The Union Church in Waban |
|
Friday, September 17, 2021 |
|
|
|
|
|
Worship
10:00 a.m. Worship In-person and Online
Blessing of the Backpacks & Fellowship
11 a.m. A Special Reception and Blessing
|
|
SUNDAY WORSHIP - The UCW Choir Returns In-Person!
Join us in person (masked, distanced) or online for our second Sunday of the new church year together. We are delighted that both our Choir and Bell Choir will share the gift of their music in-person this Sunday, under the direction of our new music director, Mijin Choi. It will be good to be together as we light a candle of remembrance; and gather for prayer and reconnection. Pastor Amy will lead us in worship as we consider what it means to walk as Christians through the joys and challenges of this season. Professional childcare on the playground is available.
Blessing of Backpacks & All-Church afternoon Field Trip - Following worship (11:00 a.m.), kids and youth (and adults!) are invited to bring their backpacks or other bags to the picnic table (Come to worship, or just to the Blessing -whatever works for your family!). We'll have a special reception and blessing outdoors following the service, and provide a small gift for kids and youth to take into the year. Please also see below for details about our All-Church visit to the Art on the Trails in Southborough.
To join Sunday Worship on Zoom:
Meeting ID: 832 2059 8969
Passcode: 458322
Dial in only: 1 646 558 8656
The bulletin is available HERE
To connect to Sunday Worship or to any of our online offerings, you may also go to our website at www.ucw.org.
|
|
All-Church Field Trip
This Sunday
September 19th Following Worship
|
|
All Ages are invited to the beautiful
Beals Preserve in Southborough for Art on the Trails: Mending.
Our own beloved UCW member Samantha Lowe was one of 18 artists selected to create an art installation for this extraordinary exhibit. Come, wander through this beautiful forest, and discover art amongst the trees, ponds, and meadows --the installations are large and small; thought-provoking, and offering comfort and healing; some are interactive, and all related to the theme of mending follow a year filled with brokenness.
We'll gather following worship as follows:
-
11:00 a.m. - Blessing of the Backpacks and Fellowship (at the church picnic table)
-
11:45 a.m. - Brief Orientation to the exhibit and Small Group discussions (outdoors at UCW) to prepare for the trip, including questions and a scavenger hunt for kids
-
12:15 p.m. - Drive (20-min, carpool if you are comfortable) to 22 Red Gate Lane in Southborough
-
3:00 p.m.-ish - Likely return to UCW or head home after a brief good-bye gathering at the Preserve (please feel free to stay for as long as you are able and head home when you need to!)
|
|
Upcoming Sundays & Gatherings |
|
10:00 a.m. Worship - Coming Up in September and October!
We hope you will join us (online or in-person following Covid safety guidelines) throughout our new church year! Come, and find reconnection, renewal, hope, and joy as we gather together:
-
September 26th - EXPLORING OUR FAITH - Commissioning our students: We hope all incoming 9th and 10th graders and their families and mentors will join us on this special day, as students begin their year-long journey of faith exploration.
-
October 3rd - Biblical Storyteller and Guest Preacher, Rev. Cynthia Maybeck! We are delighted to share that Rev. Cynthia Maybeck will preach and share her gifts for Biblical Storytelling on this World Communion Sunday. You won't want to miss it!
|
|
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 Rev. Amy Clark Feldman by email at amy@ucw.org, or call/text her cell phone at 617-938-8112.
|
|
An Update from the Interim Senior Pastor Search Committee
Dear Friends,
The search for our Interim Senior Pastor has proved more lengthy than originally anticipated. We have had several very talented candidates but have not yet been successful in finalizing a contract with any. This means that we return this fall with the opportunity to open our pulpit to a diversity of inspiring voices, and to welcome friends old and new to our sanctuary while we continue to search for the person God is calling to us for our interim period.
The Committee met this week with the local leadership of both the UCC (Area Conference Minister, Rev. Alex Shea Will) and ABC (Samuel Stillman Baptist Association leader, the Rev. Dr. Loretta Saint-Louis). They have assured us that both our profile and our process are strong and they remain confident that we will find the interim pastor who is right for us. We have made some adjustments to our profile – welcoming Dr. Mijin Choi as our Music Director and updating the benefits section – and are continuing our active search.
|
|
.............continue reading HERE
|
|
Adult Formation and Gatherings |
|
|
Union Church Faith and Doubt Discussion Group
What have the last 18 months been like for you as a person of (some) faith? Has your faith changed or deepend? Have your doubts increased? Would you like to talk about your spirituality during this time? Anya Bassett is organizing a small adult discussion group to explore these topics. Whether "you are sure in your beliefs or surely do not know what to believe," please email Anya at anyabassett@gmail.com by Monday, September 27th if you are interested in participating.
|
|
|
|
UCW Book Group
Tuesday, September 28th at 7:00 p.m.
The Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel
Please join us on September 28th at 7:00 p.m. for our first book group meeting following our summer break. This month we will be reading The Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel. You will find a zoom link and sign in information below. If you have any questions, please reach out to Alan Cody (almorrow@aol.com)
Meeting ID: 832 4667 4155
Passcode: 431699
Dial in: 1 646 558 8656
|
|
|
|
Tea Time Bible Study
Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m.
Please join us for a walk through the Book of Acts with Rev. Arlyne Grant and other friends. No biblical study or experience is needed. This will be a fun filled time of conversation and learning.
Meeting ID: 847 2838 1864
Passcode: 837512
Dial in: 1 646 558 8656
|
|
|
|
Book Buddies
We are continuing our Book Buddy program with elementary school children in Lowndes County, Alabama. Many of you are already involved in sending a new book to your Book Buddy each month. If you want to continue to send books please just let me know you are doing that so I can keep you in the loop on Book Buddy news.
|
|
Some of you would like to have a new Book Buddy. We will focus on third graders this year. We will have 10-15 students from each of the three schools who will need a new Book Buddy. The principals at the three elementary schools suggested we have all new Book Buddies mail books for their child to the school address. The principals will take a picture of the child with the new book each time you send it so you will know your book arrived safely. Plus you will get to see a picture of your Book Buddy with the new book! Please volunteer to be a Book Buddy! The kids love having a new friend, and a new book each month!
|
|
Partakers Mentoring Opportunity
Partakers is looking for mentors for incarcerated people who are working towards a college degree through the "College Behind Bars" program. Mentors are grouped in teams of four people who work with one incarcerated person, providing practical and emotional support. The commitment is to correspond regularly and visit (virtually during the pandemic) approximately every other month.
Partakers is holding a training session for new mentors on Tuesday, September 28th from 7-8:15 p.m. For more information, including a link to sign up if you are interested, please email Anya Bassett (anyabassett@gmail.com).
|
|
Common Cathedral
We are very glad to share that every Monday we will continue our weekly delivery of sandwiches, granola bars, and coffee to our our friends and partners downtown at Common Cathedral and BostonWarm. If you can help make sandwiches, or donate coffee, sugar, or granola bars, please add your name to the sign-up HERE, or contact Pastor Amy.
It's also not too late to support Rev. Laura Shatzer, who many of us remember and worked with in her role as a pastor at CityReach, as she runs the Boston Marathon in support of Common Cathedral! Laura's running page is below. Please consider supporting Laura and our wonderful partners at Common Cathedral with your prayers and/or gift.
The link to Laura's running page can be found HERE
|
|
|
|
A Note about Sunday School and Kids
Sunday School Beginning October 3rd - Childcare available in September
As we begin this new school year, we are carefully monitoring news about Covid, and have decided to postpone the official 'kick-off' of our Sunday School classes until October. Throughout September, we'll have worship materials for kids in our Prayground in the Memorial Chapel, and our Christian Education staff associate, Olivia DiMaio, will provide childcare and supervision of outdoor activities/crafts during our usual Sunday School time (10:15-11:00 a.m.). If you or your teens can help Olivia provide childcare, please let Pastor Amy know. We also hope all families will join us on this coming Sunday for the Blessing of the Backpack and All-Church Field Trip the Art on the Trails (see above)!
|
|
An Update from our Youth Ministry
Welcome Families! Happy Fall! We hope the transition back to school and all of the other fall activities are going well. While it continues to be a time of uncertainty with Covid, we are starting to plan fall activities for our youth at church. We hope folks are feeling more comfortable getting together and that we can gather for a few activities this fall. We will try and be outside as much as possible or inside masked. To be respectful of the transition for everyone this fall, we are planning fewer events, one instead of two each month. And some events will be a combination of youth groups. We can’t wait to get our youth together and hope they can join us!
|
|
Are you Called to be a Mentor?
We are looking for caring adults to walk alongside our Exploring Our Faith students
Our Exploring Our Faith program for 9th and 10th graders will begin on September 26th. We hope to pair each student with a caring adult who can share their faith journey, meeting with their mentee a few times throughout the year to provide a listening ear, honor their questions and doubts, and share stories of faith. If you would like to learn more, or are interested in being a mentor this year, please contact Pastor Amy (amy@ucw.org). After this past year when it has been hard to be together as an intergenerational community, these relationships feel more important than ever! Thank you for considering this valued role.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
