The UUCW Message
December 8, 2015
In This Issue


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
 
 
 
A Simple Man's Thank YouThanksFromBart 

This past Sunday will be long remembered by me.

For the warm embrace by the UU community at 90 Holden St. celebrating my birthday ~ Thanks!

For ALL, and you do know who you are, the folks who helped plan & partake in the TOTAL SURPRISE on me ~ Thanks!

Most of all I want my spectacular wife to know how much it all meant to me!

I LOVE YOU LEE 

Thanks!


Holiday Shopping!!


Come visit our UUA Book Fair table, a great assortment of books and gifts for everyone on your holiday list.  Fair trade products make a great gift too!!
 

Solar Panel Information Meetings - 
December 6 and 13 at 11:30 am SolarPanels
 
There will be informational meetings after church on this Sunday, December 6, and the following Sunday, December 13, 11:30 in the class room closest to Fellowship Hall.

We'll answer any questions about how electricity could be made from panels on the roof of Fellowship Hall, how much free electricity the church could  get, how much it would cost (nothing!) and who would take care of the panels, et cetera.

THEN, we need a vote of the whole congregation at a special meeting, to be held in January. We'll need a quorum (Be There!) to vote approval on this project. It would be right after church, and probably wouldn't take long.
 
Our congregation is listed among eligible charities to receive 0.5% of the purchase price on eligible items through AmazonSmile.   When ordering items through amazon, go to smile.amazon.com, sign into your account and in the "supporting" area under the search bar, search for Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.  Items that are eligible through the AmazonSmile program will list ""Eligible for AmazonSmile donation" in their product description.  The church receives a quarterly check from AmazonSmile which becomes part of our fundraising total for the fiscal year.  
 
Touchstone Monthly Theme - 
Generosity
December 8 - 14 TchstnQuotes
 
Dec. 8:  "Generosity is nothing else than a craze to possess. All which I abandon, all which I give, I enjoy in a higher manner through the fact that I give it away. To give is to enjoy possessively the object which one gives" ~ Jean-Paul Sartre

Dec. 9: "Obviously, you would give your life for your children, or give them the last biscuit on the plate. But to me, the trick in life is to take that sense of generosity between kin, make it apply to the extended family and to your neighbour, your village and beyond. " ~ Tom Stoppard

Dec. 10: "It takes generosity to discover the whole through others. If you realize you are only a violin, you can open yourself up to the world by playing your role in the concert." ~ Jacque Yves Cousteau

Dec. 11: "However, what unites the faithful, whatever their religion, is the unshakeable force of generosity." ~ Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

Dec. 12: "Religious celebrations, and the good will, high spirits and generosity that mark them, are wonderful occasions for understanding the potential of 'everyday multiculturalism', and how people from diverse faiths can connect and show they care, rather than go down parallel, sometimes hostile, roads." ~ Randa Abdel-Fattah

Dec. 13: "Nonprofits are the intermediaries between generosity and social change. " ~ Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

Dec. 14: "Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." ~ Kahlil Gibran

Religious Education News
RE News For December 13, 2015RENews 

Dear Families

We've been very busy in RE  discovering the different celebrations and the way they light the season. Last week we talked about Hanukkah and the Menorah. ,   This past week we focused on the Unitarian Universalist Chalice.
 
I am thrilled with how Vespers preparation is coming along.  All the children are signing up for parts and helping to prepare the decorations for the big day, which is December 20th -  arrival at 3:30pm.
 
You will receive an email from me with what your child has signed up for and details of  what happens with costumes , seating , etc.

 



Sunday December  13- One Room School House- Pageant Prep/ St Lucia Day

 

10 am - This is the final Sunday before Vespers.  All children will be able to run through what the pageant will look like and be like.  We will also spend time talking about the Advent Wreath and the Kinara.

Please begin in the sanctuary and we will proceed to fellowship hall upon dismissal.
 
3 pm - Teen OWL
 
6 pm - Youth Group-  Holiday Happenings-  Baking and  A.C.E. Children's Shoe Boxes and Artsy Stuff.

