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Winchester Unitarian Society
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Highlights
February 9, 2017
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Sunday, February 12th: Every Time the Bells Ring
With Rev. Heather Janules
Worship Associate: Lee Barton
Life follows its own path, inviting us to wonder how things would be different if events took another course. In this time of exploring "Identity," we consider not "what is" but "what if?"
The service will conclude with a special gathering in Metcalf Hall.
This Sunday, we Share the Plate with FINCA International, a non-profit providing socially responsible financial services and supporting job creation with low-income and developing communities across the world.
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Music News.
Children's Chorale meets every Tuesday from 6:15 to 7:00 p.m. in the Spirit Play room in the RE wing. This is a wonderfully spirited group of young singers (grades 2-6) who meets weekly to sing, play games, and learn about music. All are welcome and no previous singing experience is necessary. If you know of any young person interested in having a great time while making music, please be in touch with music director John Kramer at john.kramer@winchesteruu.org.
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This month, Identity: In our Worship services we will be exploring the theme of identity. "Who am I?" is a question worth asking at any age. "Who are we?" is a question worth asking in any family or group. Our groups will explore the themes raised in each week's Time for All ages. This week, "What would the world be like if _________ persons/ideas/groups had never been?"
Religious Education Morning: Children start in the Sanctuary and after the Time for all Ages depart for Religious Education Classes. This morning grades 1-3 meet upstairs in Metcalf kitchen. Grades 4-6 meet upstairs with Ms. Jill, Pre-K/K meet with Ms. Mia and Ms Helena on the main level. Childcare available for babies and toddler in the Playroom.
Afternoon Programs:
Families of 7th and 8th Graders, please note. Your middle schooler is invited to church on the first Sunday of the month. We invite our 7th and 8th graders to sit together in designated pews during the service. This week, Sam Wilson, Director of Youth Ministry (for high school aged youth) will be leading the service along with members of the WUSYG high school youth group.
Our Whole Lives: Meets this Sunday at 4:30 in the Wallace room. This week "Consent". Sophia Sid and Jenny Nordan lead the group.
F8th in Action: Meets this week at 4:30 in the Michelson Room. This week, "Waking up?".
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March 9th 12:30-2:30
Bonus RE Thursday March 9th concurrent with Parent's Conversation (early release days from Winchester Public Schools).
We often have information and/or scheduling changes to share with families. If you have a child pre-k through 8th grades, please give us your current email address so that we may communicate more effectively with you. You can send it to rebecca@winchesteruu.org
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Family Worship: Rebecca Kelley Morgan leads this 20 minute service designed for our younger members and their families.
Next Religious Education Committee Meeting March 1st, 9:00 AM Michelsen room
GROWTH AND LEARNING:
Next Growth and Learning Meeting March 8th , 7:00 PM Michelsen Room
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WUSYG: Winchester Unitarian Society Youth Group
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Upcoming WUSYG Events:
Feb. 12: WUSYG Meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm. Heather and Deb will return to plan for the 3/5 service on innovation and seek ideas from youth to help WUS continue its vision for creative and evolving ministries.
Save the Date:
March 17-19: WUS will host "Another World is Possible: Youth Justice Weekend," which will be a retreat including youth from several other groups in the Boston area.
Please email the Director of Youth Ministries, Sam Wilson, for further information about WUSYG and Youth Ministry at WUS: sam.wilson@winchesteruu.org or WUSYouth@gmail.com
To subscribe to our newsletter and/or for more detailed information about contacting Sam and following him/WUSYG on social media, please
Click Here.
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Winchester Unitarian Society
2017 Annual Pledge Drive
Kick-Off Sunday, February 12
If not for the Winchester Unitarian Society where would we find...
Inspiring worship, dedicated staff, uplifting music and choirs, adult programming, impassioned youth group, commitment to service and social justice, support of the greater community, our spiritual home?
February 12 - Our Annual Pledge Drive begins!
After the service please meet in Metcalf Hall to celebrate our community. Join us for food, fellowship and a very fun exercise where you’ll be sure to learn more about your fellow Unitarians.
Sunday, March 5
Join Steve Milt, treasurer of WUS, after the service to learn more about the principal components of the operating budget. Almost 60% of WUS budgeted operating income is financed by our pledges. Bring your questions! Meet in the parlor.
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What is your experience of worship at WUS? We would love to know!
The Worship Team and Worship Associates have created a survey to gather input about the worship experiences offered here. Please go to the link HERE to participate.
