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The Union Church in Waban
Friday, May 1, 2020
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In these trying time, let us remember that the power and presence of God is even now moving in the world. Let us come together to participate in and celebrate the presence of God with us, still.
A separate eblast will be send out tomorrow, Saturday. In it you will find all the information you need to partake in worship and learning together on Sunday.
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Ways to Connect this Week
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Tea Time with Stacy
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 3:00 p.m.
Grab a cup of tea and share in some conversation.
To join via Zoom go
HERE;
Meeting ID: 746 243 368
Password:
016341
or call +1 646 558 8656.
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Pastors Blog
Did you know that Stacy and Amy maintain a blog on our website and are posting to it regularly? This is yet another way of staying connected during these times.
A recent post was this video of a
A Community Prayer
from our GBIO partners.
You can check out our Pastors' blog at any time here,
or by simply going to our Union Church website homepage at uwc.org .
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Reminder - Community Photo Album
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REMINDER: Community Photo Album -
Signs of New Life, Hope and Love - Add your photos!
We have received some awesome photos -- Thank you to everyone who has contributed! The season of Easter continues until May 31
st, and we want to share photos of where each of us is
seeing God alive and moving in the world! Where are you seeing signs of New Life, Hope, Love and Light? Take a picture and add it to our commun
ity photo album
HERE
. We'll collect all the photos and share them at an upcoming worship service.
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Parents Group - Every Tuesday at 7:30 pm Gather to connect, laugh and share mutual support as we do the good work of parenting in these challenging times. CLICK HERE to log-in; password (if needed) is 499897
Story-time with Pastor Amy - Thursdays at 4:30 pm Pastor Amy gathers with kids and families each week to share a story and check-in. CLICK HERE and join our next story-time live (password: 069830). You can see past story-times with Pastor Amy reading by clicking HERE.
Pastoral Support:
Please know that Pastor Amy is available for calls, texts or video-chats. We'll be working on other ways to get together in virtual small groups as well. Amy's email is amy@ucw.org and cell is 617-938-8112.
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Youth Groups & Exploring Our Faith
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EOF Parents - Break-out Room after Worship (11:30am)
Parents and mentors of Exploring Our Faith students are invited to meet with Pastor Amy in a break-out room following worship this Sunday (at around 11:30am) to talk about plans for the Exploring Our Faith program and how we can support High Schoolers during this time. Simply join the Zoom link to worship by 11:30am and you will be directed to the breakout room. Text Pastor Amy with any questions or technical issues: 617-938-8112.
High School Youth Group - This Sunday, 4:30-6pm
Exploring Our Faith and Juniors & Seniors - We'll meet every other Sunday (alternating with Middle School Youth Group below) to connect, have fun, support one another, and find meaningful ways to serve, and be creative and hopeful in this time.
5th Graders and Middle Schoolers - Next meeting May 10th from 5-6pm
Meet every other week for Middle School Youth Group (alternating with High School Youth Group - Next meeting will be Sunday, May 10th
Pastor Amy will gather with our 5th graders and Middle Schoolers for games; and time to connect and hang-out with friends, support one another, and find meaningful ways to serve and be creative. Please keep an eye out for links next week.
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Ministerial Feedback and Review
Each year the Human Resource team tries to provide our ministers with feedback regarding our experience of their ministries so they can discern the call for the coming year. In the past we have done this through surveys, congregational meetings and phone interviews. As we all have a bit more time at home, this may be an opportune time for all our congregants to reflect on the past year and offer feedback to inform the year ahead.
Everyone is invited to reflect on the following questions and send their feedback to hr@ucw.org Please base your responses on the entire year - from last Spring through this Spring - and not just the time of Zoom worship.
We plan to follow up with conversations with a sample of congregants, so if you want to talk with us, we want to talk with you! Please indicate your willingness to engage in conversation in your responses.
In considering the various ministries of the church (worship, music, Christian Education, youth programming, adult faith formation, mission and pastoral care)
- *How are you feeling nourished? What feels like the most vibrant experience for you?
- *Where do you see opportunities for personal or spiritual growth? What, if anything, are you longing for?
- *What might you like to see unfold in the coming year or two?
Thanks and blessings,
The UCW Human Resource Team
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Are you feeling a call to serve?
The nominating committee is actively reaching out to the congregation asking people to discern where they may be feeling called to serve in the year ahead.
If you are feeling called to serve in a ministry area or if you would like to know more about the ministries of the church, please be in touch with Co-Moderators -
Diane Tillotson and
Alison McCarty, Senior Deacon
Jim MacDonald or Pastors
Amy and
Stacy.
"Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received." (1 Peter 4:10 nrsv)
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The Union Church Stewardship Campaign
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Dear Family and Friends of the Union Church,
When our church leaders selected the theme of
Light to guide us this year, little could they have known just how important this theme would become. We started in the fall singing
This Little Light of Mine, reminding ourselves and others to never hide our light under a bushel. We moved into Advent and the season of light with the hopes borne of Christ's birth and the light brought by it from heaven to earth. We pledged to carry this light in the form of God's love for the earth and Christ's love for humanity.
.....continue reading
HERE
>
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Advocates for Racial Justice
Did you know....
Minority woman owned businesses have been especially devastated by COVID stay-at-home rules.
Union Church Advocates for Racial Justice
Mission Statement:
Responding to our call as Christians to see the image of God in all people, and to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, we pledge to each other and the Union Church congregation to be faithful Advocates for Racial Justice. We will engage our congregation and the larger community in continuing study and conversation about ideology of white supremacy at its root. We want to unmask and oppose the racism that divides the people of God from one another, unfairly empowering some and not others, in our personal relationships, community, state, and nation.
Please keep an eye out on
Monday
for a survey regarding our
possible UCW pilgrimage to Selma and Montgomery, Alabama in the spring of 2021.
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Serving our Community During COVID-19
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Common Cathedral - Thank you! Needs for Coming Weeks
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Dropping off food for friends at Common Cathedral
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Many thanks to all who donated granola bars, oatmeal and fruit to Common Cathedral's BostonWarm. We delivered them this week, and had time to speak with our partners on the ground there. They are (as safely as possible - masks and distancing) providing lunches on Weds, Thurs, Friday every week for around 100, as well as providing pastoral support, community, and other needed items and space out of the elements. It is an inspiring and needed ministry!
How we can continue to help:
- Continued prayer and connection -They anticipate this will be a long season of increased need and vulnerability for their community (which is increasing in number). They are so grateful for our prayers and support for the long-term.
- Food: They'll be providing these extra lunches for the foreseeable future. We are signed up to bring Sandwiches and Granola bars Next Friday, May 8. If you can help make some sandwiches, or buy granola bars for next week (or in future weeks), please be in touch with Pastor Amy.
- Socks, Socks, Socks and Feminine Hygiene: Between the soggy spring and fewer donations, they are seeing a real need for clean, dry socks. If you are able to find and donate some new tube socks and/or feminine pads (prefer pads to tampons) it would be a help to them.
- Uplifting Art and Messages: Notes with messages of love and hope added to lunch donations mean a lot. BostonWarm is where CommonArt is oused and so they especially appreciate people sharing art and inspiration. If you and/or your youth/kids would like to contribute some notes, please be in touch with Amy.
If you would like to be part of the team receiving Common Cathedral updates to help when you can, please let Pastor Amy (amy@ucw.org) know if you haven't already.
We'll also leave the green plastic tub labeled Common Cathedral out in front of the elevator lobby at the church, and check it once a week, in case you can swing by with granola bars, socks, pads, or other donations.
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Our Friends at Talbot House and Walnut House are Asking for Our Help
For the last many years the residents of Talbot House and Walnut help have been recipients of Christmas gifts through our mitten tree and partnership with Project Care and Concern. Recently we heard that they could use our help securing food and other supplies in this time of the CoVid-19 crisis.
Anne Jarvis is willing to shop for food for her residents, as she
says that keeping them out of stores is keeping them healthy--and preventing the virus from spreading. Anne is willing to shop for anyone who wants to make a donation.
If you would want to send Anne a gift card (Amazon or Visa/Master Card) or a check made out to her, she has an arrangement with Star Market in Chestnut Hill-- which is where she shops for food
Alternatively it is possible to place an order through Target to be delivered to Anne who will bring it to the residence.
To donate please send a check or gift cards to:
Anne Jarvis
22 Ackers Ave.
Brookline, MA 02445
For questions, contact Amy McMahon at
amymcm@rcn.com
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Russell School students
As most of you know, we have a partnership with one of the Boston Public Schools in Dorchester, the Russell school. It is a K-5 school that serves a large immigrant population, and also has a lot of homeless families.
Donations can be made
HERE
(and specify Chromebooks BPS)
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Boston Medical Center - UCW Collection of Needed Supplies
In the midst of this scary and unsettling time, many of us are frustrated by our sense of helplessness in being able to help the most vulnerable in more concrete ways. We will continue collecting and delivering needed medical supplies
Boston Medical Center, the hospital that serves the most vulnerable and homeless in the city We know these supplies are hard to come by, but please keep your eyes out as you shop in stores and online and donate any items you can. The need is great and anything you can do is appreciated! All supplies may be dropped off at the church outside the elevator lobby in the marked boxes. We hope you will tell others in Newton about this drop off place.
For more detail and a list of supplies needed at the Boston Medical Center and
Common Cathedral continue reading
HERE>
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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.
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For a complete listing, and details of all upcoming events,
please
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.
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