The Union Church in Waban               
Friday, March 27, 2020 


  
Keeping Healthy and Keeping Connected  
Being church as we navigate the challenges of COVID-19 
Pastoral Care and Connection
It has been another tumultuous week of difficult news and uncertainty.  We are all finding new ways of being in our homes, workplaces and communities.  In the midst of these stormy times, l et us also remember that we are not alone.  God is with us; and our UCW community is finding new ways of coming together to share mutual support.  To learn more, please go here. 

Online Worship & Sunday School 
Worship is a vital part of who we are as church. Pausing each week to center ourselves in the greater story of God with us gives us strength, courage and perspective to once again go out into our week to engage with what will come. For the coming weeks we will not be gathering together in our sanctuary or in our classrooms but we will be worshiping together.   
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. 

Small Group Ministries & Meetings
We are a very active and dynamic faith community. Our life together is not just on Sunday morning but throughout the week as well.  For the next two weeks, we are recommending that all small group ministries engage via our online platform, Zoom.  If you are a small group leader, please be in touch with Pastor Stacy so that we can create an online space for your gathering.   We do not want to cease from gathering but seek to gather in this new, online way. 

To see the Calendar of all the Zoom Gatherings 
and information about how to connect,
please click  HERE .  
Upcoming Sunday Worship
Sunday, April 5,  Palm Sunday -- Worship Continues Online 
In this beloved service, we will walk through Holy Week together sharing in the story of Jesus from the shouts of Hosanna and waving palms as he enters Jerusalem, all the way to his death on the cross. 
Tea Time with Stacy 
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 3 p.m.
or anytime by appointment 

Grab a cup of tea and let's chat about that latest poem you read, a reflection that you may have or anything else that is on your mind.  This is a drop in group for us to say "Hi!"
To join via Zoom go  HERE
Meeting ID: 746 243 368
or call  +1 646 558 8656
CYFChildren, Youth and Families
Growing in Faith and Community 
Kids, Connections and COVID-19

These weeks at home with the world's uncertainty, with new routines, trying to keep up with school work, figuring out how to stay connected with friends and share space at home ... it's a lot to process! Our kids, like all of us, are experiencing so many emotions. We are here to support you and your kids in these weeks. Below are a few new ways we hope to stay connected:

Parents Group - Next Tuesday, March 31st, at 7:30pm
Our Parents Group has decided to meet weekly rather than monthly until we emerge on the other side of this difficult time. We welcome all who are doing the good and hard work of parenting, and will vary our meeting time to try to allow as many as possible to join in. Next week, we will meet on Tuesday evening (please note: this is a change from an earlier email - apologies!). We hope you can join us. Please CLICK HERE to access the log-in.

Sunday School - Zoom, Zoom, Zoom! 11:30am on Sundays
As mentioned above, we're going to try a new way of gathering for Sunday School this Sunday over Zoom! We hope your kids will join us at 11:30am via the Zoom connection for worship. After our virtual reception, Pastor Amy will stay on and share 20-minutes or so with the kids. We'll pray, sing a song, share and reflect on the Bible story, and then introduce an activity the kids can do at home! To see our Sunday School lesson from last week click HERE.  To connect to all our online Sunday School lessons so far, please CLICK HERE.  

Thursday Mornings at 11:00 a.m. - Zoom Kids Connect and Storytime!
Pastor Amy will gather with kids and families each week to share a story and check-in. Click HERE and join our next storytime live. So far we have red "Adam & Eve's First Sunset; God's New Day" by Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, and The Garden from "Frog and Toad Together." You can see Amy reading by clicking  HERE!

Youth Groups - Middle School Zoom Room TONIGHT! 
Our Middle School overnight was planned for this coming Friday, March 27th.  We won't be staying overnight, but will have a fun online hang-out with games and more on Friday evening from 6:30-8:30p.m.! Please text Amy for details and the link, at 617-938-8112. 