The survey only takes about 10 – 15 minutes. The link will be available until February 14th at which time the feedback will be tallied and a summary will be made available to all.
Thank you for sharing: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7GKL5X9
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Supporting WUS through Strategic Giving:
The Charitable IRA Rollover Presented by Mark Shepherd
Sunday, Feb 26, 12 p.m. in the Parlor
Join WUS' own Mark Shepherd for this informative program for our older members, who are required by the IRS to make taxable Minimum Required Distributions upon reaching 70 ½ years of age.
This is the first in a series of revealing presentations by the Stewardship and Finance Committee and leading experts to offer powerful ways to support WUS while reducing taxes and achieving significant personal, family, and business goals.
Lunch will be served and RSVPs are encouraged by clicking here, or calling the church office at 781-729-0949.
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Social Action and Outreach
Join a CONVERSATION WITH OUR MUSLIM NEIGHBORS at First Church Unitarian in Littleton this Saturday from 1:00 to 2:30 pm in their sanctuary at 19 Foster Street.
Friday, February 7th at 7 pm @ Sanctuary UCC 458 high street, Medford
Talk and BYOB reception with Photographer, Dick Simon, talking about the Middle East.
He launched the KNOW THEM Initiative, to raise awareness about what he calls the most dangerous four-letter word in the English language, THEM, for its ability to marginalize, dehumanize and create conflict.
Ending Mass Incarceration
A
sign-on letter has been created demanding that state leaders make good on promises to improve fairness and outcomes for those in the system, reduce prison and jail populations, decrease recidivism, and cut prison costs. We also urge the Governor and legislators to take responsibility now in executive actions and legislation to address long-standing failings of the Department of Correction and the Parole Board.
Individuals and organizations are called to sign the letter which details what must be corrected in the criminal justice system.
We are also asking you to tell your legislators to call on Governor Charlie Baker, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, and Senate President Stanley Rosenberg to address the disparate treatment of people of color in our justice system and to work for the justice issues in the letter.
The full letter is here:
https://aclum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/20170117-CSG-Letter.pdf
What’s happening with the Sanctuary Movement?
There’s a rapidly developing network working to organize resistance to this oppressive policy. UU Mass Action is primarily working with: Cosecha Fe, MCAN (Mass Community Action Network), Episcopal City Mission & Brockton Interfaith and Boston New Sanctuary Movement. The network is developing rapidly! We are also in communication with the ACLU, The National Lawyers Guild, and UURISE (UU Refugee, Immigrant Services and Education).
For more information check out uumassaction.org or complete the Individual Supporter form, Step 2 on the
webpage
Let us know what how you’re willing to take action! Feel free to print these and make them available to your congregation.
Becoming Muslim Allies
Do you wish to learn more about Islam? It’s easy. Claire McNeill attended an informative gathering last Saturday. Just check out websites of area mosques, such as:
http://maldenislamiccenter.org/islam/
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WUS Mental Health Awareness & Support Initiative (MHASI)
WUS Mental Health Awareness & Support Initiative (MHASI)
Creating ways to support one another whether we are living with a mental illness, facing a mental health challenge, or are close to someone who is.
UPCOMING PEER SUPPORT GROUPS
❖
WUS Family & Caregiver Support Group
, a drop-in group for family members, caregivers, and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness, facilitated by Jacquie Serebrani-Kesner, of the National Alliance on
Mental Illness.
Tuesday, February 14, 6:45-8:45 pm in Michelsen
Tuesday, February 28, 6:45-8:45 p. in Michelsen
All WUS support groups are co-facilitated and provide a safe and confidential setting for mutual support and the sharing of resources.
Looking for other local support groups or resources? MHASI recommends contacting the Massachusetts chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),
www.namimass.org/NAMI
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"The WUS Mental Health Awareness & Support Initiative (MHASI) is sponsoring a Community Book Read on Wednesday, March 29th of "An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness" by Kay Redfield Jamison. There will be a discussion of the book from 7-9pm in the Parlor. All are welcome to attend. Contact KarenErikson@comcast.net for more information.
