The UUCW Message
September 20, 2016
In This Issue

Upcoming Events


Current News at UUCW


Office Notes and Flyers

 


Office Hours
(Sept 6, 2016 - 
June 29, 2016):
Mon, Tues, Wed: 
9 am - 3 pm
Thursday 9 am - 2 pm
 
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.
Upcoming Events at UUCW
SharpsWar 
 
 
Tonight, Tuesday, September 20
(8:45) 9 pm in the Lounge

Bring a snack to share if you like.  We'll watch the newest Ken Burn's documentary that features founders of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee on the big-screen in the lounge.

KEN BURNS PRESENTS THE STORY OF UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SERVICE COMMITTEE'S FOUNDERS

On September 20, 2016, PBS will air Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War, a new documentary directed by Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky that tells the story of Martha and Waitstill Sharp, two of UUSC's founders.

The film will explore the lives and work of the Sharps, a young Unitarian minister and his wife, as they undertook vital missions in Nazi-occupied Europe to rescue Jews, dissidents, and refugee children at great personal sacrifice.



PeaceVigil
Holden CROP Walk Hunger Walk Fundraiser! - September 21, 2016, 
Papa Gino's Holden. CropWalk 
 
 
We invite you to join us for this year's CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, October 16.  CROP Hunger Walks bring whole communities together in a common mission:  helping hungry people at home and around the world.  We will be joining other congregations from Holden:  First Baptist, First Congregational, St. Francis, Chaffins Congregation and Immanuel Lutheran, in raising funds to end hunger one step at a time.  25% of funds raised will benefit the Loaves & Fishes and Wachusett Food Pantries.   This is a family friendly activity for all ages; you may even bring your dog for the walk.  
 
You can help end the curse of hunger by gathering donations from family and friends.  Use this link Team UU Church of Worcester  to join our team and start your own page for donations.  Please Sue Neaz sueneaz@townisp.com  or 508-769-6150 or Mimi Allen marymetzgerallen@aol.com or 413-362-9494 at church to sign up to walk or volunteer for other duties.
 
You can help even before the CROP Walk happens by supporting our Papa Gino's fundraiser. 

You must bring the flyer to Papa Gino's to participate in the Fundraiser! 
Papa Gino's will donate 20% of the total pre-tax sales to the Holden CROP Hunger walk fromall of the guests that order (dine-in, carry-out, and delivery) with the flyer.
 
If ordering online, please refer to the flyer in the comments section.

Sue Neaz, CROP Walk Coordinator

Mini-Workshop - 7-9 pm
Thursday, September 22
UUCW Fellowship Hall
 
Interested in attending, or hearing about future workshops?  CLICK HERE

Violence in the community, home, school, and in the workplace are major concerns in today's society. Abuse and violence cross geographical and cultural boundaries and social and economic strata. It is common among all socio-economic groups, rich and poor, young and middle-aged, city dwellers and rural folk. It is a universal phenomenon.
 
Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is an international volunteer program that is dedicated to reducing interpersonal violence in our society. The first workshop was held in Greenhaven Prison in New York State in 1975. Today AVP workshops are held in 33 states and in 45 countries. AVP offers conflict resolution workshops in prisons, the community, or the classroom.

An AVP workshop can help you to:
* understand why conflict happens
* manage strong feelings such as anger and fear
* deal more effectively with risk and danger
* build good relationships with other people
* communicate well in difficult situations
* recognize your skills and learn new ones
* be true to yourself while respecting other people

AVP has shown it works well with all types of groups in a variety of settings. AVP and AVP facilitators have received the US President's "1000 Points of Light Award," the "Order of Australia," the "International Association of Correctional Training Personnel's 2004 Award of Excellence," the "Delaware Center for Justice's 2011 Exemplar of Justice Award," the "2012 Delaware Governor's Outstanding Volunteer Program Award,' nomination for the "Presidential Citizens Metal," been featured on NPR, in the New York Times and Atlantic Monthly.

AVP is an 18 - 20 hour program, usually over a three day period with both the facilitators and the participants being volunteers. A series of AVP workshops may be offered: Basic, Advanced, and also workshops that address specific topics such as anger management, family relations, racism, and gender issues. To become an AVP facilitator, a person participates in the Basic, Advanced and then the Training for Facilitators workshops. They then apprentice as a co-facilitator in actual workshops. AVP topic workshops are available for people who have completed AVP Basic and Advanced workshops. AVP workshops are designed to promote personal growth; they are not a substitute for therapy.
More information about AVP can be found at www.avpusa.org or www.avpma.org.
 
