The UUCW Message
March 15, 2016
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
New Sanctuary Quilt! 
NewQuilt


The amazingly beautiful new quilt that is hanging up at the front of the sanctuary was made by Robin Mitzcavitch and is a gift from her to the church.  The handwork is extraordinary - please take some time to look at it closely to see how much work went into it.  We are all deeply grateful to Robin for this wonderful gift!!!

Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry - Fill The Fridge Campaign Was A Success!
LFFPNews

 

The carts rolled up the aisle and collected oranges, peppers, cauliflower, melon, strawberries, potatoes, green beans, carrots  and many other things on Sunday in the Fill the Fridge campaign.  It was a great success!  Just look at how full our fridge is.  Our other new fridge is stocked with 60 dozen eggs waiting to be distributed as well. 

 

On this coming Saturday, we will be distributing all that healthy food to our Food Pantry clients.  We can't wait to see the look on their faces!
 
Thank you for coming through as you always do!  And, thanks again to our own Rev. Aaron Payson for securing the grant of $3,000.00, from the Rotary Club, for the two new refrigerators.
 
If you have any questions  about the Food Pantry, contact:  Dianne Mann, at djmann@charter.net or (508) 963-0183.

Interested in Helping Local Refugee Families? Information Meeting, Sunday, March 20, 11:45 am, Lounge 
Refugees

Come and hear about how UUCW can help Ascentria Care Alliance, March 20, @11:45 am in the Lounge.  Formerly Lutheran Social Services of New England, Ascentria Care Alliance works to effectively facilitate the economic and social integration of refugees and immigrants into American society, Ascentria is committed to providing the highest quality services throughout the resettlement period, foster the self-sufficiency of refugee and immigrant families, inform and educate the community about the refugee and immigrant experience, and partner with volunteers and the community to support our new neighbors.
 
A critical component of the service that Ascentria provides to New Arrivals is working with local faith communities who provide direct care and service to local refugee families as they settle into their new life in our community.  On March 20, Elizabeth Singley, Resource Developer for Ascentria's Services for New Americans will be on hand to talk about ways that UUCW can assist in this ongoing and critical endeavor.  If you are interested in this developing ministry at UUCW, CLICK HERE.  Please join us for this important meeting on March 20 following service. Also, please CLICK HERE to view a video about Ascentria's programs to help New Arrivals.

AndStillWeRise
 
Get Your Smiles On!! - All Church Photo, Sunday April 10 
AllChurchPhoto

Please mark your calendars:

Sunday, April 10th is the All-Church Photo.  As per usual, we'll gather on the front lawn at the conclusion of the morning service.  I hope you'll be part of this important record of our community.  Plus, you get to make funny comments about me up on the roof, trying to herd everybody together.  ;-)

UU Women's 14th Annual 
Runaway Weekend in Rockport - April 15 - 18 
WomensWeekend

Why come?
Join us for a weekend of no cooking, no cleaning, no one to take care of but YOURSELF! We hear all the time how important it is to take a respite, however brief, from the daily stresses and responsibilities of everyday life. So take this opportunity and return refreshed, renewed, ready to take on the world again!
 
Who can come?
We are now opening up our runaway weekend to the community. Invite your mother, mother-in-law, daughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, aunts, friends and cousins to enjoy Rockport with you.
 
Where is it?
Our Runaway Weekend is at the Linden Tree Inn in Rockport http://lindentreeinn.com/, a 5-minute walk to Front Beach and a 10-minute walk to downtown Rockport. And we have the entire inn to ourselves.
 
What's the cost?
The entire cost for the weekend is $158 for a quad (2 rooms share one bath), $174 for a double or $204 for a single. This includes:
  • Lodging Friday, Saturday and Sunday night
  • Breakfast Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning
  • Dinner on Saturday night
  • Sunday lunch
 
What do you do there?
You get to do whatever you like-you may just want to curl up on your bed and read those books you've been meaning to read.  Or if you love shopping, downtown Rockport is a shoppers' paradise of art galleries, unique boutique shops and consignment shops. Or attend a performance at the beautiful Shalin Liu Center featuring musical performances on a stage opening to a view of the ocean!.  All of this within a short walking distance of the inn!
 
Or get into your car for a short drive to Halibut Point State Park or to Gloucester (more shops, restaurants, and beaches). Some of the places we've enjoyed visiting on previous runaways have been the Paper House, Wolf Hollow, Newburyport, Salisbury Beach State Park and Plum Island.
 
