This is our sixth year of volunteering at the Friday Cafe. It will continue to be a hybrid affair. We will serve hot food to our guests in the hall, who will then eat the food on the church lawn.

Harvard-Epworth will send a team of volunteers to the Opening Shift of the Friday Cafe on the third Friday of each month. Several positions are available during the Opening Shift. 

Our next volunteer day of Season 9 is Friday, January 20. Please join us! Your thoughtful presence is welcomed.

Please visit https://signup.com/go/VfFWmvv to sign up. If you have questions, please contact the church office.

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On the third Saturday of every month, a volunteer team from Harvard Epworth brings sandwiches to homeless neighbors in Harvard and Central Squares. Harvard-Epworth will join this ministry on Saturday, January 21.



Interested in bringing sandwiches? Thank you -- 20 is a good number. The homeless like meat (roast beef, ham and turkey), as well as chicken, egg and tuna salad. White, oat and whole wheat breads are all good. You can add a bit of mustard and lettuce for the meats. We avoid mayonnaise for safety reasons, but it's okay for the salads.

Interested in joining the sandwich distribution? We gather at the church at 2:30 on the third Saturday of the month. For more details, email Lane at [email protected].

You are invited to join with local United Methodist Churches as we gather to share our stories! As a way of building connection and deepening our faith, Calvary UMC, Harvard Epworth UMC, Belmont Watertown UMC, Newton UMC, and Connexion are gathering for a time of storytelling and sharing. Please be sure to join us at Connexion (149 Broadway in Somerville 02145) on Sunday January 22 at 2:00pm. Food will be provided, just bring along your stories to share!

All vaccinated women of the church are warmly invited to our monthly Women's Potluck on Tuesday, January 24 at 6:45pm. This month we will meet at Cassie Lignelli’s home, 2 Inman Pl, Unit 1, Cambridge. Cassie’s home is a 10 minute walk from the Central Square T stop. There is free parking on Inman St. and permit parking on the area streets.

Bring what you'd like to share (if you can) and know that you are guaranteed to feel welcomed and enjoy great food and company.

Mark your calendar for our next meetings! On Tuesday, February 21, Ashley Hedburg will host. On Thursday, March 23, Beth Rosenquist will host.

Sunday School has resumed meeting for the New Year!

We are blessed to have Ann Haywood-Baxter, Nancy Akbari and Warren Brown leading the children’s Sunday School class. They will bring the Godly Play circle to life, offering a creative, experiential approach to Bible stories that will enable the children to engage and understand God’s love and call in their lives. Godly Play is based in the Montessori principles, and you can learn more here: https://www.godlyplayfoundation.org/get-started

The classes will be for children from 4 years old through 4th grade, 10:00 - 10:50, in the Sunday School room (at the end of the hall, in the church basement). Children can also join this Zoom link:  https://zoom.us/j/98192451222 !

Pastors Mitch and Barb are leading a video series for youth 5th grade and older at 10:00 -10:50. We’ll meet in the classroom next to the church office upstairs.

We are looking for additional volunteers and welcome your help with Sunday School; each Sunday a volunteer will serve as “door person” and assist the primary “storyteller” with that week’s experience. This is a terrific way to assist the children in their learning; it is also a terrific way to build your own familiarity with and understanding of scripture. If you would like to volunteer, please email [email protected] or watch for sign up opportunities. Please reach out with any questions or information that you would like to share.

All are welcome to join the Adult Forum, which meets at 10:00am on Sundays in the library and on Zoom.

This Sunday, January 22, will be on “Spirituality in Medicine” let by Karen Skalla, nurse practitioner, pastor of Faithwaze street ministry, and Harvard-Epworth deacon. Karen will talk about the role of spirituality in the medical care of an individual as well as discuss the wider issue of spirituality in Healthcare.

Next Sunday, January 29, the topic will be “Our Rule of Life” led by Beth Rosenquist, sharing a common spiritual commitment from themonks of the Society of St John the Evangelist in Cambridge. (This will also be the topic on February 12.)

Thanks to everyone who attending the January 8 Church Conference, in person and online, with our District Superintendent, We Chang. There are a few last minute details to attend to, such as approving the 2021 Church Conference minutes (here) and make a couple of minor adjustments to the budget and leadership nominations. The Church Conference will be on Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/96293201884), with Pastor Barb or Mitch presiding. Following the Church Conference, the HEUMC Council will continue with its regularly scheduled meeting.



Anyone who is interested is warmly invited to attend both the Church Conference and the Council meeting.

Join Pastors Barb and Mitch on Wednesday evenings to exploring Spiritual Practices (1st and 3rd Wednesdays) and Bible Study (2nd and 4th Wednesdays). The classes will meet at 7:00 in person in the pastors’ office and also online at https://zoom.us/j/92617849023.

