The Union Church in Waban               
Friday, January 10, 2020 


THIS SUNDAY

1 0:00 - 11:30 a.m at
Starbucks in Waban Center

 

11:00 a.m. at UCW during  Reception

This Sunday
          8:00 a.m. - Bible Study 
We will meet at 8:00 a.m. in Pastor Stacy's study.  We are reading through the minor prophets of the Old Testament.  All are welcome!
  9:00 a.m. - Choir Rehearsal  
10:00 a.m. - Sunday Worship 
10:00 a.m. - Nicaraguau Bake Sale 
This Sunday is our bake-sale to raise funds for needed school and other supplies for the partners in San Juan del Sur that we'll visit during our service trip in February!  Stop by our table outside the Reception Room, or come visit our kids at Starbucks in Waban Center! Sunday School for 7 th graders and up is at Starbucks today. (CALLING ALL BAKERS, more Information HERE)
11:30 a.m. - Preparatory session for meeting of the Congregation on Sunday,
     January 26

12:30 p.m. - Meeting between CE, ARJ, Mission to explore potential
      pilgrimage to Selma/Montgomery
Church Matters 
Meeting of the Congregation
Sunday January 26, immediately following worship, 
 and a preparatory session on TODAY
The Church Council invites all members of the Union Church community to meet on January 26 for three important items:
  1. A briefing from our Communications Committee on a Statement of Purpose, an outward-reaching description of who we are that can be used on our web site an in publicity
  2. A vote on adding four words to our Church Covenant (our promise to each other within the church) to update our language with respect to being open to all:
"We, the members of the Union Church in Waban, true to our founding principle of being an inclusive church, covenant together to nourish and to sustain in our common life and practice a fully welcoming and affirming church for all persons. Welcoming all persons who seek to join with us in a commitment to love God and our neighbors, affirming the inclusive love of Jesus, we are open to all, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, nationality, ability or economic circumstance. We invite all to full participation in our worship, membership, leadership and life of this church.
 
3. A creative and interactive conversation about our visions for the church so that we may set our priorities for our spring stewardship campaign and budget-setting process the coming year. This session will set the context for the spending plan we will vote to adopt in June.
 
To prepare for this important meeting, members of the community are invited to engage in conversation and reflection on the importance of being open to all regardless of "gender identity and expression".  We will gather on the stage immediately following worship on
Sunday, January 12.

New Members - Would you like to join the church?

We rejoice and welcome all who gather and share in our life together as church. And there may be some of us who are feeling called to deepen our relationship with the community by becoming members of UCW. Membership offers the congregant and congregation an opportunity to pledge ourselves one to another in an intentional walk of faith. Membership also enables one to vote in congregational matters like the vote we will take on updating the language. We will be receiving new members into our life together during worship on Sunday, January 26th. If you are interested in membership, please reach out to  Pastor Stacy.

Have you ever wondered.....

"I keep hearing about the "liturgical year".  What is it exactly?" 

For those of us who may not be familiar with what in church parlance we call the liturgical year, let me take a moment to explain.  Many Christian communities have the practice of living through the story of God with us as we move through the weeks of the year.  Unlike the calendar's New Year that we celebrated just last week, the church new year began on the first Sunday of Advent which for us was on December 1.  Since then, we have been on a journey through the story.  We moved the 4 weeks of Advent where we made ready for the birth of Jesus.  Then we celebrated Christmas.  And last week we celebrated Epiphany which in some traditions is not just a day, but an entire season that lasts until the beginning of Lent. 
Lent is that time of preparation for Holy week a season not dissimilar to Advent in how in Advent we were preparing for Christmas.  Then comes Easter which again is not just a day but a season.  Then Pentecost, which is the birth of the church which then tips us into ordinary time that stretch through the summer and fall until we arrive back round at Advent. 
In the sweep of the year, the bible passages we use, the colors of the stoles that the pastors wear and that hang on the lectern, pulpit and altar, the songs that we sing, all of it together are to help not just tell the story of God with us, but to actually live within it - t o take it in and to embody it in our living out in the world.  The idea is that faith is a process of formation .  That we don't just have new insights about things but that we also find ourselves living in new ways .  

(If you have been wondering about something in our worship or wider church life please email your questions to (Pastor Stacy).

