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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

UU Connections - Escalating Inequality Events

Sunday October 30, noon, First Unitarian, 90 Main St.

Sunday November 13, 11:45 am, UUCW, 90 Holden St.

Once again, our church will be offering workshops in our third year of the Unitarian Universalist Association's (UUA) emphasis on Escalating Inequality in this country. While we won't be formally co-sponsoring social justice events with the downtown church this year, we will be mutually advertising and supporting each other's programs.

The first event will take place at the downtown church on Sunday October 30th at 12 noon after their service. Dr. Frank Puffer of Clark University will speak and offer discussion of "The Problem of Income Inequality". I hope our congregation will support this effort.

Our own church will be offering another opportunity to learn about Escalating Inequality on Sunday, Nov. 13th at 11:45, when we will show the movie of Rev. Dr. William Barber from this year's General Assembly. Rev. Dr. Barber is author of the recently published "The Third Reconstruction" and a visionary leader of the Moral Monday movement in North Carolina. He has helped to organize hundreds of thousands of people to witness and protest racism and decreasing opportunities in this country, especially for people of color. He and others have been able to organize progressive voices across race, class and gender lines, along with union workers, students and people who are new to activism. His new book offers a clarion call and a how-to guide to build a large and cooperative movement of people committed to change.

Some members of our church may have already seen this one hour movie of Rev. Dr. Barber during the summer, and those people might want to skip the first hour of this presentation, or watch it again. The second hour will be a discussion of UUMass Action's plans for witness and protest and how we might tie in our learning with activism, both at the statehouse and here in Central Mass.

This discussion will help us to plan out the next few Escalating Inequality workshops which will occur during the church year. We might want to offer a discussion on the unbridled sexism unearthed during Hillary Clinton's run for the presidency which has been so infuriating to so many of us. There is no shortage of topics and actions we can explore.

So, please mark these two dates on your calendar and make it a priority to stay after church on October 30th (downtown church) and on Nov. 13th in our lounge. Hope to see you there!

Joan McGinn, co-chair, Escalating Inequality Task Force

Mara Pentlarge, co-chair

Rev. Aaron Payson, Board Member, UU Mass Action

Religious Exploration and Education at UUCW

RE News for October 30, 2016

Robin Mitzcavitch

Current News at UUCW

Parish Service Team Congregational Survey

The Parish Service Team is seeking additional congregational resources to assist in a variety of its ongoing efforts to support members and friends of UUCW during times of personal need. Please take a moment to fill out our short survey (CLICK HERE) and indicate those ways in which you are interested/willing to assist your friends in this congregation.

Thank you,

Susan Crossley and the Parish Service Team

Amazon Smile Holiday Shopping Reminder

Just a reminder as you begin your holiday shopping - if you shop on Amazon there is an opportunity to earn money for the church. Just go to Amazon Smile and select the church as a place where Amazon will provide a contribution based on what you buy. We get a percentage of your total purchase. Even if you are using Amazon Prime it will still kick in but you have to go to Amazon Smile at the outset. Thanks - every little bit helps!

Denise Darrigrand

From The Food Pantry

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we are busy putting plans together to make it an excellent one for our clients. Just as you are beginning to think about what you might serve, we encourage you to thinks about our folks and donate to the Pantry in order to help them have a bountiful Thanksgivings. On Sunday Oct. 16th, and again on Sunday, Oct. 23rd, we distributed recyclable grocery bags we use to help remind you to collect Thanksgiving items for the Pantry. We hope the bags will remind you to bring in items our clients will be glad to receive. Put in what you can; some veggies, instant potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, a quick bread mix, dessert, etc. The children in Religious Exploration will be collecting the bags on Sunday, Nov. 6th, and Sunday, Nov. 13th, to sort items so that each client gets a special "Thanksgiving Bag" on the day of our big Thanksgiving Distribution. On that day, we can expect to see almost 100 people.

In addition, it would be great if you would include a $10.00 gift card to either Price Rite or Price Chopper supermarket. These are the markets our folks prefer and will enable us to continue our tradition of assisting our folks toward the purchase of a turkey.