The Spiritual Practices series will follow the book Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People, edited by Dorothy Bass. The resource is also available online; links to each subject are in the schedule, below. The Bible Studies will explore biblical themes related to current events and Sunday readings. Here’s the schedule for the next weeks:



January 25: “The Sermon on the Mount, an Introduction”

February 1: “Discernment: https://practicingourfaith.org/practices/discernment/

February 8: “The Sermon on the Mount, Continued”

February 15: “Forgiveness” https://practicingourfaith.org/practices/forgiveness/

A Faith That Does Justice is offering free English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. Two-hour class sessions occur 2 days per week for 15 weeks beginning the week of February 27 and ending during the week of June 19. Students may select either Tuesday and Thursday morning sessions or Monday and Wednesday evening sessions. Sessions are virtual using WhatsApp and Zoom. In person sessions may become available.

Applicants will be interviewed to determine their skill level and will be placed into classes with others with similar skill levels. Classes are free. Participants who attend regularly and apply themselves will leave with basic English language skills.

Interested applicants may apply online at https://www.faith-justice.org/esol. Applications are due as soon as possible.

This fall’s Stewardship campaign, “I Love to Tell the Story”, explores the many ways we tell the story of Jesus and God’s love, here at Harvard-Epworth. We were blessed to hear the stories from four lay speakers — Beth Rosenquist, Diana Eck, Sarah Bailey and Hector Montesino — who shared how Harvard-Epworth has ministered to them and been part of their faith development, and they plan to be contribute to Harvard-Epworth’s story in the year to come.

On Pledge Sunday, November 13, we received approximately $204,000, about 2/3 of our goal for the year. Thanks to all who have been part of this campaign so far!

 We are seeking to add at least 13 new pledges this year, and an anonymous donor has agreed to add $250 (about $5/week) to each new pledge we receive! If you have any questions, please be in touch with Tom Akbari, chairperson of the Stewardship Committee ([email protected]).

You may make a pledge online at www.harvardepworthchurch.org/giving, or filling out a pledge card at church. or by printing out this pledge card and mailing it to HEUMC, 1555 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge 02138. If you would like us to mail you a pledge card, please contact the office at [email protected].

(Painting below by Carol Aust)

Everyone knows that singing is good for the soul, but did you know that singing is good for the body as well? Singing regularly improves breathing and posture, tones the abdominal and intercostal muscles and the diaphragm, and stimulates circulation. Singing releases the body's natural endorphins, helping to relieve aches and pains. Researchers at the University of Frankfurt in Germany found that singing in a choir strengthens the immune system and notably improves the singer's mood.

These are just a few reasons to give the Adult Choir a try. We meet on Sundays at 9:45 a.m. to prepare wonderful music for the worship of God. You don't have to read music or have a beautiful voice. You don't have to commit to singing every Sunday -- many of our singers participate on a part-time basis. All you need is the ability to match pitch and to come to rehearsal on the Sunday morning you wish to sing. Our Choir is a warm and welcoming group, open to all levels of musical skill. 

If this sounds intriguing, and you would like to give the Adult Choir a try, please contact Terry at [email protected], or just come to the vestry at 9:45am on a Sunday morning. 

We do ask that Choir singers be fully vaccinated, and we will continue to wear masks during rehearsals and worship services.

If you would like to donate altar flowers for Sunday’s worship service, please click the following link and fill out the form. You may also call the church office to make the arrangements to donate flowers. Please include the text of the dedication for the bulletin.

We will contact Coady Florist, who will deliver the flowers to the church on Sunday morning. The cost is $50. You may send a check to the church, or donate online through Tithe.ly at the church website (choose “Sunday Flowers).

This is a wonderful way to share your joys and remembrances with the church community, and brighten up the sanctuary with the beauty of flowers. After the service, you may take the flowers home with you or give them to someone else.

Flowers must be ordered by Wednesday before the Sunday of your donation.

As the invasion of Ukraine moves past the six-month mark, the Missions Committee continues to collect funds for Ukrainian relieve, distributed through UMCOR and the Kyiv School of Economics. Please give via checks (made out to HEUMC) brought to worship or mailed to the church, or online at www.harvardepworthchurch.org by clicking the "Give Now" button, then choosing "Ukraine Relief" in the drop-down menu. Donations will be sent to these organizations.

Please join us after worship for coffee hour refreshments and fellowship, outdoors whenever possible and in the Vestry in the case of inclement weather. We ask that masks continue to be worn except when eating/drinking, while inside (please see below for a note on mask requirements). 

We'd love your help filling the table on this date and going forward. Please sign up at this link (https://signup.com/go/vLAxKUQ) or contact Sarah Bailey ([email protected] or 917 439 1103) if you would like to contribute. 

When inside, we strongly encourage people to wear masks except when eating/drinking; we ask those attending to be fully vaccinated and boosted as allowed.