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The Union Church in Waban
Friday, January 13, 2017
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Bible Discussion at 8:00 a.m.
Bible discussion will resume this Sunday in Pastor Stacy's study. We will be reading the Letter of James from the New Testament. All are welcome!
Choir Rehearsal at 9:00 a.m.
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Worship at 10:00 a.m.
This Sunday we follow Jesus into the wilderness where, for 40 days he faced temptation and hunger, but where his resolve to take up what was being asked of him was solidified. We will also remember another servant of God, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and consider what God's call for us may be in our time.
Bell Choir Practice 11:15 a.m.
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A
dult, Small Group Retreat
Toah Nipi
Retreat Center
Rindge NH
Spring is the season when our natural world begins to wake up from its winter sleep and make ready for a new season and summer. It is when the frozen earth thaws; bears and their cousins emerge; tree sap flows. It is when many of our birds return home from their far away travels; and when our lakes and streams rebound with oodles of life. With all this stirring - "mixing memory with desire", the woods and fields become filled and pungent with ancient and new smells and sights and sounds and sensations that trigger and feed our own world and imagination. Let us take up spring's invitation and "Come to our Senses".
Beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 28th, and running through Sunday morning, April 30th, we will gather at the beautiful, wilderness setting of Toah Nipi Retreat Center, in Rindge, New Hampshire (http://toahnipi.intervarsity.org/). Using the writing of some of America's great nature writers to guide us, we will take time to engage our senses in awakening to the beauty and blessing of being alive. Over the course of the weekend there will be a balance of both time together for listening, sensing, sharing, learning and fun, and time alone for journaling, quiet reflection, or simply downtime and rest.
While the cost for the retreat is $110/person (2 nights and four meals), we do not want that to be an obstacle for anyone. Most importantly, we want you to come! Contribute if and how much you are able.
Please note, this is a small group retreat, for 10-12 adults from our congregational family. This offering is in addition to our beloved, intergenerational, All-Church retreat scheduled for October 20-22nd, at Rolling Ridge Conference and Retreat Center in North Andover, MA. Information and registration details for our All-Church retreat will be forthcoming later this spring.
If you are interested in attending the
"Coming to our Senses", s
mall group retreat this spring, or would like to learn more, please speak with Tom Vawter (tbvawter@comcast.net) or Pastor Stacy (stacy@ucw.org)
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Java
Gents Breakfast: This Friday!
J
AVA
Gents,
an informal monthly breakfast hour for the men of the UCW congregation (and community) will take place this Friday at 7:00 a.m. The group aims to provide friendly fellowship and mutual support to the men. We meet the third Friday of each month in the church reception room. We will have a hot breakfast, fruits, lots of hot coffee, snacks, etc. Along with the good food and coffee, we share a lively and supportive discussion of timely topics as well as personal goings on in our lives. Newcomers and non-Union Church members are always welcome.
If you can spend the whole hour with us that is great, however if it's only for a few minutes we truly understand and would love to see you. Invite a friend! Look forward seeing you there. Contact Jay O'Beirne (jobeirne@comcast.net) or Buz Bedford (buzbed@gmail.com) if you have any questions.
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Children, Families and Youth Ministries
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Youth Game Night
January 21
st
at 6:00 p.m.
Youth are invited to start the new year together at the Hunt-Steven's home with an evening of hot cocoa, board games, and charades-type games. To let us know you can come, or with questions, please
contact Amy at amy@ucw.org.
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Congregational Conversations
Regarding Worship
January 22, 29 & Feb. 26,
after church at 11:30
on the Stage
T
hrough facilitated congregational conversations
we hope: to hear how the congregation is currently experiencing worship; to identify any changes that might be appropriate or desired with respect to the various components of our worship service (music, children's time, prayer, sermon, communion and how it is celebrated); and to learn of any experiences in worship people may be looking for that we are not currently providing. We also hope that these conversations may help our congregation think more broadly about worship as an experience we share. Worship is best experienced not as a performance by a few, but for the participation of all who are gathered. While some may have specific roles to play, worship is something experiential that we share..