Youth Groups - Exploring Our Faith - This Sunday 5:30-6:30pm 
Our Exploring Our Faith group for 9th and 10th graders will continue, and we'll be finding new creative ways of gathering.   This Sunday, March 29th, we'll take time to just check in and share some time together.  We'll gather at 5:30pm on ZOOM (link here).  Our next meeting will be as scheduled on April 5th.    
  • High School Seniors & Juniors - Pastor Amy will be in touch this coming week with plans and ways for us to connect!  
Pastoral Support:
Also, 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 [email protected] and cell is 617-938-8112.
Mission Matters

Easter Special Offering - We need to hear from you.

Our spring theme of climate awareness has been somewhat superseded by recent emergence of COVID-19. Mission had originally planned to collect for the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE) during our special Easter collection. However, given the challenges facing individuals and families in our local community as well as our extended worldwide community, it may be appropriate to turn our focus to a recipient organization that can meet these immediate needs. Mission would love to hear your preference for a recipient for our Easter Collection (ACE or another organization that would provide assistance to those affected by the pandemic). We have had a request for funds from Children's Services of Roxbury.
 
Alliance for Climate Education educates young people on the science of climate change and empower them to take action through fellowships for leadership training, providing educational resources and through creating a youth action network.
 
Children's Services of Roxbury is a nonprofit run by and for people of color that offers programs and services to more than 6,000 vulnerable children and families throughout Massachusetts. From the President and CEO, Sandra McCroom:
"We urgently need your help and your congregation's help to ensure our families have access to food and medicine." Right now, we are mobilizing to support Massachusetts' most vulnerable families through this crisis, many of whom are either homeless or a paycheck away from homelessness. Located in the heart of Boston's multicultural communities, with additional services in Worcester, Greater Springfield and Greater Lowell, we serve 6,000 children and families.
 
ASAP Please send your thoughts about these or another recipient for our Easter Special Collection to [email protected] or to [email protected]
Service Opportunity: 

R emote mentoring for 
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.

Given their location in Uphams Corner it has always been difficult to maintain a presence at this school. But now that we are all remote and all schools online only until at least May 4th, we could make a difference online!

If you are interested in having a zoom / face-time / skype call with one or more Russell student on a regular basis, please let me know. We would like to offer 30-60 minute time-blocks throughout the week, ideally during school hours. You can tell me a preference for grade-level, and what kind of subject you would like to cover (reading , math, science) or just want to make a connection. I will work with the principal to pair people up.

Most students will have access to a device since Boston has purchased a large number of Chrome-books to support all these kids, especially the ones without technology at home.
 
If you are unable to help with this, you could also consider making a donation to the BPS to cover the cost of all these chrome-books. They have spend $ 5.5 million on them, without any budget-line for this. So far they have recovered 30% through donations, so there is still quite a gap to fill. You can make a donation here: Donations can be made HERE (and specify Chromebooks BPS).

Serving our Community During COVID-19 

Serving our Community During COVID-19 -  Pastors Stacy and Amy are staying closely connected to news and needs of the UCW and wider communities, and look forward to sharing ways our church can be of service during these challenging times.  If you know of needs or ways we can help, please let us know.  Many in our amazing mission-minded community are standing ready to help! Two concrete ways to connect and help with community needs that we know of are: 

A new Facebook group called  Newton Neighbors Helping Newton Neighbors 
 where community members can post, respond and organize around needs in Newton.  Their effort includ es  THIS FORM , where you can  offer or ask for assistance .

There is also a specific call from the  Newton Food Pantry  for assistance, as they respond to needs (especially with children who generally receive food at school).  Please  CLICK HERE FOR A LIST  of their most needed items.  In addition, they are calling for brown paper bags and cleaning supplies.  You can drop them at the Newton Food Pantry or bring them to the church and we'll make sure they get there!

For a list of all Food Pantries in Newton and beyond, and how to connect with them, please CLICK HERE.  

Our Partners at Common Cathedral, serving those experiencing homelessness in Boston are also seeking assistance with donations, and food for Boston Warm.  Please visit CLICK HERE and scroll half way down to see how to help.  
                                                
                                      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.


For a complete listing, and details of all upcoming events,  please 
visit our website, www.ucw.org 
 
Note : Material for inclusion in the Friday e-Blast newsletter should be e-mailed to the office at [email protected] , by 9:00 a.m. on the previous Wednesday morning.