The Union Church in Waban
Friday, June 5, 2020 
SPECIAL NOTICE
Annual Meeting of the Congregation 
This Sunday - June 7 th  after worship 


The agenda for this congregational meeting will include:

1.  Members of the congregation will vote on a provisional fiscal 2021 budget; 
2. Unveiling of our new church logo-presentation by the communications team;
3. Opportunity to ask questions about the various ministry areas of the church.  
       To access a PDF of the Annual Report, please go HERE. 
       To access a PDF of Minutes of last year's annual meeting please go HERE. 
4. Presentation of nominating committee slate and election.

In this time of COVID-19 as we are not gathering in person, this meeting will take place via Zoom.  We will ask that all members "sign-in" in the chat room.  Voting will take place by polling this roster of members.  

If you have any questions please be in touch with Co-Moderators Diane Tillotson and Alison McCarty.  
Online Worship - This Sunday
Worship June 7th
We will gather on Sunday at 10:00 for online worship

We will be receiving new members, exploring the story of Jesus encountering the Samaritan woman at the well ( John 4:1-16) and we will celebrate communion.  

A separate e-blast 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.
Do you have an offering you'd like to share?

Do you have an offering of creativity including music, dance, visual art, poetry, etc. you are interested in contributing during our program year and summer services? We would love to include your offering in our worship. Please reach out to Daon Drisdom at daon@ucw.org to discuss plans.  
Upcoming Worship Services 


Preparing for Worship on June 21st
During worship on Sunday June 21st, we will be compiling a video of pictures of those who have been as fathers to us.  Please send us a picture of your special perso n or a picture of something that reminds you of them.  Please send all photos to Jade by June 16th. 



Celebrating & Blessing our Graduates
Sunday, June 14th 
During worship on June 14 th, we will celebrate and bless our High School seniors, and others graduating from college, graduate or other programs.  Please join us as we share joy and prayer during this special time!  If there is a special graduate in your life that Pastor Amy may not know about, please be in touch with her at amy@ucw.org.  
Thank you!  
Advocates for Racial Justice
Advocates for Racial Justice
   
Brian Stevens the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative was interviewed by Isaac Chotiner for The New Yorker.  He was asked: 

What has been your biggest takeaway from the past week?

We need to reckon with our history of racial injustice. I think everything we are seeing is a symptom of a larger disease. We have never honestly addressed all the damage that was done during the two and a half centuries that we enslaved black people. The great evil of American slavery wasn't the involuntary servitude; it was the fiction that black people aren't as good as white people, and aren't the equals of white people, and are less evolved, less human, less capable, less worthy, less deserving than white people. (To read the complete interview go HERE.)

Jenny Weisz's brother Tom Graves wrote this parable drawing from the prophetic word of the prophet Isaiah1:7,15-20:
 
There were people living in their homeland of Europe, Asia, South America, Central America, and Africa who raised a loud cry to their God. Give us a new land where we may prosper, give us a new place where we can be free, give us a new country that we can call our own. Oh God, give us the right portion of our earthly inheritance. Oh God, give us hope that we might have a future for ourselves.
          
And so the new land of America was opened for settlement, given as an inheritance to the disinherited of the world, as a hope to the hopeless, as a home to the homeless, as wealth to the poor, and as security to the defenseless.  (To read the parable go HERE.)
Ways to Connect this Week
Tea Time 
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. 


Wednesday Morning Prayer
Every Wednesday at 7:30 a.m.
  
In these times of uncertainly, we can feel adrift without a sense of security or a firm foundation.  Morning prayer on Wednesdays can help ground us in the power and presence of God that is our foundation in these times.  Please consider taking up a prayer practice and joining us in this time of silence, candle lighting and blessing.   

We begin with 20 minutes of meditative silence after which we speak aloud our prayers and light candles (if we have them) to help spread the light  and warm of God's presence into the lives of those for whom we pray.  We close with two prayers of blessing.  The prayer of St. Francis and the Serenity Prayer.  Please consider joining us.  If you have any questions, please reach out to  Pastor Stacy. 

