Sundays at UUCGL

UUCGL will host the annual holiday dinner party at My Brother's Table (MBT) in Lynn on Saturday December 21. We have been doing this event for over ten years and it is a festive and wonderful way to get into the Christmas spirit. 

 

Everyone is invited to help make this day a success: young, old, long time members and people wandering in the door for the first time. It is a way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and share our gifts with those who may need comfort and cheer at this time of the year. 

 

There are many, many ways to help:

 

Centerpieces will be made at UUCGL on Saturday December 14th at 9:00am! Creativity welcome!

 

Appetizers and desserts can be made in advance and left in UUCGL's kitchen until Friday December 20th .( Please advise if anything will be in the refrigerator.)

 

On the 21st:

-Food prep is at MBT beginning 9 AM on the 21st. Dress for washing and cutting and dicing vegetables (Come to the back door to gain entry)

-Children are invited to decorate the dining room beginning at 11

-Servers are needed to set up the line and serve food. Please arrive around 1:30 to insure a spot on the line. (We generally serve about 200 people!)

-Clean up people are needed throughout the day but begin the biggest tasks when serving is completed (4 PM)

Sign up sheets are at the church in the Parish Hall. Please help make this our best dinner party yet! For more information please contact Jeff Gunther here .

 

The Social Justice Ministry Team thanks you for your participation!

We gather for our traditional service of carols, stories and a Christmas message at 5:30pm.

All ages are welcome to gather with family and friends, to celebrate this holiday season.

Although we strive to be generous throughout the year, the winter holidays tend to put a spotlight on some of the more personal needs that exist in our greater community. We respond to this each year by taking on some opportunities to give in ways that are meaningful. We do this important work with community partners like Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWC), My Brother's Table, the Lynn Community Health Center, and Leading through Empowering Opportunities (LEO, inc.) and St. Stephen's Food Pantry. You can learn about each opportunity and the recipients of your gifts below.

 

Your gifts do good work and are most gratefully received!

Join the UU Women on Saturday, December 14, at 9:30am in the Parish Hall to create festive tabletop decorations for the holiday dinner party at My Brother's Table on Saturday, December 21. We will be cutting greens, so bring pruning shears if you have them. Please bring decorative greens from your yard if you are able!

This year our Giving Tree gifts will go to Leading through Empowering Opportunities (LEO, inc.) . Please take an ornament from the tree and purchase the suggested gift. For more expensive items, we suggest that you join others to purchase a group gift. All gifts should be returned by December 16 . Please affix the gift tag securely to your unwrapped gift; it will be the only identifier to ensure it gets to the correct person. You can place your gift under the tree in the church foyer. You can find out more about LEO here . Thank you for your generosity.

In the spirit of giving, share your heritage and help host a December Fellowship Hour! Do you have a favorite food from Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway or Sweden? Whether or not you're descended from Scandinavians, you're welcome to join in and contribute to the annual Scandinavian Fellowship Hour on Sunday, December 15. It's a UUCGL tradition! If you have any questions, or if you want to let us know what you plan to bring, please contact Jim Peterson at [email protected]. But feel to contribute even if you haven't been in touch in advance.

Need an item for a child’s Christmas stocking, a gift for friend or family, or your holiday host? Visit the Fair Trade sales area Sundays during Fellowship Hour! There you will find chocolate bars, dried mangos, a variety of coffees, both ground and whole bean. Other items for sale include three types of tea, hot chocolate, cocoa, and extra virgin olive oil. Gift basket combinations are available. Our products are from Equal Exchange, a Massachusetts based worker cooperative that distributes products grown only on small family farms that follow ecologically responsible practices. Proceeds help support activities of UUCGL’s Denominational Connections Ministry Team.

Take advantage of the tax considerations of the close of the calendar year (but not our church fiscal year) and make pledge payments and contributions by the end of December. Please have your payments in the office by 10am Monday morning, December 30, so they can be deposited this year. Thank you!

Rev. Vicki started her six month sabbatical after her November 10 worship service. A Sabbatical Guide is available that contains information about this period of time and who will be covering in her absence. Copies of the Sabbatical Guide are available on the Welcome Table in the church foyer and also in the church office, or you may download a copy here .

 This month's 50/50 offering will support the work of My Brother's Table. Founded in 1982 My Brother's Table is the largest soup kitchen on the North Shore, and has provided over 3 million hot, free meals and outreach to men, women and children in need. MBT has been open for over 10,000 consecutive days. Today the problems of hunger and poverty continue to exist in Lynn and across the country. Please make checks payable to My Brother’s Table , social concerns funding will match up to $1,000.

 

For more information about My Brother's Table:

http://www.mybrotherstable.org .