The Union Church in Waban               
Friday, November 9, 2018
This Sunday 
8:00 - No Bible Study this Sunday.  
   Prayer group will begin instead on November 18 th .  
   Bible Study will resume on January 6 th

9:00 -  Choir Rehearsal 
10:00 - Worship 
While many of will be at the All Church Retreat this weekend, those that gather at church this Sunday will enjoy spirit filled worship with Rev. Matt Carriker.   

Matt is an ordained Christian minister in the United Church of Christ (UCC), and also an author, spiritual coach, and retreat leader. Last fall, Matt helped begin a new UCC church start called "Agape" in Waltham, MA. He is also the Protestant Chaplain at Brandeis University. Through the Massachusetts Conference UCC, he co-facilitates confirmation and youth retreats, as well as intergenerational and adult spiritual formation retreats. He is passionate about altering Christianity today into a spiritual tradition that models the unconditional love of God and the life and teachings of Jesus. The title of his upcoming book is "Giving Christianity back to Agape Love." More info about Agape is here


Pajama and Movie Morning for Kids at UCW!  
This Sunday!
With many away this Sunday at the All-Church Retreat, our kids here in Waban are invited to a fun and relaxed morning!  Kids are invited to come in their PJ's, and will enjoy time during Sunday School with a movie, craft activities and popcorn.    
Kids, Youth and Families
Growing in Faith and Community 
 
Thank You to all our Hosts and Helping Hands
at last Sunday's
Clean-Up Day!

More than 25 volunteers served at four homes last Sunday, lending a helping hand with fall clean-up projects, leaf-raking, bulb-planting and more! We're so grateful to all who participated, including youth and parents, and the hosts who opened their homes to us.  It was a special afternoon of service, connection across generations, and being church together!  
UCW Parent Group:
Tuesday, November 13
th
, 7:30-9:00 p.m., (Reception Room)  
It can seem like parenting is harder than ever before. What can we do to help our kids thrive through their childhood, youth, teen years and into adulthood? As fellow parents in a faith community, let us come together to support and learn from each other, and share the joys and challenges of parenting. The Parenting Group gathers every 2nd Tuesday of the Month 
Mission & Outreach

Greens
THE UNION CHURCH 

CHRISTMAS TREE AND GREENS SALE

It's that time of year again! On December 2 rd, 2018, we will welcome the
Advent season  by  decorating the sanctuary with greens, wreaths and poinsettias.

The greens sale is an annual fundraiser that supports our mission and outreach work in the church.  Wreathes, poinsettias, sprigs and other festive decorations may be purchased to prepare our homes and our sanctuary for Advent and the celebration of Christmas.
   
Download an Order Form HERE
or 
Pick up an Order Form at the Church

ORDERS ARE DUE BY 
Sunday November 25
TH


Please help us continue our good works by purchasing poinsettias for the sanctuary or trees and greens to decorate your home!  Do not forget to offer an order form to family, friends, coworkers and neighbors to help 2018 be our most successful sale yet!

Thanksgiving
Community Thanksgiving Dinner 2018
Saturday, November 17
th  at 1:30 p.m.


The UCW Community Thanksgiving Dinner brings together local seniors and families who sit down together for a relaxing meal and time of fellowship.
 
This year's dinner will take place on Saturday, November 17th at 1:30 p.m., and we need lots of volunteers! Even if you cannot attend the actual dinner, there are tasks you can do to help. Please go HERE  to sign-up or find the volunteer sign-up link on the UCW website homepage at  www://ucw.org . T hanks for supporting this wonderful event.

Education, Spiritual Formation and Fellowship
AdventBooklet
ADVENT REFLECTION BOOKLET  
Stepping out of the Boat

Would you consider contributing something to our Advent Reflection Booklet? In our Advent book we will be reflecting on what "stepping out" for (or in) Hope, Peace, Joy and Love looks like (or could look like) in our lives and in our world. Do you have a story, poem, picture, thought or wondering that you'd be willing to share? The Advent Booklet is a much beloved tradition where we get to hear from each other what is on our hearts and minds. If you'd be willing to contribute a piece to the Booklet, please be in touch with Pastor Stacy. 

The deadline for contributions is Sunday, November 25

.
___________________________________________________________________________________

No Other Gods - Rev. Anne Robertson 
Sunday, November 18 at 11:30 a.m.
Child care will be available

Please mark your calendars and plan on staying after worship for what will be a remarkable conversation with Rev. Anne Robertson. Anne lifts up the first three of the Ten Commandments and sees in them a methodology for making our way through these confusing times. She writes "Idols are not just relics of a pagan past. They are the things that trick us into putting them above all else in our lives, taking for themselves the power and authority that rightly belong to authentic faith and loving community. From naked partisanship to gun control, our divisions are stoked by undue influence from shadowy players. Come, help us pull back the curtain to see the pretenders." For more information please be in touch with Pastor Stacy (
[email protected] ).
Developing Our Capacity to
Respond Faithfully in Difficult Situations

During our congregational conversations regarding mission that were held last year, we heard the desire for opportunities to help us build our skills and capacity to respond faithfully in difficult situations.  

As such, we are forwarding to you this opportunity offered through the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC).  It is: 


We will be taking a look at several key dynamics that have to be present in a system that tolerates a bully - and how to disempower both the dynamics and the offending members. 

Claire Bamberg, Potentials Coaching and Consulting, will present case studies throughout the presentation, and participants are welcome to come with their own in mind, ready to offer for discussion. Active Bystander Training seeks to equip individuals with the tools to discern when to intervene and how to interact appropriately to de-escalate tensions and protect the targets of those interpersonal attacks.  
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.  
From the Wider Community 
Immigration Can Unite Us
You are invited to the 4 th Annual Anne Berry Bonnyman Symposium entitled, "Love Thy Neighbor: Equity in Immigration" at the Trinity Church, Copley Square. The event will be held Nov. 10 -11 th beginning with a keynote address by Mr. Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. 

             Registration is required. For more information go here.
 

THE CMM FALL FUNDRAISER (see below) is an opportunity, in this terrible time of division and even hatred, to see examples of responses to injustices.