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Winchester Unitarian Society
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Sunday, March 5th: An Evolving Faith: Incorporating Innovation
With Rev. Heather Janules
Worship Associate: Carol Cashion
In this month's Vision Statement Sunday, we explore the vision of being a community of innovation. How do we best go beyond habit and tradition in the practice of faith? Where might we go next? Beginning a month focused on the theme of "risk," come and consider the courage to "fail fast," an ethic of curiosity, in the pursuit of excellence.
As the first Sunday of the month, a Community Conversation will follow in the Parlor at noon. All are welcome!
This Sunday, in the wake of bomb threats to Jewish institutions and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, we Share the Plate with the Anti-Defamation League, whose mission is to " stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all."
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Music News.
The Hymn Sing continues throughout the year on the first Tuesday of the month at 7:15 p.m. in the Meyer Chapel. We come together simply to sing: new hymns, old hymns, hymns from the grey and teal hymnal, hymns people bring in. The possibilities are endless and it will be more fun with you there!
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, Risk: In our Worship services we will be exploring the theme of risk. What kinds of risks do we take? Avoid? This week in Time for All Ages, “Let’s Try This"
Religious Education Morning: A note to our families: In the month of March our Worship theme is “Risk”, with our first Sunday on “Innovation”. The Religious Education Committee is going to take a risk and engage innovation, with some further Sunday morning program changes for the month of March.
We have already made changes in program content this year, aligning our Religious Education classes with the church wide worship theme. The Time for All Ages delivers the message for all ages and in each class/age group, children explore and integrate the message in various ways. Although this aligns the messages in “big” and “young” churches, we feel the need to be more responsive to our attendance patterns, and the social/learning differences within our age groupings.
In the upcoming month long trial, we will run the morning with one person providing direction and oversight for all leaders – rather like a camp program. The “lead” will be Jill Pylkkanen who has taught here for 4 years and has a graduate degree in innovative education. Jill will receive content guidance from Rebecca, and then develop a menu of integrative activities; discussion, interactive, experiential, gross or fine motor. Once we know who is at church, Jill can then direct teachers and aides in implementing that day’s activities to best serve the children present. We hope that this model will allow for more flexibility in the moment, additional cross mixing between our primary aged children, and further cultivation of our teen leaders.
At the end of March, we’ll take a look back, evaluate, and make recommendations for going forward. Please feel free to communicate your feedback or questions to any of us.
The Children’s Religious Education Committee with Rebecca Kelley Morgan
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.
Our Whole Lives: Meets Sunday at 4:30 in the Wallace room. This week, Sophia Sid and Karen Caputo lead the group. This week we learn more about the physiology of pregnancy, the role of parenting in our lives and hear what it’s like to be a teenage parent.
F8th in Action: Meets at 4:30 in Michelsen. We’re exploring the idea of Risk taking and Comfort zones as well as asking the questions, what IS risk taking and why would we do so? Vanessa Steck and Rebecca Kelley Morgan lead the group.
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March 9th 12:30-2:30 Parent Conversation
The riskiest conversations can be about money. How do we give our children a comfortable life without feeding into the culture and expense of “branded children”. How can we help them be wise about money and set their own priorities for how to spend, save and share? Come share your insights, questions and challenges while your children explore their own relationships with spending, sharing and saving.
Bonus RE Thursday March 9th concurrent with Parent's Conversation (early release day from Winchester Public Schools) We will be hearing the story of the moonjar and creating our very own to take home.
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.
GROWTH AND LEARNING:
Exploring American Islam: March 26th (11:45 depart Winchester )Visit to the Islamic Center of New England (in Roxbury). Following the worship service, we’ll be carpooling to the largest Mosque Community in New England for a tour and opportunity to learn more about our Islamic Neighbors
April 9th: Conversations that Matter: Exploring Islam. Join us for thoughtful conversation around what it means to be in a multi-cultural society, religiously speaking.
Next Religious Education Committee Meeting April 5th, 9:00 AM Michelsen room.