What's the best thing about Runaway Weekend?
So many things!  Escaping, time alone, being with friends, meeting new people, enjoying activities and leisurely conversations with like-minded women, discovering new treasures on the North Shore, the list goes on.....
 
If this interests you, send a check made out to Linden Tree Inn to hold your spot. Also include any food preferences/allergies you may have.

Mail to: Ruth Silver 
71 Angell Brook Drive
West Boylston, MA 01583 :

We Hope you'll join us. If you have any questions or comments, email Claire Breyton cbreyton@gmail.com.

Cosmology
Please CLICK HERE to download and print this flyer
2016 Annual UUCW Yard Sale - June 11! YardSale 

The date for this year's Yard Sale has been chosen - it will be on Saturday, June 11.  If you are interested in working either on set up or on that day, please let me know.  And, for all, please start setting aside all your goodies that you would like to give away this year - my goal is to make even more than the $7000 we pulled in last year.  More to follow...

Visit Our New Improved Website! NewWebsite

If you haven't seen it already, please visit www.uucworcester.org to view the new and improved UUCW website.  Thanks to a host of volunteer website junkies (Rachel Peckar, Cris Heffernan, Vickie Cox Lanyon, Betty Jenewin, Anna Bediako) working with our Office Administrator, Jennifer Landry and Aaron, we have launched and continue to develop our new website as a core component in our evolving strategic communications plan.  Forthcoming upgrades will include a members-only section, interactive adult faith development opportunities, and weekly communications that are more integrated with web content.  We welcome your feedback, which can be submitted through the "contact us" link on homepage.

Touchstone Monthly Theme - 
March Theme - Renewal
March 15 - 21 TchstnQuotes
 

March 15: "Renewal requires opening yourself up to new ways of thinking and feeling"   Deborah Day
 
March 16: "Every breath is a sacrament, an affirmation of our connection with all other living things, a renewal of our link with our ancestors and a contribution to generations yet to come."   David Suzuki
 
March 17: "When it seems humanly impossible to do more in a difficult situation, surrender yourself to the inner silence and ... wait ...for a renewal of inner strength."   Paul Brunton
 
March 18: "She imagined herself as some sort of vessel to be filled up with love. But it wasn't like that. The love was within her all the time, and its only renewal came from giving it away."   Kim Edwards
 
March 19: "The obstacles in our path are ...redirecting us. Their purpose ...is to point us toward new routes to our happiness, new possibilities, new doorways."   Barbara De Angelis
 
March 20: "It is through beauty, poetry and visionary power that the world will be renewed."   Maria Tatar
 
March 21: "You're spending your life without renewing it. ...You're spending your vitality without making any. Can't go on you know."   D.H. Lawrence
Religious Education News
RE News For March 20, 2016
RENews 

Dear Families,

This Sunday, March 20th  will be a little different for some classes. 
 
We are doing our annual Youth Group Sunday Service, so the older classes will stay in the service to enjoy the fabulous message from their older peers and the younger children will attend their regular classes.  This is a service that is always a joy to witness, so I hope you don't miss it.
 
Nursery-  Will be held as usual
Spirit Play- Pre-K and K  - Class will be held as usual
Grade 1 and 2-  There will be a special class with Rachel Wagner to complete their terracotta chalices!
 
Grade 3 -5 Connections-  Will remain in the service
Grades 6 and 7 Popcorn Theology-  Are in charge of coffee hour , and will also remain in the service!
 
LOOKING AHEAD:   Easter Sunday is March 27th...we will have a story by Aaron and Beau, then we will gather the children for an egg hunt during the remainder of the service. Stay tuned for further details!!
 
Sunday March 20th- 

10am  Youth Group Sunday Service 

 

 

10am-  All children begin in the sanctuary-  grades 0-2 will be dismissed following the YG Skit!   All other children remain in service. Popcorn Theology Class is hosting coffee hour.

 

5:30pm-   Salem Youth Group Trip Meeting   Fellowship Hall
6pm -8pm  Youth Group Meeting
  
Robin Mitzcavitch, Director of Religious Education

Continue to BRING YOUR MYSTERY PAL LETTERS!!!  And don't forget to  pick up your mail at the Mystery Pal Post Office!  Stop by during coffee hour!

