in Rindge NH. This is a very special time to deepen friendships and grow in love of self, each other and God. The retreat will begin Friday evening, May 17 and finish by noontime on May 19th. The rough cost of the weekend is $120 though cost should not be a barrier. Contribute what fits into your budget. What is most important is that you share in the weekend. If you are interested in participating or have questions, please be in touch with Pastor Stacy.
For a complete listing, and details of all upcoming events,  please 
visit our website, www.ucw.org 
 
Note : Material for inclusion in the Friday e-Blast newsletter should be e-mailed to the office at ucw@ucw.org , by 9:00 a.m. on the previous Wednesday morning.