The UUCW Message
September 29, 2015
In This Issue

Current News at UUCW 

Office Notes and Flyers



Office Hours
(Sept 1, 2015 - 
June 30, 2016):
Mon, Tues, Wed: 
9 am - 3 pm
Thursday 9 am - 2 pm
(Closed 2nd Wednesday
Oct - May)

Gmail Users - Please note that if you stop receiving the Message, Nugget, and Weekend Reminder, check your Promotions tab in Gmail. Often, you will find that church emails are in there! Please click  HERE for more information. Please share this information with your fellow congregants if they mention they aren't getting the Message!

PLEASE NOTE: Our trash and recycling is generally picked up once a month. Please be sure to break down all cardboard boxes before putting them in the recycling dumpster so it doesn't fill up too fast!

 

Congregational Mission Statement

"The members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester covenant to be a congregation of love, hope and justice inspiring people to take on the challenges of a changing world."

  

 

Welcoming Church 

Mission Statement 

The LGBTQI and Allies of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester strives to further the affirmation and celebration of LGBTQI individuals in all aspects of the church community. We also seek to increase the visibility of UUCW as a Welcoming Congregation within the greater community.

 

 

UUCW Covenant

In consonance with the principles and purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we the members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester covenant to sustain and support a courageous and caring community by:

 

* Bringing our best selves to form a welcoming, loving, and inclusive community of faith;

 

* Creating an atmosphere of celebration and worship in a safe environment;

 

* Providing opportunities where diverse people and points of view are respected and where open-hearted and open-minded discussion of our differences is encouraged;

 

* Treating each other with kindness and respect;

 

* Approaching conflicts with a spirit of humility and with the respectful intent for peaceful resolution;

 

* Engaging in and encouraging spiritual and intellectual growth across the lifespan;

 

* Fostering social justice and positive transformation in our community and in the world at large;

 

* Growing and maintaining the resources necessary to support the missions and ministries of this congregation;

 

* Fostering fellowship and enjoying each other and the unique gifts that each person brings to our community.
Current News at UUCW

The New Jim Crow:
Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
 by Michelle Alexander
 
Book Discussion Series
"More African Americans are under the control of the criminal justice system today - in prison or jail, on probation or parole - than were enslaved in 1850. Discrimination in housing, education, employment, and voting rights, which many Americans thought was wiped out by the civil rights laws of the 1960s, is now perfectly legal against anyone labeled a "felon." And since many more people of color than whites are made felons by the entire system of mass incarceration, racial discrimination remains as powerful as it was under slavery or under the post-slavery era of Jim Crow segregation." 
 
Alexander explains how the criminal justice system functions as a new system of racial control by targeting black men through the "War on Drugs" and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. The author argues that nothing short of a major social movement can end the new caste system. And her call is being answered through the rise of a grassroots organization called "Jobs Not Jails."
 
Join us in reading the New Jim Crow*
  • Learn how the new racial caste system developed in the United States
  • Develop strategies to expose the injustice of mass incarceration
  • Advocate for legislative reform to end racial discrimination
*SPECAL GUESTS will include social activist, Benito Vega
 
7:00 - 9:00 PM
 
SESSION I   - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13   - Read Introduction and Chapter 1
SESSION II  - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20   - Chapters 2 and 3
SESSION III - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27   - Chapters 4 and 5
SESSION IV - TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3  - Chapter 6
  
Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester
90 Holden Street  Worcester, MA
508-853-1942

Please CLICK HERE to download a flyer.

 
Beau Rivers, Ministerial Intern
Save The Date! Crop Walk 2015!CropWalk 

Save the date for this year's CROP Walk!  Sunday, October 18, 2015
 
Join the UU Church of Worcester team and  put on our walking shoes with other congregations in the fight against hunger in our communities and the world.  Our own Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry along with the Wachusett Food Pantry will be the benefactors of 25% of the funds raised from the Walk.  Last year, Loaves & Fishes received $1,900!  The best year yet!
 
Sign up in Fellowship Hall this Sunday.  We need walkers, bakers, and a kitchen attendant.  You can also CLICK HERE to make a donation on the UU Church of Worcester team page. 
 
Please contact sueneaz@townisp.com for more information.
 
Men's Group Meeting,
Oct 9, 7 - 9 pm, in the Lounge MensGroup 

The Men's Group meets monthly to share a meal and conversation.The group's members strive to build trust and close friendship with one another. Our next gathering will be in Fellowship Hall on Friday, 10/11/15 at 7 pm. All who consider themselves male are welcome.
 
 Food will be brought from a local restaurant and all those who wish to eat can split the cost of the meal. Please bring your favorite beverage to drink with dinner. Please R.S.V.P to willliamderr@hotmail.com or call the UUCW office at 508 853 1942. Please note whether or not you want food and any dietary restrictions.