If you have any questions please see facilitators Alan Cody and/or Diane Tillotson or Pastor Stacy.
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Mission
Matters
"Let us love not in word or deed, but in truth and action"
(1 John 3:18)
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Adult Education, Fellowship, and Spiritual Formation
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Using curriculum from the United Church of Christ, we will have a chance to talk in a safe and honest way about how we experience and have experienced race in our lives. We will have a chance to critically examine the structures of race and how they effect how so many aspects of our society function. And we will do all of this with a heart of faith, exploring what impact the faith claims of being made in the image of God and one with Christ have on the way we see one another and live in the world. We have a small group forming and would welcome 3-4 others to take this journey with us. If you are interested, please speak with Pastor Stacy as soon as you can.
We would like to start walking this path of exploration and discovery within the next couple of weeks.
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Wednesday Morning
Bible Study
J
anuary
25
th
Our next Wednesday morning Bible study will take place a week from Wednesday on Jan. 25
th
, at 10:30 a.m. We will be following the second course in the three part "Exploring the Bible" series developed by the Massachusetts Bible Society. If you are interested in joining this lively time of learning and fun, please be in touch with
Pastor Stacy
(stacy@ucw.org).
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January Book Group
Book group will not be meeting in December, but all are invited to
begin reading our January selection which is
Hillbilly Elegy
by
J.D. Vance. We look forward to our discussion of this timely book
on Tuesday, January 31st which will be led by Anya Bassett.
All are welcome. We meet in the reception room at the church.
To read a review of Hillbilly Elegy go HERE.
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Help lay the table during fellowship hour
One of the many ministries of UCW is hosting a fellowship hour after worship on Sunday morning. This table, laid with love and a simple spread is (as Adam Hearlson said in his mission moment a few weeks ago) very much a communion table. It not only nourishes our bodies, but it also nourishes the relationships that make us one Body, one with each other and with God. If you would like to share in this ministry and host this time of communion, please go
here.
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Sun., Jan. 15
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11:15 a.m.
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Bell Choir Rehearsal
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Tue., Jan.17
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6:30 p.m.
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Youth Ministry Team
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Wed., Jan. 18
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7:30 a.m.
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Prayer Group
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9:00 a.m.
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Coffee w/Stacy at Starbucks
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6:30 p.m.
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Moderator Team/Nimbus
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Thurs., Jan.19
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10:30 a.m.
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Waban Health Service
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Fri., Jan.20
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7:00 a.m.
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Java Gents
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Sun., Jan. 22
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8:00 a.m.
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Bible Study
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9:00 a.m.
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Choir Rehearsal
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10:00 a.m.
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Worship
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11:15 a.m.
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Bell Choir Rehearsal
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11:30 a.m.
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Congregational Conversation
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For a complete listing, and details of all upcoming events,
please visit our website calendar HERE
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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.
I
n the extreme situation in which the church is unable to open, notification will be on the church website (ucw@ucw.org), a message will be on the church phone, and media announcements can be found on WBZ-TV.
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Seeking Kidney Donor
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Looking for life saving kidney donor for a young woman in our community. She graduated from University and recently got married. She received news of her kidney failure and is on dialysis. She is on the national kidney donor list and the waiting period is lengthy due to limited donors. Therefore, we seek your help for a kidney donation.
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All costs will be paid for
and the transplant will be conducted at
Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Please consider getting tested for a chance to save someone's life.
About the The National Kidney Foundation
The foundation is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease for hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals, millions of patients and their families, and tens of millions of Americans at risk. The National Kidney Foundation helps navigate the challenges of kidney disease, organ donation and transplantation. 26 million American adults have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk. The National Kidney Foundation Serving New England is the office that services the Greater Boston Area.
To learn more please visit their website
HERE
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