The Union Church in Waban                
Friday, January 26, 2018
This Sunday - 
    8:00 a.m.:   
Bible Study in Stacy's study.  All are welcome. 

 9:00 a.m.:   Choir Rehearsal
 
10:00 a.m.: 
W orship Service

11:15 a.m.:  Bell Choir  

11:30 a.m.: Nica Travelers Meeting 

5:00 p.m.: Capital Campaign Executive Committee (offsite)
 
Upcoming Sundays - 
February 4th - is a Communion Sunday.  We will also be receiving new members!  If you are interested in becoming a member of The Union Church in Waban please see Pastor Stacy.  We will also have the joy of worship with our 1K partner, Sandra Okiror (see below for more details).  

February 11th  -- we will commission those that are traveling to Nicaragua during the February school vacation week to engage in service work.  The travelers will be rebuilding a health center, painting a school, laying water pipes and constructing latrines in the town of San Bernadino that is located about 45 minutes outside of San Juan del Sur to the northeast.  

Wednesday, February 14 Ash Wednesday - Please consider joining us in an intergenerational worship service, accessible for all ages at 6:00 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.  Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent which is a time of preparation and reflection as we make our selves ready for Holy Week and Easter.  

Capital Campaign


Thrive in Faith. Ho nor our Legacy. Build our Future. The word is out! All church members should have received Ke nt's inspiring letter this week announcing that our Capital Campaign is under way! The Executiv e Committee of the Capital Campaign has been working hard over the past month to launch the campaign, and we all will soon celebrate our vision, goals, and work for our beloved Union Church building and the start of a great capital effort. Please save the date for the Capital Campaign Kick Off Dinner: March 2 nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Wellesley College Club. 

Capital Campaign Kick Off Dinner:  March 2
nd at 6:00 p.m. at the 
Wellesley College Club.
Mission Matters

Union Church cooks and dines with our Mitten Tree neighbors in Boston!

Beth Sears, Amy McMahon, Gerry Elion, Soo Laski and friends lunched on Sunday with some of the folks we gift at Christmas from our Mitten Tree. How good it was to be together and hear, for example, yes the pink bathrobe was what I wanted. You can cook or serve our neighbors at Talbot House, too. Just let us know. 


Union Church 1K Micro-Loan Economic Justice Mission 
You are invited! Fellowship time with entrepreneur Sandra Okiror,
 
Feb. 4th
after worship.
What does God's Economy look like?
That was the question posed at the Union Church 1K Bible Study series in 2015, in response to the  1K Churches Campaign  launched at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2012.  Here at UCW, we have taken our first steps toward "building just, faithful, and transformative economic relationships between churches and their communities that reflect what we believe God's economy to beby making loans to two small businesses in the Greater Lowell area.

Our first loan was made to Sandra Okiror, owner of Wham's Café in Lowell.  
Sandra grew up in Kenya, and emigrated to Canada to attend university where she studied entrepreneurship.  Sandra has revived Wham's Café on a corner (with parking!) in Lowell, just across the river from UMass.  This iteration of the Café grew out of a catering business that Sandra began by circulating leaflets at church receptions in her Lowell neighborhood.  She operates the Café with her older daughter, and serves inexpensive Kenyan foods while also building community with her customers.  It was one of her customers who introduced Sandra to our 1K initiative.

Sandra will be sharing worship and fellowship with us on 
Sunday, February 4th .  Anyone interested in learning more about Sandra, her approach to community-based business, or her charitable work on behalf of schools for disabled children in Kenya is welcome to join her after church on the stage for informal conversation.

In the weeks leading up to Sandra's visit, signup sheets will be available for any who would like to take a trip to dine together at Sandra's restaurant , Wham's Café in Lowell.  We promise it will be a memorable experience.
Field Trip to Wham's Cafe

Join UCW friends on a "field trip" to Wham's Café in Lowell.  Owner Sandra Okikor  will welcome our groups of 4 - 8 people so we can enjoy authentic Kenyan food and fellowship.  

Click Here to sign up for lunch on Feb. 23, dinner on Feb. 24 or breakfast on March 3.  Meal prices are very reasonable.  Enjoy!
GBIO Training Opportunity
 
If you thought about attending the 3-day GBIO organizing training back in November but couldn't manage 3 consecutive whole days, this course might be for you. The more UCW members get trained in GBIO "ways," the greater our capacity to participate effectively in GBIO efforts. Questions? Contact Kathleen Hobson or Mark Smith.
 