All-Church Photo - April 10, 2016 ChurchPhoto 

The photo representing the 2015-16 church community is scheduled for Sunday, April 10, 2016, immediately after service.   This is the photo that we've often taken in the fall; this church year we will be taking it in the spring.  We invite everyone to be present for this important photo.

Reminder about Fundraising! Fundraising 

Please keep in mind that one of our fundraising programs is the two bins across the street in our parking lot for books and clothing.  We actually make very good money from this endeavor!  So, as you're doing your fall cleaning or whatever, please take a minute to fill the bins as well as you can!

Touchstone Monthly Theme - 
Reverence (September) and Reason (October)
Daily Quotes for Sept 29 - October 5 TchstnQuotes
Sept 29: "Religion, according to Alfred North Whitehead, is a phenomenon that begins in wonder and ends in wonder. Feelings of awe, reverence, and gratitude are primary, and these can never be learned from books." ~ Rev. Gary Kowalski

Sept 30: "The cause of violence is not ignorance. It is self-interest. Only reverence can restrain violence-reverence for human life and the environment." ~ William Sloane Coffin



Oct 1: "Children must be taught how to think, not what to think." ~ Margaret Mead

Oct 2: "You must never feel badly about making mistakes ... as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons." ~  Norton Juster

Oct 3: "A concept is a brick. It can be used to build a courthouse of reason. Or it can be thrown through the window." ~  Gilles Deleuze

Oct 4: "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."  ~ Galileo Galilei

Oct 5: "To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture." ~  Thomas Paine
 

One of the exciting parts of the new Touchstones Ministry Themes program is the launching of Touchstones Small Group Ministry Groups.  These groups will meet regularly throughout the year to discuss the monthly themes published in the Touchstones Journal.  If you are interested in being part of a Touchstones Group, and/or becoming a leader/co-leader of one of our groups, please take a moment to fill out our short survey HERE.  We'll collect responses for the next month and hope to launch these groups in October 2015.
 
Introducing SimpleGive!SimpleGive 

UUCW's New Online / Digital Giving Platform
 
For those of you who do your bill paying and giving online, now you can add UUCW to your list of online donations!
 
SimpleGive is an online giving platform that gives donors a variety of options to financially support the church.  Give one time or schedule giving throughout the year.  Become a registered user or give a quick donation without registering.
 
Now you can give right from your smartphone (iPhone click HERE, Android click HERE) or computer.
 
To reach the UUCW SimpleGive page click HERE.
 
Religious Education News
RE News For October 4, 2015RENews 

Dear Families

What a fabulous day we had Sunday!  We dedicated our very special teachers , then set off for a day of connection and learning.  Our classes were well attended and I saw lots of smiles and felt a lot of energy the whole day through!  From nursery (4 new little ones this year  and a nice class of 8 on Sunday)   to  Teen OWL ( 19 participants)  and  Youth Group (20 high school teens)  in the late afternoon and evening. 
 
Our First Day of RE, September 27, 2015!


Please join us this Sunday October 4th for classes.
 
In the evening on October 4th, we will have an animal blessing as part of our Soulful Sundown Service- This begins at 6pm.

Sunday October 4:
  • 10am -All families begin in the sanctuary and children are dismissed to their classes  following the children's "Change for Change" Collection.
  • 3-6 pm Teen OWL - Fellowship Hall
  • 6-8pm Youth Group-  Soulful Sundown and Class 1 Popcorn Theology Too
  • 6-7pm  Soulful Sundown Animal Blessing
  
Robin Mitzcavitch, Director of Religious Education
Sunday News
   

 Blessing of the Animals - 
Soulful Sundown, Sunday October 4 at 6 pmAnimalBlessing
     
 
On Sunday, October 4, at 6:00 pm, our monthly Soulful Sundown Service will feature a Blessing of the Animals.  We invite all members and friends to bring their beloved pets to be part of this service.  In order to create a safe and welcoming environment the following guidelines are offered.
 
Pet participants should be:
  • disease and parasite free 
  • neutered or not in season
  • human and animal friendly 
  • housetrained (in the event we need to move inside because of inclement weather)
Those with pets should
  • Have their pets on a leash or safely crated at all times
  • Arrive with healthy, clean, well behaved animals 
  • Bring baggies or other items to clean up any stool incidents
  • Take energetic dogs for a nice walk ahead of the event to help lower their energy level
Please leave any pets who show signs of illness at home, both for their sake, and for the health of the other pets participating. Also, pets of a nervous, fearful, aggressive or overly dominant disposition may not enjoy this event, and they should not be made to participate. Please feel free to bring an item belonging to these pets to represent them and be blessed - a favorite toy or blanket, or their collar or harness may be good options.
Sign Up To Be Part of a Sunday Morning Worship TeamSMWT
     
Worship at UUCW is the product of many voices, hands and hearts.  Each Sunday we look forward to hearing from each other about the important happenings in our lives and the world, and our worship experience is made rich and meaningful because of the variety of voices included in it.
 