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:
This Sunday, March 5: Say What Urban Improv Justice Workshop at the Winchester Youth Center, 3 - 4:30, then WUSYG will walk back to WUS together for an abbreviated Meeting until 6 pm.
March 12: WUSYG Meeting, 4:30-6:30 pm
March 17-19: Another World Is Possible: A UU Youth Justice Weekend. Last year our youth group participated in a multi-congregational youth service weekend together, and we are excited to do it again this year, but with a different twist! This will be a weekend with other local UU youth of envisioning and justice building with a variety of workshops, fun activities and a rally/vigil in downtown Winchester. Youth need to register here and we’ll send you the other forms once we know that you can come.
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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The Mystic Messenger Vol. 2, Issue 3
Please enjoy our quarterly publication, The Mystic Messenger, available here.
Next week, we will highlight the article on March's theme of 'Risk'.
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Winchester Unitarian Society 2017 Annual Pledge Drive
Wanted: 100% participation by all!
The WUS annual pledge drive continues through
March 12
. Thank you for giving serious consideration to what you can pledge for the next fiscal year and making that commitment by pledging online at
http://winchesteruu.org/pledge-177.html
or by returning your completed pledge card to the church office by Sunday, March 12th.
We are 34% of the way to our $380,000
pledge goal. Please join in supporting this great community in nurturing each other and the world beyond.
Sunday Service, March 5
We will hear a testimonial from WUSYG -
If not for our Youth Group…
Sunday, March 5
Join Steve Milt, co-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. As we continue to grow demands on our budget also increase including:
- 3% Cost of Living Adjustment, based on the department of labor statistics. This will be an increase of approximately $12,000.
- Funding new committees and initiatives including WUS Mental Health Awareness, WUS Racial Justice Team, Caring Network, Soup and Conversation, and the Green Sanctuary.
- Additional funding to maintain our historic building. Deferred maintenance needs, including the roof, need to be addressed.
- Updating furnishings. Interior improvements of the church are long overdue.
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Join us for Third Thursdays: An Interfaith Worship Experience
On March 16th, we will kick off a series of three monthly mid-week Worship services. The others will take place April 20th and May 18th. Exact details are in the making and you are invited to join intern minister Deb in the creation. If you are unable to attend at that time but would like to contribute your ideas and talent please e-mail Deb at debmorganbennett@winchesteruu.org.
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CLASS CONVERSATION
SAT MARCH 4TH
10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Lunch is Provided
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
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From The Music Committee:
St Paddy's Day Celebration: On March 17th, we will celebrate St. Paddy’s Day with the legendary performer Robbie O’Connell. A native of Waterford, Ireland, Robbie started performing at the age of thirteen. After touring with the Clancy Brothers, he released his first solo album in 1982. He hasn’t stopped since and we are delighted to have him along with fiddler Rose Clancy. Mark your calendar and help us to spread the word about an evening that is bound to be a foot tapping, high-spirited event! http://www.robbieoconnell.com
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Social Action and Outreach
A limited amount of Organic Fair Trade Coffee and Chocolate bars will be for sale this Sunday
at the Social Action table. Regular coffee $6.50 for 12 oz. Orange, Mint or 71% Dark (2.8 oz) chocolate bars are $2.50. You pay the wholesale price and help small farmers and the environment.
The SAOC welcomes your ideas on how we can be allies to these groups.
UU Mass Action Advocacy Day 2017. April 11th, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Where: Arlington Street Church
, 351 Boylston St.
& The State House
Register HERE
Now until March 20th: $25 Standard Registration. After March 20, the Registration Fee is $35. Sign up for carpool to the T at the SAOC table in Symmes.
Learn about key bills recently filed at the State House for comprehensive criminal justice reform at
“The Politics of Justice: Comprehensive Criminal Justice Reform in Massachusetts"
— Saturday, March 25, 12:45-5:00 p.m. at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington. Details on SAOC Bulletin board. Attendance will be limited to 280.