A Course in Power, Broad-Based Organizing, and Leadership
  • 5 Tuesdays, 6:30-8pm: Feb. 6, 13, and 27, and Mar. 6 and 13
  • Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Ave., Boston
  • Cost: $200-If this is prohibitive for you, please contact Fran Godine (godine@comcast.net) about a possible reduction in price.
In today's America, how can a faith community engage in civic life? How do we put our values into action in pursuit of social justice? Course content will include exercises and role-play combined with lecture and discussion. Stories about GBIO's biggest successes and challenges will be woven throughout. The course will be taught by GBIO organizer Kathleen Patron and other GBIO leaders. To register, follow this link or email Mike Fishbein of Temple Israel (mfishbein@tisrael.org).
NICA Service Trip
During the February public school vacation, over fifty UCWers will be traveling to San Juan del Sur to engage in service and learning with our Nicaraguan friends.  Go here to read the latest about the project and to share in the preparation as this trip draws near.  We will be commissioning the Travelers during worship on February 11, but in the meantime all of us can share in the preparations by praying for the travelers.  The relationships they will engage and the work they will do is not theirs alone.  It is all of ours!  
Children, Youth & Families
Bake Sale Results and Thank you!
 
From Nica Youth Leader, Cate Brown:   Thank you to all who supported the Nica Bake Sale by baking, donating, or helping to sell the goods. The day was warm, the Pats won, almost every treat was sold (we had hundreds of items in the beginning)... it all went great and we raised a lot of money for school supplies for our partners in San Juan Del Sur.  We'd like to share a special thanks to all those who helped package the goods on Saturday, and who helped make the sale such a success! 
 
We raised more than our 2016 bake sale, which was around $890. This year we raised $1,172!!!!
 
Thank you all once again! Gracias,
Cate, Aden, Joanie and Amy
 
Teacher Breakfast - Sunday, February 4th at 8:30 a.m. (Amy's Office)
All teachers and any parents/members of the community interested in learning more about Spiritual Formation with children and youth are invited to gather in Amy's office for a light breakfast before worship next Sunday.  We'll share updates about Sunday School, talk about possibilities for our Mini-Missions this spring, and begin planning for our youth-and-child-led Palm Sunday Service that will be the focus of our Lenten journey with our kids.  We look forward to seeing you there! 
 
Save the Date:
Commissioning Nicaragua Travelers and Sunday School, February 11th
On Sunday, February 11th, we will commission our travelers to Nicaragua.  During Sunday School, our children and youth will be invited to participate in a service project preparing supplies and gifts to share with the children of our partner church and school in San Juan del Sur.   We'll prepare and bless the gifts together, as we seek to strengthen the bonds of relationship and love between our UCW community and our partner communities in Nicaragua.  
Faith Formation and Education 
Book group:
The book for January is  Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by  Amara  Lakhous  (Algerian)  -  a satirical, playful novel exposing the power of fear, racial  prejudice and cultural misconceptions  that rob a neighborhood of its humanity. We will meet on Tuesday,  January 30 th at 7:00 p.m. in the reception room.
Lunch Bunch is for everyone!  
Are you home during the day?  Do you have some flexibility in your schedule?  Why not join us for lunch and conversation?  Lunch bunch will meet on January 31 from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.  A hot lunch is provided so simply come and get to know some of your UCW friends a bit better.  RSVP to Pastor Stacy ( stacy@ucw.org ) so we can plan the food.  
The Week Ahead at UCW
 
 
 
Sun., Jan .28
8:00 a.m.
Bible Study
 
9:00 a.m.
Choir Rehearsal
 
10:00 a.m.
Worship
 
11:15 a.m.
Bell Choir Rehearsal
 
11:30 p.m.
Nica Travelers
 
5:00 p.m.
CEC meeting (offsite)
Mon., Jan. 29
7:30 a.m.
Living waters prayer in Memorial Chapel
 
7:00 p.m.
Choir Rehearsal
Tue., Jan. 30
7:00 p.m.
Book Group
Wed., Jan. 31
12:00 p.m.
Lunch Bunch
Sat., Feb. 3
10:30 a.m.
Memorial Service
 
2:00 p.m.
Memorial Service
Sun., Feb. 4
8:00 a.m.
Bible Study
 
9:00 a.m.
Choir Rehearsal
 
10:00 a.m.
Worship
 
11:15 a.m.
Bell Choir Rehearsal
 
11:30 a.m.
1K Church: Sandra Ohiror, Wham's Café
 
 
 

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 or our Sunday Announcements insert should be e-mailed to the office at ucw@ucw.org , by 9:00 a.m. on the previous Wednesday morning.  Please specify whether for e-Blast, Sunday Announcements, or both. Thank you!  
From the Wider Community


On January 27 and 28, 2018, local restaurants will offer special
Super Hunger Brunch menus or dishes, donating 100% of proceeds
to The Greater Boston Food Bank.
Join us for our 36th annual Super Hunger Brunch by making a reservation at one of the restaurants listed below! Every $1 you spend will provide three healthy meals to our neighbors in need. Be sure to ask for the Super Hunger Brunch menu.
More Details HERE