There will be an upcoming series of 5 workshops and a movie discussion about the problem of escalating inequality in this country. At General Assembly in Providence last summer, delegates to the UUA voted escalating inequality as the most pressing issue of our time.

This is a joint project between First Unitarian Church and the UU Church of Worcester. Three events will be held here and four will be held at UUCW, 90 Holden Street, Worcester 01606. We are excited about this partnership.

We will kick-off the workshop series by hosting Richard Wilkinson's short documentary "How Economic Inequality Harms Society", which talks about the ravages this recession has foisted on poor, working and middle class people. It not only shows statistical information about rising poverty and joblessness, but it puts a human face on the psychosocial effects these decisions have wrought. A facilitated discussion group follows.

And you have two chances to see it! The first will be held at First Unitarian Church on Tuesday, March 3rd at 7-8:30 pm. The second showing will be at UUCW at 4-5:30 pm on Sat. March 7th. The Wilkinson film is a must-see for those interested in social justice!

The five following workshops are from the dynamic curriculum put out by the UUA and contain large and small group discussions, videos and personal inventories.

1. RACISM and CLASSISM: Sunday March 15th at UUCW from 12:30-2:30
2. HOW INJUSTICE DRIVES INEQUALITY: Tuesday March 31 First U 7-9pm
3. HOW DID WE GET HERE AND WHAT WE CAN DO: Tuesday April 21 at UUCW from 7-9p
4. THE NEED FOR DIVERSITY IN UUism: Sunday May 3 at UUCW from 12:30-2:30
5. ENGAGING SOLUTIONS FOR UUism: Sunday May 17 First U 12:30-2:30

Escalating Inequality Task Force: Joan McGinn, Chair; Paul Ropp, Randy Ingham, Mara Pentlarge, Joe Delgizzi

Joan McGinn, Chair, Escalating Inequality Task Force

New UU -are you?

Led by Jesse Anderson

4 Sundays, March 8-29, 9-10am in the Morgan Classroon

Are you new to Unitarian Universalism or would you like to know more about the faith tradition? The New UU conversations are for you. All newcomers and new members are welcome. It is important to make a commitment to attend all four sessions.

• Session 1 - Your religious journey
• Session 2 - UU (and you) theologies
• Session 3 - UU history -denomination and our church
• Session 4 - Church Ownership and Governance

Please RSVP  to dlevering@firstunitarian.com

Parents! Please save the date for First Unitarian's own two week Summer Camp with Director Nan Gibbons. Pre-registration for First U and UUCW will open March 8th and last for one week. The committee meets next Sunday at 4:30pm in the Mirick Room -- we welcome new members at any level of involvement. We are looking for a service project for the campers -- if you have an idea for a hands on project for kids this summer, please let us know!

After the holidays, many food pantries are depleted of many essential items; today's challenging economy has caused an increase in the number of people needing food stability. Your help is needed NOW!

We will begin collecting non-perishable food items, toiletries and household items from March 8th - April 12th

Please bring in your donations each Sunday, and leave them at the donation location in the dining hall.  Items needed are:

Canned meat, soups, pasta, cereal, feminine products, baby food, rice, peanut butter, diapers, canned vegetables, canned fruit, spaghetti sauce

Thank you for your support!

BYKOTA

First Unitarian Church has hosted a Passover Seder for almost two decades. However, this year many of our long time planners and leaders for this event have officially "retired" from our planning committee. Many thanks go out to Harvey and Shari Green, Martie Abeles Young and Nancy Ackerman for their vision and dedication that made the annual Seder here possible for so many years We still have some fabulous core members of the planning committee, but we need help. If you would like to see this tradition continue, please contact Abigail ahannaford-ricardi@firstunitarian.com this week. We only have one month to plan. The Seder is scheduled for Saturday, April 4th from 3:45 to 7 PM.

Writing as one who has been around the block a few times, my memory and I are often at odds.  I may see you and recognize you, but by the time I retrieve your name from my memory bank, well, you are in the next room. This exercise embarrasses me, confuses, and frustrates me. Those are three emotions I'd rather not enjoy on an uplifting Sunday morning. Can you help me? Name tags, while a bother to use, are enormously helpful for people like me. They are also helpful for people new to our church.

If you have ordered a name tag recently and haven't found it, try looking through the racks on the Bancroft Street entrance. There are also name tag racks near the kitchen entry and in the Narthex. If you need a name tag, please stop by the Welcome Table and let us know. They magically arrive during the week and can be found at the Welcome Table.

Name tags currently waiting at the Welcoming Table: Edward Fernald, Barry Morgan, Peggy Middaugh, John Fronczek, Suzanne Doiron-Schiavone, Dawn Leszyk, Suzanne Weeks, Christie Samuelson, and Michael Ernst.

Welcome Table

Please stop by especially if you are new.  This is where you'll find information about all the great things happening around the church or be directed to someone who can help you. You can sign up to receive the church newsletter and a name tag too.

Minister's Lenten Series

Reverend Sarah Stewart

Mar. 10 and Mar. 24 

There are two sessions in the Lenten Series coming up in March. Rev. Stewart is offering opportunities for meditation through community involvement and prayerful discussion. We will meet outdoors at different locations in the Worcester community for engagement, and then move indoors for reflection. The activities and discussions will help connect us to the struggle and questions we must face as we prepare for the rebirth and joy of Easter. Come open your spirits and join together in silence, activity, and shared reflection. Come bring the life of the church into the city.

Lenten Series 2: The Departed City

March 10. Meet at the main entrance to Hope Cemetery on Webster Street at 6 p.m. We'll walk our own paths around the cemetery for half an hour (a walking guide is available for those who want one). We'll then move to a nearby restaurant for warming and small group reflection on our experiences.If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Sarah Stewart at sstewart@firstunitarian.com.

Lenten Series 3: The City of Hope

March 24. Meet at Bancroft Tower in Salisbury Park off Massachusetts Avenue at 6 p.m. We'll share a lenten worship service focused on what we are struggling with in life, and where we find hope. We'll then move nearby (location TBA) for warming, fellowship and small group reflection. If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Sarah Stewart at sstewart@firstunitarian.com.

Click here  to sign up to attend one or all of the Lenten Series evenings. (Note: you do not have to create a SignUpGenius account to use this online sign up sheet. If you do not want an account fill in the information required for the sign-up, but do not check off the create account block.)