THE UNITARIAN
April 19 , 2015

Vol. 69, No. 35

 

Join Us For Worship This Week

 

FirstU photo graphic
First Unitarian Church of Worcester, MA
90 Main Street
Worcester, Massachusetts 01608

 Worship at First Unitarian 
       

On Sunday childcare will be available

    during worship beginning at 10:15 a.m.  

Sunday Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary 

  

 

Sunday, April 19, 2015
"Power and Spirit" 
"Power and Spirit" A multigenerational Earth Day celebration of energy at work in our lives and in our hearts. We will honor the earth and charge up our own souls to help heal its broken places. Service led by Director of Faith Development Deborah Levering and the Rev. Sarah C. Stewart. 
The Sanctuary choir will sing.
 

Before and After Worship This Week

10:15 a.m.
10:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m.
Nursery Care in Classroom 4.
Worship Service in the Sanctuary.
50/50 Collection will be donated to Abby's House.
Silent Auction Finale - in the Bancroft Room and Dining Room after worship and an old fashioned ham dinner. See article below.
50/50 Collection to be Shared With Abby's House

 

Sunday, April 19th we're having a 50/50 collection to benefit Abby's House.  Abby's House, a shelter for homeless and battered women and children, was founded in 1976.  Today, Abby's House has, in addition to a 9-bed shelter, 71 units of single-room affordable housing for low-income women and 7 two-bedroom apartments for women with children.  Abby's House works with every woman to develop an individualized service plan, helping her to move into a place of confidence and empowerment.

   

Imagine for a moment having nowhere to sleep, nowhere to eat, nowhere to prepare meals, nowhere to put all your stuff!  Without government funding, Abby's House depends on donations from foundations, churches, corporations and individuals like you. The need is great; Abby's House gets over 200 calls per month from women needing help.   

 

Thank you for your generous gift!

 

Don't Miss the Auction Finale This Sunday!

 

Auction 2015 First Unitarian Church Worcester UUA

Be sure to mark April 19th on your calendar and plan to spend the afternoon. We invite you to join us after church for an old fashioned ham dinner, (there will be options for vegetarians). You will have a chance to get in a final bid on your items as we close out the bidding section by section and announce the winners. Bring your friends, all are welcome. The General Auction will close between 12:00pm and 2:00pm and the Art Auction between 2:00pm and 3:00pm.

 

Stop by the auction table to register for a bidding number, both auctions will be "silent", though we may have a few live items.

 

Questions?  Please contact Madeline at [email protected] or Mary at 774 314 0356 or 508 752 1255. 

 

Please help us make the auction a success by inviting your friends to come on the 19th, they are welcome join us for dinner and bid. Also, please like our Auction Facebook page and share it with your contact list.           

 

Click here  to View the Auction Catalog Online 

 

Volunteers Needed for the Installation Service

 

We will need many volunteers to help with the Installation Service.  Click here to read this article and sign up online. There are also  sign-up sheets in the dining room.


Volunteer opportunities


1.  Setting up the church on Saturday, May 2 at 9 AM. - Volunteers Needed.


 

2.  Cleaning up after the service and reception ends, around 6:30 PM on 

Sunday, May 3. - Volunteers Needed.

 

3.  Preparing the following finger foods.  People can bring their food contributions to church on Sunday morning, May 3 and leave them in the kitchen marked for the Installation Service or leave them in the kitchen prior to the 4 PM service.


Hors D'Oeuvres

A.  Deviled eggs:  1 person@2 dozen each

B.  Crackers and cheese (cheddar, brie, havarti, gouda): filled

C.  Shrimp:  3 people@20pieces each and cocktail sauce

D.  Frozen hors d'oeuvres:  2 people@25 pieces each

E.  Veggies and dip:  2 people @50 pieces each

F.  Pita and hummus: filled

G.  Pita and artichoke dip:  2 people@40 pieces each 

H.  Cucumber slices: filled

 

Desserts

A.  Cookies:  filled

B.  Brownies:  4 people@ 1 dozen each

C.  Lemon bars:  3 people@ 1 dozen each

D.  Fruit:  1 person@50 pieces each on toothpicks

 

There will also be cake.


4.  Decorating - 3 slots filled - more available

A.  We need volunteers to help arrange plants in the Bancroft Room on Saturday, May 2 at 10 AM.  We want to decorate the room to look like a spring garden.  We ask for people to loan us green plants, either large house plants or shrubs or perennials in pots; flats of pansies or other spring flowers that can be put in baskets; pots of flowering plants like tulips or daffodils; and branches of flowering shrubs.  Plant material can be brought to the Bancroft Room either Friday, May 1 between 10 AM and 4 PM, or on Saturday, May 2 between 9 AM and 10 AM.  There will be plastic sheets spread on the floor where you can put your plants.


 

B.  We need volunteers to make flower arrangements for the buffet tables.  Time can be determined at the convenience of the arrangers. 2 slots filled - more available 


 

We welcome your contributions and thank you for your assistance.