Mitten Tree Recipients Update
THANK YOU -- THE MITTEN TREE WAS A GREAT SUCCESS

Joanna, the activities assistant and our long time friend at Norwood Healthcare, was overwhelmed when she saw the abundance of gifts piling into the health center! Our congregation was exceptionally generous this year with the largest number of gifts ever. For Norwood we filled 50 baskets and for Watertown Health Center 2. For Project Care and Concern, we distributed gifts to over 50 individuals.
CYFChildren, Youth and Families
Growing in Faith and Community 
QPR SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING  
Thursday January 16th from 10:00 a.m. -  noon
The Newton Interfaith Religious Educators are hosting a training at Temple Shalom this coming Thursday for staff and members of our faith community who work or are concerned about our teens. If you would like to join this free QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer) training  please contact Pastor Amy.
YOUTH MINISTRY TEAM -- COMING UP! 
Meeting Sunday, January 26th  at 6:00 p.m.
The Youth Ministry Team is made up of caring adults and teens who are interested in shaping a planning our ministries with middle and high schoolers. We're finalizing our Youth Ministry calendar for the winter and spring, and will gather as a team on Sunday, Jan. 26 th at the Abbiati-Collins home. We'd love to have you join us! Contact Pastor Amy (amy@ucw.org).
BakeSale
Nicaragua Bake Sale - This Sunday (Drop-off Saturday)! 

CALLING ALL BAKERS! 
This Sunday is our Bake Sale for Nicaragua!  The funds we raise will go to purchase school and other needed supplies for our partners in San Juan del Sur during our upcoming service trip to Nicaragua in February.  

We're so grateful for your help  spreading the word to friends to come purchase goodies, and for your  contributions of baked goods for sale!   

To Contribute Baked Goods:
  • Drop-off Baked Goods in the Large Kitchen in the church 
    • Saturday from 12:30pm to 3pm - Join Joanie, Karen and others as they package goodies for sale
    • Friday before 6pm or Sunday before 10am - someone will be here to help buzz you in if you can't come on Saturday
  • No need to pre-package goodies - we've got an awesome system and will do that here!  
  • Goodies that are easy to cut, package and share are so helpful, e.g. brownies, bars, cookies, rice krispie treats, muffins, etc 
  • Frosting gets messy if you can avoid it...   
  • No Nuts Please 
  • Ingredient lists are appreciated, if possible 
Thank you!  
SUNDAY MORNING - The Sale will be at: 
  • 10am until 11:30am at Starbucks in Waban Center
  • 11am at UCW during Reception
  • Youth in 7th grade - High School: Are invited to go straight to Starbucks in Waban Center at 10am to help set up the Bake Sale and Sell!  
  • 4th-6th graders - Come to Worship as usual, and then during Sunday School you'll help set up a table outside the Reception Room where we'll sell goodies here at the church
We're grateful for your help spreading the word! 
Thank you so much for all your support of this great fundraiser!
Adult Education, Spiritual Formation and Fellowship

Book Group
Tuesday, January 28 th  at 7:00 p.m. 
Our next book is " Evicted " by Matthew Desmond.

" In Evicted," Princeton sociologist and MacArthur "Genius" Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they each struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Hailed as "wrenching and revelatory" (The Nation), "vivid and unsettling" (New York Review of Books), Evicted transforms our understanding of poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving one of twenty-first-century America's most devastating problems. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible . "
(Amazon review)

All-Comers Gathering - Postponed
All comers is a wonderful tradition here at the Union Church.  A couple of times a year, we gather in a home for a church wide pot luck.  All-comers gives us an opportunity to get to know each other a little better than what coffee hour on a Sunday may afford.  Please stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to gather. 

Mission Outreach 
Advocates for Racial Justice (ARJ)
A new group at the The Union Church
Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 22nd, at 4:30 p.m.
The June travelers to Montgomery, Alabama have formed a new group to promote the work of racial justice in our community and nation. We are calling the group Advocates for Racial Justice. To read the groups mission statement please go to out Mission Outreach website page  here. The next meeting ARJ is scheduled for Wednesday, January 22 nd at 4:30 p.m. in Pastor Stacy's Study.

Meet with Newton State Representatives
Kay Kahn and Ruth Balser
Sunday, January 26th from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Myrtle Baptist Church
 21 Curve Street, W. Newton 
The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) Health Care Campaign is holding meetings with Greater Boston Area State Representatives to win their support for our 3 healthcare issues:
  • Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs
  • Enforcing Real Parity for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Care
  • Regulating Out-of-network Surprise Billing
Your voice and your presence matters. We need you here to make this campaign a success .   For more information or to register, click here.
Newton In-District Meeting Planning Team Fran Godine, Rosalind Joffe Susan Bookbinder, Shelby Robinson, Paul Hattis, Rob Saper

homelessness and housing


This year your    Mission Outreach Leadership Team  is organizing its work (and coordinating with the other areas of UCW life) around seasonal themes. These will provide an organizing context for the many mission activities and we will coordinate educational opportunities, worship, and children's education around these themes when possible. We also hope to coordinate our seasonal offerings around these themes.