We are looking for people to become part of one of our Sunday Morning Worship Teams as a Worship Associate (WA), Worship Reader (WR) or Chalice Lighter (CL) .  WAs work with the Worship Leader to help setting up the sanctuary prior to the service. WR work with the worship leader to  read the welcome, presenting the opening words, and sometimes introduce the offertory or assist with a ritual.  CL's work with the worship leader to provide the chalice lighting for the service. You do not have to have any previous training, we'll work with anyone willing to lend their presence to this program.
 
Congregation Leaders!  Do you have a special church program, project or group that you are promoting?  Becoming part of a Worship Team on the Sunday(s) before your activity gives you a moment to introduce the congregation to your activity.  
 
New to the congregation?  This is a wonderful way to become known and to have an opportunity to introduce yourself.
 
Willing to give it a try?!  Then please visit HERE to sign up on any upcoming Sunday morning.
 
Want more information or have questions? Please do not hesitate to contact our Minister. 

HosT Coffee Hour NewsHOST
     
The HosT coffee hour team thank all the many church teams, groups, and committees who have signed up to HosT coffee hour this year!  
 
We are using Volunteer Spot to make it easier for people in your group to select a healthy food option to bring to coffee hour, and to sign up for the simple duties that are involved in running coffee hour.  
 
HosT (Hospitality Task Force) will provide the fair trade coffee, tea, water and juice.  (HosT depends on coffee hour donations to keep supplies in stock....your donations during any coffee hour are gladly accepted!)
 
Would you like to be involved with the HosT Team?  Let us know!!
 
 Groups on deck for HosT-ing:

October 4UUCW Choir
October 11Loaves & Fishes
Food Pantry
October 18Youth Group including
 Youth Group Bake Sale
October 25Religious Education Committee
November 1Hospitality Team


Ongoing Event News 
Lunch With The Minister - 
Wednesday, October 7 at noon!  LunchwMinister

Join us Wednesday, October 7 at Noon for Lunch with the Minister.  Bring a bag lunch and something to share if you desire. We'll have coffee and a place set for you in the lounge.  Come join the conversation and camaraderie!  No reservation necessary.


Readers Unite Afternoon Book Club - October 7!  AftBookClub

Our selections and meeting dates for the Readers Unite Book Group
on the first Wednesday of the month at 1pm, following Lunch with the Minister.
 
Oct 7: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (Aaron)
Nov 4: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Audrey)
Dec 2: First Impressions by Charlie Lovett  (Nancy)
Jan 6: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Kim)
 
Read a book and join our discussion group!

Community News and Classifieds CommNews

Greater Worcester Humanists - Linda Miller, Co-Chair, Greater Worcester Humanists
The next Greater Worcester Humanists meeting will be Tuesday, October 13th at 7:00 P.M. in Fellowship Hall.  Social Time at 6:30.  Matthew Stewart, author of Nature's God will be our speaker.  See below for description of his subject and his background.

"Slavery and the Church: Or, How Atheism Freed the Slaves
Why has the enslavement of the mind throughout history been so closely associated with the enslavement of the body? According to a story that many Americans like to tell themselves, supernatural religion inspired and drove the movement toward the emancipation of the slaves. Yet many of the keenest observers of the time insisted that religion was one of the central pillars of the "peculiar institution." Leading thinkers and activists such as Frederick Douglass, the former enslaved person and ardent abolitionist, his friend Theodore Parker, the ex-Unitarian who helped fund the raid on Harper's Ferry, and Abraham Lincoln, a great admirer of Parker, were in fact part of an international movement that rejected revealed religion and drew much more heavily than is widely understood on the humanistic and atheistic thought of the radical Enlightenment. Meanwhile, southern clerics-the ancestors of today's religious right-along with many northern clerics adamantly justified the enslavement of African Americans with appeals to the Bible and sought to link the anti-slavery movement with religious infidelity, atheism, freethinking, and modern philosophy. In this talk, Matthew Stewart will discuss the complex role of religion and radical philosophy in the struggle over slavery. He will then draw lessons from this defining moment in American history for the relevance and importance of the humanist movement today.

Matthew Stewart is an independent scholar and writer living in the Boston area. His most recent book, Nature's God: The Heretical Origins of the American Republic, was longlisted for the 2014 National Book Award. He is also the author of The Courtier and the Heretic: Leibniz, Spinoza, and the Fate of God in the Modern World (a New York Times Notable Book), The Management Myth: Debunking the Philosophy of Business, and The Truth About Everything: An Irreverent History of Philosophy, with Illustrations. He is currently at work on book on the role of philosophy and religion in the struggle over slavery in the United States, and he needs all the help he can get."
Contact Information

Phone:

508-853-1942

Email:

office@uucworcester.org

 

 

Website:

www.uucworcester.org

 

Emergency Phone:

800-859-6404

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