Please preregister at
http://tinyurl.com/hf43b6v
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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 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.
Mental Health Support Group Meets
Tuesday, March 14, 7-8:30 pm in the Parlor
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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JOIN US FOR SOUP & CONVERSATION,
WED., MARCH 8,
12:30 p.m.
All are invited to our next
Soup & Conversation,
hosted by the Pastoral Care Associates, on
Wednesday, March 8th, at 12:30 p.m. in the Parlor. Come
spend time with old friends and meet new ones while enjoying bowls of delicious and healthful soups, freshly prepared by a team of WUS youth and chef master Rebecca Kelley-Morgan. If you know in advance you will be able to attend, please RSVP to Sara Delano at 781-729-6800 or
sdelano1@msn.com
so we have an approximate head count. (Last-minute drop-ins are also very welcome.) Please let Sara know if you will need a ride.
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AN INVITATION TO “EXPLORING OUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS”
– Sunday, March 12
Newcomers to Winchester Unitarian--and long-timers who would like to get better acquainted with them--are invited to lunch and discussion after church on Sunday, March 12, hosted by Rev. Heather and the Membership Committee. We will share brief experiences from our spiritual journeys: what brought us to Winchester Unitarian, perhaps; or what we find most inspirational or meaningful in our lives now. To sign up for the lunch, RSVP to Vicky Coccoluto (vcoccoluto@yahoo.com) or Barbara Keyes (barbk25@gmail.com) Membership Co-Chairs. A follow-on session for newcomers will be directed to Unitarian Universalist history--major figures and turning points in our religious tradition--and is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, April 30. All are welcome!
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The Grief Support Group
The Grief Support Group will meet Tuesday, March 21st 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
Wednesday, April 26th Parlor 7:30 - 9 pm
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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Community News
The Drought, Biodiversity and Climate
A presentation on “The Drought: Biodiversity and Climate” will be held Wednesday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. at the Jenks Center, 109 Skillings Road. The program will focus on the effects of last year’s drought and how the loss of biodiversity leads to climate change. Andy Hrycyna of the Mystic River Watershed Association and Jim Laurie with Biodiversity for a Livable Climate will be the featured speakers. The program, sponsored by the Winchester Farmers Market Community Hub (info@wfmchub.org) will be followed by a moderated discussion with representatives from different local environmental groups.
“Constructive Conversations Across Differences” is the theme of the Multicultural Network’s annual free community workshop which will be held on Saturday, March 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Essential Partners (formerly the Public Conversations Project) will provide professional facilitation. Participants will learn skills that enable them to have constructive conversation with those whose perspectives differ from their own. Registration is limited. Please email office@wmcn.org. For updated information about Network activities, see www.wmcn.org
League of Women Voters Forum March 19th
The League is planning an event on Sunday March 19th at 2 pm at Jenks. The program is a 'meet the Town Meeting candidates' from 2 to 2:30, followed by 3 debates for Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, and School Committee races.
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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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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.
Our condolences are with Lee and Beverly Barton with the recent death of Lee's mother, who passed one day before her 98th birthday.
We celebrate that Dick Spencer is returning home from the Aberjona Rehab Center this week.
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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For the month of March, the Woburn Food Pantry needs canned soups such as chicken noodle and cream of mushroom, and ramen noodles. Every month the director of the pantry lets us know which items are in low supply so that our contributions can have the most impact. In the month of March and in months moving forward, donations drop off significantly although the need continues to grow. Please place your donations in the bin under the new-and-improved Social Action area in the Symmes Room. In addition to the 30 Thanksgiving baskets, the congregation has donated 94 non-perishable food items since October. Thank you for your contributions! For additional information contact Mary Saudade at msaudade@comcast.net.
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Coffee Hour Refreshments
Do you need to sit while sipping and talking? If so, look for the card table set up by one of the cushioned benches at the back of the Symmes Room. If you don't see it, let Mike Donegan or Maggie Russell know.
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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