Join us on Zoom HERE ,  Meeting ID: 825 631 369;   Password: 022055.  
Or call in at   +1 646 558 8656 


YOU ARE INVITED TO 
LUNCH BUNCH

Wednesday 10th at 12:00 - 1:30


Bring your lunch and pull up a chair.  Join us for a time of sharing. 
Our question for discussion will be "What are you growing?"  This could be something that you are literally growing like a plant or it could be an emotional something like "growing frustrated."  Whatever it is we want to hear and see you! 

To join us go HERE
Meeting ID:  824 8083 6522
Password:  217209
Or call: + 1 646 558 8656  

2020_21 Stewardship Campaign Update
   
Thank You! 
Thank you to all who have returned their pledge forms for the 2020-2021 church year.   If you have not yet returned your pledge card, you can do so here  or by clicking on button to the right*.  
  
For more information about this year's pledge campaign please go  here .
  
*This link/button is always available on our website homepage at  ucw.org.     

CYF   
Children, Parents and Families 

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

Sunday School for Pre-K through Elementary School, 9:15am to 9:40am Sundays
Younger kids gather each Sunday before worship we gather for songs, stories and prayer. Please watch for our "How to Connect" email on Saturday for details.

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.

Youth Groups & Exploring Our Faith
Middle School Youth Group - This Sunday, June 7 - 5-6pm
Meet every other week for Middle School Youth Group (alternating with High School Youth Group). We'll gather for fun, connection and discussion of the last few weeks.  
High School Youth Group - Sunday, June 14th 
Mark your calendar for youth group the following week!  

Mission Matters
  
Can You Be Part of our On-going 
Common Cathedral Team?  

Did you know that there is a team of UCW members bringing sandwiches, granola bars, fruit, socks and other  needed items to  Common Cathedral's Boston Warm Day Center each week?  The need among our beloved unhoused brothers and sisters in Boston is great.  How you can help: 
  • JOIN THE FOOD PREP TEAM:  Most weeks, we sign up to bring 50-100 sandwiches. Can you make 25?  We'll collect them and bring them to the drop-off center for you. Contact Pastor Amy (amy@ucw.org) for details
  • DONATE GRANOLA BARS, TUBE SOCKS, UNDERWEAR OR CLEANING SUPPLIES:  Contact Pastor Amy if you have items to donate, or bring them to the big green bin outside the elevator lobby at the church.
  • CREATE CARDS, SIGNS : Help our friends at Boston Warm know they are not alone, and share your love and prayers with them.  Cards from all-ages are so appreciated and cherished, hung on the walls of the center for all to see.
  • PRAY & PRAY WITH AN ARTIST: Prayer makes a difference!  The Artists in the community also left a number of works of art in our church building after this winter's Common Art Show.  Rev. Mary has asked that we invite UCW members to take a piece of art home and hold the artist in prayer.  Contact Amy if you can pray and host a piece of art in your home. 
Thank you so much!  
___________________________________________________________________

Our Mission Group Makes Donations to Common Cathedral's Boston Warm and Project Care and Concern 
  Given the great need due to the current pandemic, mission will be using a portion of our discretionary funds to provide a donation to Common Cathedral's BostonWarm and to provide grocery gift cards to Project Care and Concern. Thank you to the many of you who have donated food, socks, books and much more to these long-term partners.  

We have some books for you!

Josephine Bolling McCall who was with us for worship on March 8 and spoke to us about her book that u nmasks the violence around her father's lynching when she was a child, sent us 20 signed copies of her book.  If you are interested in one of them please reach out to Pastor Stacy.  While there is no charge for her book, if you are inclined a donation to the  the Elmore Bolling Foundation would be greatly appreciated. 
  

                                                
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, 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.