Please include your secret number on all correspondence!!
  • Put your unsealed letter with your secret number in the large mailbox in fellowship hall.
  • Pick up your mail by telling Kim or Jenny your name at the MP Post Office!
This will continue through the month of March...and the big Mystery Pal reveal Party will happen on Sunday April 1st in the lounge during coffee hour!
 
Have  Fun!!
   
Sunday News
Fifty-Fifty Collection for March 20 - Center for Nonviolent Solutions Fifty50 

Established in 2008, the Center for Nonviolent Solutions is a small, non-profit seeking to build a culture of peace in Worcester and beyond. The Center primarily works to provide peace education to the city's youth and their mentors, offering skill-building courses in the nonviolent resolution of conflicts to middle-school and high school students. The Center has also done trainings in nonviolence education for area educators and hosted numerous events in the community featuring examples of local and international peace-building. For more info, please visit www.nonviolentsolutions.org.  

Announcing the 2016 Dr. Irving & Annabel Wolfson Award Recipient and Lecturer - Herb SilvermanWolfsonLecture
     
On Sunday, April 3, the Wolfson Lecture Taskforce will host the 4th Annual Dr. Irving & Annabel Wolfson Lecture, celebrating humanism in liberal religion.  Funded by a gift from the estate of Irving Wolfson, this lecture is an annual opportunity to recognize and celebrate those whose work continues to promote humanistic values in our world and/or liberal religious movement.
 
This year's lecturer is Herb Silverman.  Growing up in Philadelphia, Herb's life journey has taken him from Orthodox Jew, to apathetic atheist, to activist atheist when he moved to South Carolina. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Syracuse University and is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the College of Charleston. Herb is founder and president of the Secular Coalition for America, founder of the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, and founder of the Atheist/Humanist Alliance student group at the College of Charleston. He ran for Governor of South Carolina in 1990 to challenge the state provision that prohibited atheists from holding public office. After an eight-year battle, he won a unanimous decision in the South Carolina Supreme Court that nullified the anti-atheist constitutional clause. He has appeared in a number of debates, including one at the Oxford Union in Oxford, England on the topic: Does American Religion Undermine American Values? He has written articles for the Washington Post, Huffington Post, The Humanist, Free Inquiry, Secular Nation, On Faith, and other publications. His latest book is Candidate Without a Prayer: An Autobiography of a Jewish Atheist in the Bible Belt.
 
Herb's writes about his talk on April 3, entitled "Positive Atheism"  that it will put a positive face on atheism and dispel the many stereotypes that abound about this world view. "Since we have but one life to live, we try to make the most of it in pursuit of happiness and fulfillment. This usually involves helping others to fulfill their needs, too. In fact, God loves us more than he loves religious people because we don't bother him for anything. And, yes, most of us do have a good sense of humor."
 
As is our tradition, following the lecture on April 3, we will gather for a grand reception in the Fellowship Hall of the church.  Please join us for what we are sure will prove to be a fantastic morning!

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:
March 20Popcorn Theology Class
Easter Sunday - March 27Members & Friends of UUCW
April 3Meditation Group
April 10Linda Miller, Doris Horgan, Mary Plummer, Pauline Courchesne
April 17UUCW Green Team

Ongoing Meetings OngoingMtgs
THIS MONTH ONLY the Evening Book Club will meet on the third Wednesday of the month to discuss Trapped Under the Sea by Neil Swidey. Join us on Wednesday, March 16th at 7:00 in the Lounge. Evening Book Club Reading List: 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 ... Click to read more

 

Join us Wednesday, April 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! 

 

Please join us after Lunch With The Minister on April 6 for our Afternoon Book Club. Details to be announced. 

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, 04/08/16 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 ...Click to read more

The Hooks and Needles Group meets on alternating Mondays at noon (February 15, and 29, March 14, 28, etc.)   in a classroom.  Bring your projects - knitting, crochet, cross stitch, quilting, to work on.  Or if you wish to do a prayer shawl or lap robe, we have yarn and patterns available. Want to learn a needlecraft?  We will be happy to teach you.

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!


Community News & Classifieds 


 
Contact Information

Phone:

508-853-1942

Email:

office@uucworcester.org

Fax:

508-853-2065 

Website:

www.uucworcester.org

 

Emergency Phone:

508-853-1942 

ext. 108

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