 

 


  
Robin Mitzcavitch, Director of Religious Education
One Church, One Book - 
Our Annual All Church ReadOneChurchOneBook 

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN was inspired by the life of an actual silverback gorilla. The real Ivan was captured in Africa when he was a baby, transported to America, and kept in a small concrete room with a single glass wall looking out into a suburban shopping mall. He lived there for twenty-seven years. During that time, Ivan was alone, except for the humans who stopped by to look at him while they shopped. In Katherine Applegate's fictionalized account of his life, Ivan's backstory is the same. But by giving Ivan some friends (a wise old elephant, a homeless dog, and a caring girl) and a compelling reason to question his imprisonment (a baby elephant added to the mall menagerie), the author lets Ivan question his fate, and eventually change it.
 
One of the reasons the RE committee  and I chose this novel for our Once Church read is that Katherine Applegate has also written a true  account of Ivan's story.  The picture book IVAN, THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas, is an excellent companion to the novel and will allow our youngest readers to participate in our churchwide celebration of reading together.
 
 Five copies of each book will be given away at coffee hour in the coming weeks, so be sure to get your name in the box each week. The raffle is free for anyone who wants to enter. 

**A note of caution to parents: some aspects of Ivan's life are difficult to read about. Most especially, perhaps, is the story of how he was captured in the jungle. Ivan tells this story in the novel, and it might be hard for some readers to hear. If you're at all concerned, you can check out this short chapter on page 170 before sharing the book with your family. For more information on the books, their reading levels, their backstories, and the author & illustrator, check out this website:http://theoneandonlyivan.com/
 
Happy reading!
   
Holiday News
Upcoming Holiday Services HolidayWorshipServices
 


 

Holiday Vespers Tea Sign-up!VespersTea
  
Our Annual Holiday Vespers Tea will be held on Sunday, December 20th following the 4:00 PM Vespers Service.  We need folks to sign up to be part of the Set Up Team, Serving Team and Clean Up Team.  We welcome the assistance of all ages!  Please take a moment to sign up HERE.  Instructions and guidelines for these teams will be communicated prior to December 20th.  Please help us make this year's Vespers Tea the best ever!

This year the Accessibility Committee is hoping to provide accessible seating for our Annual Vespers Tea. For those in our congregation who would greatly benefit from help with carrying their food and a place to sit we will convert two classrooms into a festive eating area. There are many individuals who have a difficult time standing,eating and juggling their food and drink and would be able to enjoy this gathering in a quieter space. So in the Spirit of Everyone enjoying this annual event- Merry Christmas from the Accessibility Committee.
 
Holiday Shoe Box Drive ShoeBoxes
 
This year, UUCW will be doing holiday shoe boxes for the refugee children of Africa who are in our midst. They are called the "Acechildren" (African Community Education Program) who have an after-school program in the Fanning building in Worcester.  It is always an enjoyable event shopping for a child.  Please consider committing to filling a box and then wrapping it.  Choose a boy or girl, choose an age, and fill the shoe box with appropriate gifts, such a mittens, gloves, a gift card, small toys, etc.  More to come in my announcement Sunday.  Chet has been asking me about the shoe boxes since last year.  Here we go, Chet!
 
UUCW Annual Giving TreeGivingTree
 
 
Thanks to our children for decorating the tree!

Please take an envelope off the tree if you are interested in filling it with a $10 grocery gift card. (card should be returned to gray box outside of the office by December 18th.)
  
Also we decorate our tree  with hats, mitten and socks.  We will donate these items to folks who visit our Food Pantry for the Christmas distribution on Dec 19th.
 
As always, thanks for all you do to support our community in outreach.
 
Sunday News
  
     
On Sunday, December 13, we will honor the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Worcester with our monthly 50/50 collection. The Interfaith Hospitality Network is an organization that unites the religious community in an effort to serve and nurture homeless families. Twenty eight congregations provide support to IHN.  Families receive case management, assistance with housing and employment search, accessing support services and advocacy.   IHN of Greater Worcester, Exec. Dir., Joanne Alley will be on hand to discuss this program and our continuing involvement as a congregation, especially as they head into a new Capital Campaign.  
     