THANK YOU! Our Christmas Collection raised $1726 to support the work of Bridge Over Troubled Waters  which  provides effective services to runaway, homeless and high-risk youth

Our winter theme is  -  Homelessness and Housing.  Please consider participating in some of the offerings listed below: 
February 2 nd
Common Art Show at the Union Church

Valentine's Day will be upon us before you know it! Come find a gift for that special someone after church service on Sunday, Feb. 2nd, when we will host artists from Common Art. Common Art is a program of common cathedral which provides space, materials and caring support staff to support unhoused and low-income individuals as they develop their artistic abilities. People who live in shelters, rooming houses, on unclaimed couches and benches, and on Boston's streets, gather every Wednesday at Emmanuel Church on Newbury Street to draw, paint, sculpt, make crafts, and to share with other artists in like circumstances. For many common art members, art is a way of life. For others, it's a new discovery. But for all, art is passion, expressing and affirming life itself, a defiant or gentle "yes" in the face of stigma amid the constant struggle of poverty and homelessness

Feb. 9th, 11:30 a.m. 
Zoned Out: Who gets to live in suburban Boston

Ever thought about why you live where you do? If you can articulate deliberate reasons, have you ever considered what unseen forces might have led you there? Please join Kathleen Hobson, Nancy Zollers, Frank Laski three of our Advocates for Racial Justice, in a history-infused discussion about the origins of the Boston suburbs, the roots of our chronic housing shortage, and how we might achieve a more just and inclusive community. Suggestions for pre-discussion reading: " The Case for Reparations " (Atlantic, 2014), by Te-Nehisi Coates;  The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America  (2017), by Richard Rothstein; " How Segregation Caused Your Traffic Jam " (NY Times, 2019). You could also listen to  Rothstein's interview  on NPR's Fresh Air.
 
 
March 1st 
Public Voices Speakers from City Mission

We are privileged to host two speakers from City Mission's Public Voices program on Mar. 1 after fellowship. Public Voice provides trained storytellers/speakers whose lived experience gives insight, understanding and perspective to the issues underlying homelessness. City Mission's Public Voice Project customizes storytelling training and presentations to help participants find and share the stories which break down barriers and build understanding within oneself as well as across groups, cultures and communities.
 
March 8th
Po tluck and speaker, Josephine Bolling McCall is the author of: The Penalty for Success: My Father was Lynched in Lowndes County, Alabama .

The speaker will tell the story of how her father's success as a businessman in Alabama led to his lynching and how that impacts his descendants and the community even today. This speaker will provide updates on the Legacy Museum and the Memorial in Montgomery both of which honor her father as one of many victims. This sensitive information will make a strong impact on students as they strive for improved social justice and diversity. Josephine McCall will also challenge participants to rethink the reality of life for Blacks and whites in the mid-20th century rural South by considering joining a literacy campaign. Research shows that children who have learned to read by the third grade have a much better chance of completing high school. Alabama has a new law that children will be retained if they do not successfully complete the third grade. The speaker hopes her presentation will set the stage for dialogue on creative ideas for participants to help improve literacy in Lowndes County, Alabama.                      

  Our spring theme is  -  Climate Change  (and disaster relief)

For more information about these offerings please feel free to reach out to
Carol Bascom-Slack,Jaap van Reijendam or Julie Heffernan.

                                                
                                      Our Covenant
 
We, the members of The Union Church in Waban, true to our founding principle of being an inclusive church, covenant together to nourish and to sustain in our common life and practice a fully welcoming and affirming church for all persons. Welcoming all persons who seek to join with us in a commitment to love God and our neighbors, affirming the inclusive love of Jesus, we are open to all, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ability or economic circumstance. We invite all to full participation in our worship, membership, leadership and life of this church.


            
Union Church in Waban -  Inclement Weather Advisory

It is the hope of the Union Church to always have our sanctuary open on Sunday mornings for worship and fellowship. We also realize that conditions may be such that the safest option for staff and congregants is not to travel. We ask that all use their best judgment. As such, in inclement conditions, the church will remain open - however we cannot assure that there will be childcare, Sunday School, professional music or pulpit coverage. Every effort will be made to keep walkways and stairs clear, although this cannot be guaranteed. Congregants will find an open door, a worship service and sanctuary together with others. In the extreme situation in which the church is unable to open, notification will be on the church website ( ucw@ucw.org ), and a message will be on the church phone - 617-527-6221.
     

Performing at the Union Church 
Marie Antoinette  by David Adjmi

The Union Church in Waban: This Weekend,  January 10-12, and 17-19

Marie Antoinette is coming to Newton! Newton Theatre Company's newest production provides a modern take on the insane-- and eventually heroic-- life of 18th-century Paris' most infamous It Girl. Despite her initial popularity in France, Marie finds herself in jeopardy as the revolution draws near. As the line between the personal and political begins to blur, Marie must fight to save herself from destruction in this humorous and haunting piece.
 
Tickets available at NewtonTheatreCompany.com
 
This production contains mature themes and is not suitable for children under 13.  

From the Wider Community


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.