 

Click here to sign up online 

 

Giving Time and Talent: The Social Justice Committee
 

The Caring Circles seeks to bring together members of the church to get to know each other better.  In a closer relationship people feel more comfortable to ask for help, receive help and share ideas more openly.  We have a very talented, interesting, compassionate and diverse congregation!  There is much to learn from each other and I feel the Caring Circles are instrumental in this regard.

 
Being a co-leader of a Caring Circle has given me the opportunity to become more involved in church activities and to become closer to the church community.  I have enjoyed making new friends and I feel more comfortable sharing thoughts and ideas on a wide range of topics.  I am also grateful for the opportunity to help the church maintain its vibrant community. --Danna Peterson

"In this congregation we covenant to care for one another."  This is the first line of the mission statement of the Caring Community (also known as "Caring Circles"). How could I not want to be a part of something that speaks to the very heart of what I believe we are all here to do as part of our human experience?  

As a co-leader of our Caring Community  I hope to help strengthen the connections within each circle and expand that connection within  the  larger congregation.  I believe the model of our "Circles" of  Caring Community will help us find a greater connection with one another. Through that bond, we will find comfort and reward in both giving and receiving care. --Joan Russo

Building closer friendships among neighbors who are church members is probably the necessary first step to being comfortable asking for help when its needed. The church community becomes stronger when we help each other through illnesses or other problems. There is a smaller chance of someone losing the connection to church when these friendships grow stronger.
 
The Caring Circle has given Madeline and I an opportunity to develop closer friendships with  neighborhood church members.  We have found new friends only blocks away.  We have also started an annual Christmas Caroling event at UMASS Hospital to help us give a little back to the community. --Rick Silva

 

HOSPITALITY
Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
-teachings of Jesus

Coffee Hour Hospitality - NEW SIGN UP ONLINE
Providing refreshments after worship is a gift of service to the church. The food you bring need not be elaborate. If you would like to provide this hospitality, click here to see if others are contributing that Sunday and to sign up or you can just bring a food offering and put it on the dining room table. Invite a friend to join you in this offering.

Sunday Greeters

Being on the receiving end of a warm smile and a "good to see you" or a "good morning" is to be offered a welcoming gift. It is a gift that you can give on a Sunday morning. Reaching out in greeting affirms the one entering and the one greeting.
If you would like to be a Sunday morning greeter, please stop by the Welcome Table or speak to one of us. We will sign you up for a date and give you the information you will need.

Name Tags & Newsletter
If you need a name tag or would like to receive the church newsletter, please stop by the Welcome Table.
Lee Reid
Sue Shaw
Linda Carney

Escalating Inequality Workshops - THIS WEEK

 

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.

 

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

 

3. HOW DID WE GET HERE AND WHAT WE CAN DO: Tuesday April 21 at UUCW from 7-9pm

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 
Adult Faith Development Programs - Upcoming

Sundays @ Noon Lecture Series 

 

April 26 in the Chapel

Restorative Justice and Curbing Youth Violence 

  

On April 26th, Claire Shaeffer-Duffy, the Chair of the Center for Nonviolent Solutions Board of Directors, will talk about the Center's work  in the Worcester Public Schools with a focus on Sullivan Middle School. Her talk will highlight the importance of grounding conflict resolution in a larger context of Peace Education.


There will be time for questions and discussion at this session. Our hope is that these conversations can lead to ideas for how First Unitarian Church of Worcester could be involved to support a broader adoption of Restorative Justice and Peace Education  for youth throughout Worcester.

 

Sermons

  

"A Glimpse and a Promise: Easter 2015" by the Rev. Sarah Stewart
the sermon of April 5, 3015 

 

"Sin and Forgiveness" by the Rev. Sarah Stewart
the sermon of February 22, 2015 

Our Church Family Online Directory

  

Reminder

Don't forget to sign on to use the new online directory! Click here to sign on now or go to www.firstunitarian.com and click on "OurChurchFamily Directory" at the top of the page. 

Important First U Links
Join a blog...catch up on First U news... 
offer a comment

 

Stewardship Team News:
 UUSisterhood News & Events:

http://firstuusisterhood.blogspot.com/

 
Archive: Newsletter & Minister's Memo:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs072/1102662658575/archive/1102698304450.html 

 
Faith Development Ministries News and Events 

http://lifespanfaithdevelopment.blogspot.com/


 
Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/FirstUnitarianWorcester 

 

Worship This Week: http://www.firstunitarian.com 

Details about this week's service and more

 

Church Calendar: http://www.firstunitarian.com/calendar.cfm 

Details about this week's and upcoming events
  
Contact Us

 

First Unitarian Church of Worcester, MA
90 Main Street
Worcester, Massachusetts 01608

508-757-2708
508-753-9332 (fax)
Worship Leaders
Rev. Sarah Stewart

Rev. Sarah Stewart

 

Deborah Levering
Deborah Levering
Director of FD 













 

 

 


 
 

 

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

members handshake