Weekly Update - January 16, 2020
Sunday Service: " People of a Covenant"
January 19th at 10:30 am
On this Martin Luther King weekend, we’ll think about what it means to be a people of a covenant, not a creed, and what that means for how we do racial justice work. Led by Rev. Laurel Gray.
This Week in Religious Education
This Sunday is a Chapel start and we will have a group RE for all ages!
Interfaith Meal Packing Event: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church here in Westborough hosts an Interfaith Meal Packing Event each February to support the food insecure. We have been involved with this in the past and our youth always have a fun and meaningful time there! This year we will again donate around $500 so we can send some our of members to participate in this wonderful event. We are so grateful for those who can donate and we will have a hot cocoa stand set up to thank you! If you would like to sign up to attend please do so in the Chapel after service.
Our Whole Lives (OWL) Program: This is a reminder that we will be running the OWL program for youth in grades 7-9 this spring. This program helps to instill positive and healthy understandings of sex, gender, and relationships in our youth, and we are very excited to be getting started! We will have a parent orientation on January 26th and we invite all interested to attend. Sessions will begin on February 2nd and will continue most Sundays from 3-5 pm. Any questions may be directed to David King, Amy Martellock, or Cassie Lengel.
Coming of Age Program: In addition to some of the other opportunities for this age range, youth in eighth grade are welcome and invited to join us for our Coming of Age Program this spring! We will take some time to reflect on where we’ve been, listen to what our hearts tell us right now, and proclaim what we believe to the congregation at our ceremony in March. This is always such a meaningful time for the youth and their families. If you would like to help serve as a mentor for this program, we would love to have a few more voices to help diversify our conversations! For more information please see Cassie Lengel.
UUCSW Auction March 14th
Psssst…We’re having a shindig and you’re invited! It’s on Saturday, March 14th and it’ll be one for the (fake) books! Warren Olsen and his band will get the juice joint jumpin’ and we’ll all be puttin’ on the ritz at our very own church.

Now, this is a big operation, youse understand. We’re lookin’ for a little help on the side to grease the skids and make this the event that blows everyone’s socks right off.

So…we’re looking for some guys and dolls for the following jobs:

1. Speakeasy decorators, bartenders, food ideas and cashiers.

2. Live Auction Items: Donate, donate, donate! Dinners, Murder Mysteries, Sports Games, Gamblin’ (just kiddin’, nothing illegal of course (wink wink)).

3. Silent Sign-up Items: This year we’re mixing it up, like a Gin Rickey if you know what I mean. We’re looking for ORGANIZERS of local experiences that will be pre-paid by those who sign up.

For example: Amy is going to organize a trip to Nashoba Winery for wine tasting and snacks. Nashoba charges $25pp for this. I arrange transportation (cost is $10pp) and charge each person a total of
$60pp. Half the money will go to Nashoba/transport and the other half goes to the church. (This is ONLY an idea, no one has organized anything as of yet!)

What kind of things might you organize? Here are some ideas:
  • Tickets and picnic dinner at Tanglewood
  • Pizza and Bowling
  • Cooking class at a place like Culinary Underground
  • Lunch and tour of Isabella Stewart Gardner or other museum

We’d like to offer 10 of these kind of events for the silent sign-up.

TWO ways to know your onions and make sure this auction is the bee’s knees:

1. Amy MacDougall will be having a meeting at her house on Wednesday, January 22nd at 7 pm for all who are interested in attending and helping out with the deeds.

2. Email Amy at kdjmom3@gmail.com (or call/text at 508-259-1993) with donations, silent sign-ups and to offer your help with any of the jobs we need done.

I’ll also put a poster up at church after the 22nd meeting. This’ll be a hip-to-the-jive, pos-i-lute-ly rip-roarin’ time! - Amy MacDougall
We need your help to create a welcoming environment at UUCSW!
In order to create a welcoming environment on Sundays, which we all value, from the greeters at our doors to coffee and snacks after the service, we all need to chip in. Please volunteer to be a greeter and/or coffee hour host. There is a sign-up board in the chapel or you can use the sign-up genius link below. In order to fill all the spots, we ask that each of you, to the best of your ability, signs up to greet once and host coffee hour once, over the course of the remaining church year. If you are not sure what these tasks entail, please contact Lisa Shumway at membership@uucsw.org.

Acapella Concert to Benefit Food Pantry
On Sunday, January 26, the regional women's acapella chorus, Women of Note, will hold a concert at UUCSW at 3 pm. The performance is supported by a grant from the Westborough Cultural Council, and proceeds will benefit the Westborough Food Pantry. Please bring a monetary donation or non-perishable food items and come and enjoy the show! The music will range from traditional barbershop to modern acapella music and styles, always in four-part harmony!

The chorus, directed by Ray Johnson, is a member of Harmony Incorporated, an organization founded to support and educate members who love to sing in four-part harmony. The group performs in local communities, and meets most Monday nights in Hudson MA. Visit womenofnote.org for more information on the group.
Birthday Bash February 8th at 5 pm
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Join in on this fun for all ages tradition as we gather to celebrate everyone's birthday UUCSW style. We'll have a pizza dinner followed by teaming up with those who share our birthday months to design and decorate cakes. Themes chosen by each group on the spot. Please email Pauline Sciarappa at psciarappa@gmail.com if you are interested in attending and include the following details: 1. How many adults/teens/children will be attending? 2. Will you bring an unfrosted 8x8" or 9x9" cake? Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. People can also find a sign up sheet in the Chapel.
Blood Drive in Memory of Corinne February 29th
If you are ready, willing and able please join us at the Westborough Fire Department on Saturday, February 29th for our second blood drive with the Boston Children's Hospital Bloodmobile in memory of Corinne. We'll be there from 9 am t0 4 pm and would love to see you even if donating blood is not your thing. When I spoke with Cyndi our BCH Bloodmobile contact she let me know that we did a great job with the first drive and that she especially was impressed with the community's response and the connection demonstrated. I'm glad we were able to build on the previous drives and bring in some new donors as well. Good vibes. 2/29/2020 Blood Drive WFD 9 am - 4 pm
- Pauline Sciarappa
Daytime Discussion Group
Please note that the Daytime Discussion Group has ended as of January 2nd. Thank you to everyone who participated, and special thanks to Andrea Burdick for coordinating and facilitating the program.
Social Justice Action
Each week we publish a “Green Sheet” containing information about Social Justice happenings and opportunities at UUCSW and in the broader community. Please click below to view this week's edition.