From the publisher: In her bestselling classic, An Unquiet Mind, Kay Redfield Jamison changed the way we think about moods and madness. Dr. Jamison is one of the foremost authorities on manic-depressive (bipolar) illness; she has also experienced it firsthand. For even while she was pursuing her career in academic medicine, Jamison found herself succumbing to the same exhilarating highs and catastrophic depressions that afflicted many of her patients, as her disorder launched her into ruinous spending sprees, episodes of violence, and an attempted suicide. Here Jamison examines bipolar illness from the dual perspectives of the healer and the healed, revealing both its terrors and the cruel allure that at times prompted her to resist taking medication. An Unquiet Mind is a memoir of enormous candor, vividness, and wisdom - a deeply powerful book that has both transformed and saved lives."
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WUS is participating in this year’s intergenerational Guest at Your Table program, which is focused on the theme of Defying Hate. See the table in the Symmes Room to pick up a Guest at Your Table box and a copy of the inspiring “Stories of Hope” brochure, which highlights some of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s work to protect human rights in the face of hate, Islamophobia, and other forms of bigotry. If you have a Guest at Your Table box, please remember to “feed it” and to turn in your box with a check payable to UUSC on February 19. For more information about the Guest at Your Table program and the UUSC, go to: http://www.uusc.org/welcome-to-guest-at-your-table/
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Mental Health Support Group Meets Tuesday, Feb 14
WUS Peer-to-Peer Support Group, a drop-in group for anyone who is living with a mental health disorder or is facing an emotional health challenge. The group is facilitated by a WUS member and a leader from NAMI.
Tuesday, February 14, 7-8:30 pm in the Parlor
Tuesday, March 14, 7-8:30 pm in the Parlor
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Saturday, February 25th 9:30 – 12:30 PM - In the Meyer Chapel
Join intern Minister, Deborah Morgan Bennett for a morning exploring the ancient Taoist practice of Qi (pronounced chee) Gong.
Through gentle movements, postures and a focus on the breath discover how this simple practice can be a powerful way to free up stuck energy, gain vitality and experience a deep connection to the energy of the universe.
We will take a little time to dip into some of the philosophy behind the practice and learn a simple 20 minute flow to practice at home. No special equipment is needed. Wear comfortable clothing and come with a curious mind.
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Racial Justice Team
Following the service honoring Martin Luther King, the Racial Justice Team formed 4 action groups: Deciding on a Black Lives Matter banner; Continuing the workshop; Monthly book discussions; Showing movies. If you’d like to join an action group, contact Claire McNeill. rkmcn@aol.com If you wish to add your name to the list to receive emails for the Team, contact Patty Shepard, shepard.patty@gmail.com
Free screening of Beyond the Wall cosponsored by First Parish in Bedford, Follen Community Church (in Lexington), and First Parish on Saturday morning, February 11, at 10 am to 12 noon, at the Lexington Venue, a theater in Lexington Center. Beyond the Wall follows five formerly incarcerated men who are attempting to rebuild their lives on the outside with little support from our criminal justice system. Their stories revolve around one central figure, a former prisoner named Louie Diaz, who works with each man to help him maintain his sobriety and his freedom.
Criminal Justice in Massachusetts: How it’s Broken and Ways to fix it. Panel on Thursday, February 16, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at First Parish in Concord, 20 Lexington Road.
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The Grief Support Group
The Grief Support Group will meet Wednesday, February 22nd from 7:30-9:00 pm (to be held in the Winchester Unitarian Society Parlor / go in the 478 Main Street circular drive door and to your right.) All are warmly welcome to attend.
The Grief Support Group is open to anyone in the community who has experienced loss and seeks a caring environment to process the complex feelings of grieving. If you have experienced a death of someone in your life and would like to explore your grief with other people who have also experienced loss, please consider attending a grief support group meeting. Everyone makes his or her own individual journey after experiencing loss. Our group has found that by sharing our journeys with each other, we are strengthened and comforted.
The grief support meetings start with a reading and then a check-in by participants. You can say as much or as little as you feel comfortable saying (you can also choose to pass if you want.) Usually personal check-ins last a few minutes each and should be uninterrupted. Then the conversation opens up. The facilitator usually starts off this conversation with a topic or question to discuss. The meetings conclude at 9pm. Our meetings are confidential- we ask that everyone observe the guideline that what is said in a meeting, stays in the meeting.
Upcoming Schedule for the Grief Support Drop-In Group
Tuesday, March 21st Parlor 7:30-9pm
Wednesday, April 26th Parlor 7:30-9pm
Please feel free to contact Karen Erikson (781-729-7249 or by email at "KarenErikson@comcast.net") if you would like more info on the Grief Support Program at WUS -or- feel free to just show up at a meeting. No rsvp needed.