During the morning Worship Service on December 13, we will honor the newest and youngest among us with a special Child Dedication Ceremony.  This Naming Ceremony provides an opportunity for the congregation to honor and dedicate children in the congregation, and to provide a ritual of commitment to the wellbeing of our children by their parents, families and the congregation as a whole. If you would like your child(ren) to take part in this special Ceremony, please contact Rev. Aaron Payson (arpayson@charter.net) by Friday, December 11. 
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!   
 
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:
December 13Popcorn Theology Class
December 2011:15 am: Members and Friends of UUCW
5:30 pm: Annual Vespers Tea, details to be announced. 

December 27Members and Friends of UUCW
January 3Soup Sunday with Hospitality Team
January 10Connections Class

Ongoing Event News 
Evening Book Club - December 9, 7 - 9 pm, Lounge  EveBookGrp

Decembers selection is Broken For You, by Stephanie Kallos. National best seller and Today show Book Club selection, Broken for You is the story of two women in self-imposed exile whose lives are transformed when their paths intersect. Stephanie Kallos's debut novel is a work of infinite charm, wit and heart. It is also a glorious homage to the beauty of broken things. When we meet septuagenarian Margaret Hughes, she is living alone in a mansion in Seattle with only a massive collection of valuable antiques for company. Enter Wanda Schultz, a young woman with a broken heart who has come west to search for her wayward boyfriend. Both women are guarding dark secrets and have spent many years building up protective armor against the outside world. As their tentative friendship evolves, the armor begins to fall away and Margaret opens her house to the younger woman. This launches a series of unanticipated events, leading Margaret to discover a way to redeem her cursed past, and Wanda to learn the true purpose of her cross-country journey. Both funny and heartbreaking, Broken for You is a testament to the saving graces of surrogate families and shows how far the tiniest repair jobs can go in righting the world's wrongs.


Evening Book Club Reading List:
December: Broken For You, by Stephanie Kallos (Cristina Heffernan)
January: The Innovators, by Walter Isaacson (Cristina Heffernan)
February: Girl in Transition, by Jean Kwok (Nancy Hancock)
March: Trapped Under the Sea, by Neil Swidey (Dianne Mann)
April: In the Heart of the Canyon, by Elisabeth Hyde (Nancy Hancock)
May: The Secret Daughter by Shilpi Gowda (Nancy Hancock)


Men's Group Meeting,
December 11, 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, 12/11/15 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.

Lunch With the Minister - 
Wednesday, January 6 at Noon!LunchwMinister

Join us Wednesday, January 6 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 - January 6!  AftBookClub

Our selections and meeting dates for the Readers Unite Book Group on the first Wednesday of the month at 1 pm, following Lunch with the Minister.
 
Jan 6: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Kim)
 
Read a book and join our discussion group!



What can we do about racism today? It is clear to us that the struggle for racial equality and justice in our country continues. Especially if we identify as White people, we need more opportunities to understand racism and explore what steps we can take to become anti-racist allies.
 
This book and movie discussion will invite us to explore race and racism in America through novels, essays, feature films and documentaries. We will explore historical moments and our present realities. We will follow themes from work to work: What is beautiful? How are dark-skinned bodies treated in America? How can racial equality be pursued and achieved? What has changed since the Civil Rights Movement, and what work remains to be done? As people of faith, what can we do?
 
Please CLICK HERE to view and download more information about this workshop series, including a schedule.

Rev. Sarah C. Stewart, Minister, First Unitarian

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.
 
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!

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.
 

Community News & ClassifiedsCommNews 
Contact Information

Phone:

508-853-1942

Email:

office@uucworcester.org

 

 

Website:

www.uucworcester.org

 

Emergency Phone:

800-859-6404

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