VOLUNTEERS

We could use a little more help setting up the Food Pantry, once a month, on Friday evenings. All ages are welcome. The Billiar family has been helping for years. There is something for everyone to do. It takes about one hour and can be a lot of fun if you don't mind working in our "organizational chaos". Please give it a try. Contact: Dianne Mann at djmann@charter.net. Thanks.

GREATER WORCESTER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GRANT

We are so pleased to announce that we received a $1200.00 grant for the purchase of computers for our SNAP Team. Many folks come to a Pantry because they either do not receive SNAP benefits or they are inadequate to meet their needs. Some folks don't even know they may be eligible. Mary Monica Miner, Denise Darrigrand and I have been working for approximately 10 months to understand the SNAP benefit rules and to help our current clients negotiate the system. We are members of an area SNAP Coalition Team developing vital contacts, advocating for changes in the system, etc. With this grant we have proposed to "go on the road" to area Churches, food pantries, etc. to help other folks in need.

If you currently receive SNAP benefits , have had difficulty with the Department of Transitional Assistance, and would like some help, I invite you to contact me to arrange an appointment at djmann@charter.net or (508) 853-1942 ext. 9.

Please contact Dianne Mann, at djmann@charter.net or (508) 853-1942 ext. 9 if you have any questions or concerns.

Dianne Mann

From Your New Collector

I have taken on the responsibility of being the collector for the church. Basically what that means is that I pick up all the various monies that come into the church, categorize them, do a report so the money goes into the right accounts and then deposit the money in the bank. It would be very helpful to me if you write a check to the church to put on the memo line exactly what the funds are for - i.e. pledge, RE, Minister's Discretionary, Food Pantry, etc. That way I can ensure that you get credit for contributing to your intended account. Thanks so much.

Denise Darrigrand

Touchstone Monthly Theme

October Theme - Emotional Intelligence

October 25 - 31

October 25: "Feelings are self-justifying, with a set of perceptions and 'proofs' all their own." ~ Daniel Goleman

October 26: "When time and emotions gel, a new awareness forms." ~ Joel McGrath

October 27: "The world of the living contains enough marvels and mysteries as it is-marvels and mysteries acting upon our emotions and intelligence in ways so inexplicable that it would almost justify the conception of life as an enchanted state." ~ Joseph Conrad

October 28: "For better or worse, intelligence can come to nothing when the emotions hold sway." ~ Daniel Goleman

October 29: "I never met a pig I didn't like. All pigs are intelligent, emotional, and sensitive souls." ~ Sy Montgomery

October 30: "The finest emotion of which we are capable is the mystic emotion. Herein lies the germ of all art and all true science. Anyone to whom this feeling is alien, who is no longer capable of wonderment and lives in a state of fear is... dead...." ~ Albert Einstein

October 31: "The way I see it, our emotions are music and our bodies are instruments that play the discordant tunes. But if we don't know how to read music, we just think the instrument is defective." ~ Charlette Mikulka

Rev. Aaron Payson

Sunday News

Weekly Worship

Sunday October 30, 2016

Upcoming Worship

HosT Coffee Hour News

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
October 30	Religious Education Committee	Robin Mitzcavitch
November 6	HosT and Soup w/Kristen Payson	Ruth Silver
November 13	Spirit Play Class & Nursery	Robin Mitzcavitch

Nancy Hancock

Ongoing Meetings

Lunch With The Minister - Wednesday, November 9 at Noon - Lounge

Join us Wednesday, November 9 (PLEASE NOTE THE DATE CHANGE!) 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. All are welcome to enjoy conversation with Aaron and friends. We often bring up a topic of interest and this month will surely be discussing the election results. The day book ...continue reading

Evening Book Club - November 9, 7 - 9 pm, Lounge

Join the evening book group on November 9th at 7:00 in the Lounge. This month's selection is My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem, a personal journey of the noted women's liberation movement organizer, editor of MS Magazine, and freelance writer. Newcomers are always welcome...come even if you haven't read the book! - Nancy Hancock

Invitation to Join Touchstones Small Group Ministry Groups

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.

Rev. Aaron Payson

Reminder about 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!

Denise Darrigrand

Please Click Here to view the UUCW Google Calendar