Weekly Update - January 9, 2020
Sunday Service: Tending to the Future Together
January 12th at 10:30 am
Jeanne Cahill, member of First Parish UU Church of Northborough and Environmental Scientist, will explore how personal agency sparks the climate action movement, and consequently fuels hope for the future. As we show up, engage, and co-generate just solutions, we proportionately amplify possibility for life’s continuance.
This Week in Religious Education
Join us this week for our Religious Education Classes! We will begin in the Sanctuary for a Time for All Ages story before heading downstairs for our lessons. RE Classes will end at 11:45 when parents can pick up their kids from the RE classrooms downstairs. Thanks!
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.
Book Group January 10th
For January, we are reading A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell. Please join us. The group is open to all. We usually meet in members’ homes and enjoy small groups of seven to ten people. We enjoy some light refreshments, lively discussion, and wonderful company. You are welcome to attend. If you are planning to attend for the first time, please email Judithteacake@gmail.com. 
New to UUCSW Class January 12th & 26th
Are you new to UUCSW and/or Unitarian Universalism? Join us for this two-session class on January 12th and 26th from 12:00 to 1:30 pm. We will cover topics such as: who are we and what do we believe, how does a UU congregation operate, and how can we engage in this community. RSVP to membership@uucsw.org. Let us know if you will need childcare and if you have any dietary restrictions.
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.

"In Harmony Against Hunger"
Mark your calendars for Sunday, January 26th at 3:00 pm when local chorus Women of Note presents their concert "In Harmony Against Hunger" right here at UUCSW!
Snow Removal Volunteers Needed!
UUCSW needs volunteers to help clear snow around our church building this winter. We have a snowblower and shovels to support this task. Directions for areas that require clearing are posted on the Chapel bulletin board and at the Ruggles St. entrance. Click on the links below to sign up, and thank you!


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.