The Union Church in Waban |
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Friday Updates, October 14, 2022 |
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This Sunday
Oct. 16th at 10.00 a.m. (In Person & Online)
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We will welcome Pastor Amy back from Sabbatical on this Sunday. The focus scripture in worship will be the woman Jesus meets at the well in Samaria. After worship, at 1:00 p.m. we will offer a Blessing of the Animals. See more details for this special community worship event below.
........and more service details HERE
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To join Sunday Worship at 10:00 a.m. on Zoom:
Meeting ID: 832 2059 8969
Passcode: 458322
Dial in only: 1 646 558 8656
The bulletin is available HERE
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Blessing of the Animals
This Sunday!
October 16th @ 1:00 p.m. (rain or shine)
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Join Us in Person
Bring your dog, cat, rabbit, cow, chicken, pig, reptile, bird, or any other pet you love, and get them blessed on Sunday, October 16th, at 1:00 on the front lawn. Or bring your favorite stuffed animal for a blessing. (We'll even bless your snake, though probably from afar!)
Send a Photo
If you can't make it, you may also submit a picture of your animal. At the close of 10:00 a.m. worship, during the Benediction we will share a slide show of our animals to bless them.
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Sunday, October 23rd (In Person and on Zoom)
Pastor Amy will be back preaching this Sunday. We will thank our Transition Team in worship for their faithful work on the materials prepared for the pastoral search. The focus scripture will be from the book of Job.
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Sunday, October 30th (In Person and on Zoom)
We will welcome new members into the life and fellowship of Union Church. Pastor Wendy will be preaching with a focus on the brave story of Moses' mother.
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New Member Gathering
Sunday, October 23rd - @ 11:15 a.m.
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A gathering will be held for those interested in learning more about formally joining Union Church in Waban on Sunday, October 23rd after worship. We will meet in the Meeting Room across from the church office with snacks to get acquainted, share some history and talk about investing in our vision of ministry. Please register your interest with Pastor Wendy at [email protected]
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All-Church Gatherings & Adult Formation |
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UCW Book Group (Zoom)
Tuesday, October 25th at 7:30 p.m.
The Woman in The Library by Sulari Gentill
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Please join us on Tuesday, October 25th at 7:30 p.m. for our next book group meeting. This month we will be reading The Woman in The Library by Sulari Gentill . You will find a zoom link and sign-in information below. If you have any questions, please reach out to Alan Cody ([email protected])
Meeting ID: 832 4667 4155
Passcode: 431699
Dial in: 1 646 558 8656
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(In November we will read The Great Spiritual Migration by Brian McClaren. That meeting will be on Tuesday, November 29th at 7:30 p.m. also via Zoom.)
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All Church Retreat - All ages
Saturday, November 12th - 13th, Edward's House, Framingham
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The retreat for all ages will be on Saturday, November 12th. Youth will remain for an overnight into Sunday, November 13th. We will meet at Edwards House at the UCC Conference Center in Framingham.
We will gather around the themes of trust, faith and coming together as found in the story of Peter walking on water. There will be a mix of storytelling, games, small group time, outdoor activities (weather permitting), art, circle time, music and good company.
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The cost per person is $80, and $110 for youth who do the full day and overnight. Pay what you can. We are committed to all being able to attend. Once you sign up, we will be in touch about finer details. |
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Children, Youth & Families |
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Pastor Amy Returns from Sabbatical
Hello Beloved Church,
I have missed you these past two months of my sabbatical, and am so excited to see you again this Sunday!
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My sabbatical was a time full of blessings, joy, and needed rest, and I am so grateful to each of you for supporting me in this time away. I'm also so grateful for the generous gift card to REI you presented to me before I left, which allowed me to buy a new pair of hiking shoes for my journey! You were with me in Spirit as I climbed 14 more 4000-foot peaks in NH, and soaked in the beauty and wonder of God's creation. As many of you know, my father also received a difficult diagnosis two days before my sabbatical began, and the extra time with my parents was a gift beyond measure. I also look forward to implementing and sharing some of my learnings from the Leadership in Ministry retreat I attended through Columbia Seminary, held at Rolling Ridge in Andover, MA.
I'd like to share a special thank you to Revs. Matt Carriker and Wendy VanderHart, as well as to Olivia DiMaio, our wonderful Children and Youth teams, and the many leaders who stepped forward to coordinate and share in this ministry while I was away. I'll be leading Sunday School and the Blessing of the Animals this Sunday, and hope to see many of you! It will be a balm to be with you all again in worship, prayer, and the good work of this beloved community.