Katie Green is the AVP contact for the Worcester Area and NCCI-Gardner. She may be reached at 774-364-0468 or katie@katiegreenstories.com


FallBBQ 
 
 
Looking for a great meal and some fun?  Join us for a finger-licking good, fundraising dinner.  We'll be cookin' up some genuine Southern style ribs, barbeque chicken, veggie burgers, German coleslaw, beans, cornbread and watermelon at this fundraising feast.  There will be tea and lemonade.  BYOB if you want.  Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 per child with a family max of $50.00.  Ticket sales on Sunday,  Sept. 11th and 18th in Fellowship Hall after services or by emailing the Church office to reserve a spot at office@uucworcester.org or by CLICKING HERE.
 
Not only will there be great food, but there will be great entertainment.  The Hip Swayers will be playing from 6:00 - 7:00.
 
We look forward to a great time.  Invite your friends and neighbors.  Just make sure you let us know in advance if you will be here.  We need to order the right amount of food. 
 
If you can help set-up, serve or clean up, contact:  Dianne Mann at djmann@charter.net.
 
Any questions contact:  Aaron Payson at arpayson@charter.net or Dianne Mann at djmann@charter.net.

 
 
Come watch the Presidential Debates at UUCW.  We'll gather in the lounge to view the debates and share in refreshments and conversation. Let's demonstrate our covenant and values by creating a safe space for people to gather across the political spectrum to share the experience of the debates.  Bring a snack to share and we'll gather!  For more information contact office@uucworcester.org.
 
 
Monday, September 26, 2016
First presidential debate
Moderator: Lester Holt, Anchor, NBC Nightly News
Location: Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

The first debate will be divided into six time segments of approximately 15 minutes each on major topics to be selected by the moderator and announced at least one week before the debate. The moderator will open each segment with a question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. Candidates will then have an opportunity to respond to each other. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a deeper discussion of the topic.

*Wright State University in Ohio has withdrawn from holding the First Presidential debate due to budget issues. Hofstra University will step in to host the first Clinton/Trump debate.Tuesday, 
 
October 4, 2016
Vice presidential debate
Moderator: Elaine Quijano, Anchor, CBSN and Correspondent, CBS News
Location: Longwood University, Farmville, VA

The Vice Presidential debate will be divided into nine time segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator will ask an opening question, after which each candidate will have two minutes to respond. The moderator will use the balance of the time in the segment for a deeper discussion of the topic.
 
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Second presidential debate
Moderator: Martha Raddatz, Chief Global Affairs Correspondent and Co-Anchor of "This Week," ABC 
Moderator: Anderson Cooper, Anchor, CNN
Location: Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which half of the questions will be posed directly by citizen participants and the other half will be posed by the moderator based on topics of broad public interest as reflected in social media and other sources. The candidates will have two minutes to respond and there will be an additional minute for the moderator to facilitate further discussion. The town meeting participants will be uncommitted voters selected by the Gallup Organization.
 
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Third presidential debate
Moderator: Chris Wallace, Anchor, Fox News Sunday
Location: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV

Religious Exploration and Education at UUCW

 
Current News at UUCW
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
September Theme - Worth and Dignity
September 20 - 26 TchstnQuotes
 
  

September 20: "Nothing is so essential as dignity.... Time will reveal who has it and who has it not." ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
 
September 21: "Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man's soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it." ~ Laura Hillenbrand
 
September 22: "Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign. But stories can also be used to empower, and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people. But stories can also repair that broken dignity." ~ Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
 
September 23: "Be strong. Live honorably and with dignity. When you don't think you can, hold on." ~ James Frey
 
September 24: "Death in anonymity is the ultimate insult to human dignity." ~ Kathy Reichs
 
September 25: "We carry within us a divine spark, and if we chose to recognize it, our lives have dignity, meaning, hope. In her it is bright, a light that heals rather than wounds me." ~ Dean Koontz
 
September 26: "The kind of beauty I want most is the hard-to-get kind that comes from within-strength, courage, dignity." ~ Ruby Dee


Sunday News
Weekly Worship WeeklyWrsp
 
 
HosT Coffee Hour News HosT
The HosT coffee hour team thank all the many church teams, groups, and committees who have signed up to HosT coffee hour this year!   
 
At coffee hour we extend the hospitality we proclaim! Many people judge a congregation by its coffee hour hospitality - especially newcomers .  Please make it a point to speak to someone you don't know!

Date
Group on deck for hosting
Hospitality Team Contact
September 25Board of ManagementRuth Silver
October 2UUCW ChoirNancy Hancock
October 9Loaves & Fishes
Food Pantry		Ruth Silver


Ongoing Meetings Ongoing
Join us Wednesday, October 5 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!

Join the Wednesday Night Book Club on October 12th at 7:00 in the Lounge to discuss Alice Hoffman's book, The Marriage of Opposites. What could be more enjoyable than sitting with a group of your friends discussing a book that you have all read? The WNBC meets on the second Wednesday of every month at 7:00 in the lounge to share ideas about the reading and to enjoy a dash...continue reading


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.
 
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!

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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