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CLASS CONVERSATION
SAT MARCH 4TH
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
How does social class shape our identities?
Our congregation?
Our community?
What assumptions do we make about social class that may not be accurate?
How do class differences challenge our relationships?
How can we foster greater understanding and more inclusive communities?
What questions does this photo raise?
A facilitated workshop through the UUA's Class Conversations Project
Sliding Scale Participation Fee: $0-$30
Contact Rev. Heather if you plan to attend.
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Seeking Worship Associates
The Worship Associates are ready to expand their circle and welcome the next generation of partners in worship leadership. Ideal candidates are open to the experience of public speaking, have a natural appreciation for the art of worship and seek to serve the congregation-at-large. Overall, we aim to create a Worship Associate team that represents the age, gender, ethnic and theological diversity of the congregation. We especially welcome the presence and participation of youth!
There is also a behind-the-scenes job: researcher of worship elements, an ideal role for those who love poetry and reflective prose but who are not big fans of public speaking.
Those who are interested in learning more should contact Peter McEntee (peter.mcentee@comcast.net) or the Rev. Heather Janules (heather.janules@winchesteruu.org).
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Monday Night Candlelight Yoga
6:30 – 8:00 pm in the Meyer Chapel
January – March (No classes 2/20)
It is not too late to join us for our Winter Session of gentle Kripalu-style yoga with teacher Jamie Sokolowski (right)! Deep breathing (pranayama) brings warmth and focus. Yoga postures (asanas) gently stretch and strengthen, enhance balance and counter patterns of daily tension. Connecting breath and movement deepens self-awareness and enlivens our sense of being. If you have never done yoga before, or only just a bit, Jamie gives clear guidance through a slow flow of postures, offering support as we go. If you have more experience, you are invited to take the postures to your own depth of challenge. Ten-class ($150), 5-class ($75) and drop-in ($15) options available. Questions? Email fritzie.nace@gmail.com.
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Joys, Sorrows and Transitions
If you are facing a time of joy, sorrow or transition in your life, our ministers and the Pastoral Care Associates are available to offer a listening ear, compassionate presence and, if applicable, resources.
We celebrate with Deb and Joe Eiler with the birth of their first grandchild. Rosemary Olive Allen was born at Winchester Hospital at 2:20pm to Liz and Luke Allen and weighed 5lbs 9oz.
Our love and condolences are with Barbara Savage and Patrick Draine with the recent death of Barbara's father.
You may reach the Rev. Heather Janules or Intern Minister Deborah Morgan Bennett through the office at 781.729.0949. They can also connect you with a Pastoral Care Associate or the Caring Network (providing short-term, practical support like rides and meals.) To learn more about the PCAs, pick up a brochure when you are in the church.
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When you do your food shopping this week, please try to pick up a can or two of canned meat (chicken, spam, turkey, Vienna sausages, etc.) We will be collecting canned meats throughout the month of February. This is a particularly difficult time for the Pantry as donations of foodstuffs after the holidays drops off significantly but the need continues to grow. Please place your donations of canned meat in the bin located in the entrance of the church. Thank you!
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Coffee Hour Refreshments
For the upcoming church year, we need volunteers to bring refreshments for coffee hour on Sundays. Please go to http://winchesteruu.org/hospitality-171.html and click on 'Volunteer Sign Up Form' to sign up, or use the sign up sheets in the Symmes Room.
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Flower Dedications
Dates are available for flower dedications. You may dedicate flowers in celebration of, in memory of, or in honor of someone and it will appear in the Order of Service. The cost is $45.00 (or you can bring your own flowers, but let the office know). Please go
to http://winchesteruu.org/hospitality-171.html
and click on
'Volunteer Sign Up Form' to sign up, or use the sign up sheets in the Symmes Room.
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Staying Connected
For information about:
- Standing Committee Approved Minutes
- Society Members and Friends Directory
- Sign in information for the "Members" portion of www.winchesteruu.org
- Electronic Payment Options
- Sunday Worship Service CDs and Hardcopies of the Sermons
- Society Office Hours
- Parish Minister's Office Hours
Visit the "Staying Connected" section of the "Events" page of our website: http://winchesteruu.org/events-86.html
The deadline for all Highlights submissions: Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. and should go to adminassistant@winchesteruu.org. All articles submitted should be no more than 250 words.
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Winchester Unitarian Society | 478 Main St. Winchester MA 01890
(781) 729-0949 | office@winchesteruu.org | www.winchesteruu.org
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