With peace and joy,
Pastor Amy
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Coming Up For Kids and Families!
Below are some exciting upcoming events this fall to put on your calendar:
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THIS SUNDAY! Oct 16th at 1:00 p.m. – Blessing of the Animals Jr. Youth are invited to help lead this service - Let Pastor Amy know if you can help, or just show up!
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Nov. 12th – All-Church Day Retreat with special offerings for our kids and youth
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Nov. 19th – Community Helping Hands Clean-up/Thanksgiving Dinner. Lend a hand to friends in need of extra help with fall clean-up, and spruce up the church grounds, while we share a Thanksgiving meal with neighbors
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Find Our Fall Calendar at the Link Below! |
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Please Note - Pastor Amy has a new email address!
As we continue to do the good work of organizing our technology and other systems (i.e. getting our ducks in a row), we're updating our email addresses. Pastor Amy can now be reached at [email protected]. Emails to [email protected] should forward to that new address, but please feel free to text or call at 617-938-8112 if you have any trouble reaching her via email.
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Advocates For Racial Justice (ARJ) |
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New Massachusetts Zoning Law |
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Massachusetts has new law that requires that an MBTA community shall have at least one zoning district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right and meets other criteria set forth in the statute:
Why is multi-family zoning near transit and in neighboring communities important?
Massachusetts is in a housing crisis.
- Massachusetts has among the highest, and fastest growing, home prices and rents of any state in the nation.
- Rising costs have dramatically increased financial pressures on low- and middle-income families, forcing them to sacrifice other priorities in order to pay housing costs. High housing costs are a primary driver of homelessness.
- These high costs are a disadvantage as we compete economically against peer states. The risk of future job growth moving outside Massachusetts is rising due to the high costs of living.
How does creating zoning for multi-family housing help the housing crisis?
The lack of zoning for multi-family housing is a barrier for new housing development in Massachusetts. By allowing multifamily housing near transit, we can create new housing in walkable neighborhoods closer to transit. This is not just good housing policy, it is good climate and transportation policy, too. The result of transit-oriented development is:
- More housing closer to the places that we go every day, such as local shops, jobs, schools, restaurants, parks, etc.
- Better access to work, services, and other destinations by increasing mobility and utilization of public transit
- Reduced reliance on single occupancy vehicles, which helps in our larger effort to confront the climate crisis
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Newton Freedge: Union Church Serves Once a Month
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The Union Church in Waban is a Freedge partner responsible for helping connect with local businesses, stock, and monitor this needed local resource now just one Saturday a month. We are in need of NEW volunteers to sustain our commitment.
The work is easy and rewarding, with multiple slots throughout the day. Despite Newton’s image as an affluent suburb, too many of our neighbors struggle to put food on their tables. The Newton Freedge is one way we can help. A free, 24/7 outdoor refrigerator and pantry, the Freedge provides free food and personal supplies to anyone who needs them.
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Union Church Freedge Sign-up: HERE
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Council Report
The Union Church Council kicked off the fall season on October 5th by first sharing life-giving moments from our church life. Wanting to be grounded in the ways we experience the spirit moving in our ministry we then discussed/decided the following:
- We thanked Pastor Matt Carriker for the sabbatical pastorate he provided Union Church for six weeks covering for Pastor Amy.
- We heard an update on the Transition/Search process. We reminded ourselves about the steps of the potential internal candidate process. The next step of that process will be a discernment of Pastor Amy about whether or not to apply - a decision between her, her family and God.
- We completed the Council’s contributions to the search process creating a Scope of Work and compensation package for the Local Church Profile document.
- We approved additional money for our partnership with Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) to comply with our covenant of support of 1% of budgeted church income.
- We discussed pressures on our financial situation.
As always, we appreciate the prayers and support of the congregation as we enact ministry on all our behalf.
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Sunday Reception Sign-Up
Every Sunday after worship we gather on the stage for a time of fellowship. This reception is hosted each Sunday by different members of the congregation.
Reception Sign-up: HERE Thank you!
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Scripture Reader Sign-Up
If you are joining our Sunday worship, please consider signing up as a Scripture Reader for any of our upcoming services.
Scripture Reader Sign-up: HERE Thank you!
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Pastoral Care Connections
During this time of transition, please know that your church is here for you. Please don't hesitate to reach out to Pastors Wendy or Amy for prayer or pastoral support:
Mondays are days off for both pastors. If you have a pastoral need, please reach out to Pastor Wendy this week.
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SHOL COLLABORATIVE
RACIAL JUSTICE MINISTRY
PRESENTS
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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.
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