The UUCW Message
November 1, 2016
In This Issue

Upcoming Events


Current News at UUCW



Office Notes and Flyers

 


Office Hours
(Sept 6, 2016 - 
June 29, 2017):
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
Friday Game Night is Back! - November 4, 6 - 8:30 pm GameNight

 
UU Connections - Escalating Inequality Events
 
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.

Our church will be offering an 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

Annual UUCW Craft Fair - December 3, 9 am - 3 pm CraftFair

We are looking for people to bake cookies for the fair and to work at the outdoor wreath sale and indoor snack bar.
 
Please contact Robin if you can help.
 
Parent's Night Out - December 10, 5 - 9 pm ParentsNightOut

 
Religious Exploration and Education at UUCW
RE News for November 6, 2016 RENews

 
Current News at UUCW
From The Loaves & Fishes Food PantryLFFP
  
Over the past several weeks we've asked you to collect Thanksgiving food and gift cards to help our clients have a wonderful holiday.  Well, IT'S TIME TO TURN THOSE GREEN BAGS IN!!! If you can't contribute a bag and want to assist with this project financially please visit HERE to make your donation.
 
The carts will  roll down the aisle on Sunday, Nov. 6th and Sunday, Nov. 13th for the children in Religious Education to sort.  They love doing this every year and your generosity is truly amazing.  Thank you for all you do to help our clients.
 
 
We also have received an $800.00 grant from the United Way to assist us with the purchase of eggs for our clients.  Each family receives one dozen eggs from our Pantry each month.  This is an invaluable sources of protein.  Thanks to all who support the United Way.

Interfaith Hospitality Network NewsIHNNews
 
The Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with religious congregations to provide shelter to homeless families.
 
As part of our congregation's commitment of support to the IHN, there are a couple of little things we can do to make a difference....

1)      "Eat Bread to Raise Dough"
Please CLICK HERE and bring the attached flyer on Thursday November 3 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. to Panera Bread located at White City 50 Boston Turnpike (Rt. 9) in  Shrewsbury and Panera will donate a percentage of your purchase to the Interfaith Hospitality Network.  Please print the flyer and bring to Panera to take advantage of their donation.

2)      IHN is without a host congregation the week of November 13-19.  Please sign up in Fellowship Hall after church to help host dinner by bringing a veggie/fruit and/or dessert to share OR/and host overnight.  Contact Sue at sueneaz@townisp.com or Robin at robinmitz2015@gmail.com for more information or to sign up.  We will be happy to assist you should you want to host.

Reminders about Fundraising! Fundraising 

Book & Clothing Donation Bins
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!

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!  

Touchstone Monthly Theme
November Theme - Care of the Soul
November 1 - 7 TchstnQuotes



November 1: "Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul." ~ Dorothy Day
 
November 2: "The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience." ~ Emily Dickinson
 
November 3: "The human soul has still greater need of the ideal than of the real. It is by the real that we exist; it is by the ideal that we live." ~ Victor Hugo
 
November 4: "Memory is the personal journalism of the soul." ~ Richard Schickel
 
November 5: "A genuine odyssey is not about piling up experiences. It is a deeply felt, risky, unpredictable tour of the soul." ~ Thomas Moore
 
November 6: "The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere-in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion, and in ourselves." ~ John O'Donohue
 
November 7: "There is an eternal landscape, a geography of the soul; we search for its outlines all our lives." ~ Josephine Hart

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
November 6HosT and
Soup w/Kristen Payson		Ruth Silver
November 13Spirit Play Class & NurseryRobin Mitzcavitch
November 20Bibleodeon ClassRobin Mitzcavitch

Fellowship Hour with Soup!

This Sunday, November 6, soup returns to coffee hour. Join us in Fellowship Hall after service for soup and social time. Soup offerings are at the whim of the soup creators, but definitely will include at least one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian offering. Cost is $4 for soup. For more information, contact Kristen Payson.

Ongoing Meetings Ongoing
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

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

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.
 

Community News & Classifieds CommNews 
 


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November 15th - David Orenstein Greater Worcester Humanists Speaker and Author:  Godless Grace:  How Nonbelievers Are Making the World Safer, Richer and Kinder - Linda Miller, Co-chair, GWH Steering Committee
Due to the church hall being the site of the November 8th Election, our November meeting will be on November 15th at 7:00 in Fellowship.  Social time 6:30.
 
David Orenstein is author of "Godless Grace: How Nonbelievers Are Making the World Safer, Richer and Kinder" along with Linda Ford Blaikie .  The following description was taken from the Humanist Press website: Dr. David Orenstein is a full professor and department chairperson at CUNY Medgar Evers College.  He is a national and international speaker on issues related to the freethought movement.  A primatologist by early training, his current writings can be found in American Atheist magazine, the Humanist Magazine and other print and online freethought publications.  He also serves as the American Humanist Association's representative to the United Nations through the DPI/NGO program.  An activist in several non-belief organizations, he is a happy and optimistic freethinker who concludes that life is best lived when we are good without god.
 
Mr. Orenstein will bring books to sell. 
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Please click here to download this flyer.
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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