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News & Events
April 12, 2016
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The deadline for newsletter submissions to this enews is noon on the Monday before Tuesday publication.
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The Rev. Sarah C. Stewart
Sarah is typically in the office on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00am to 4:30pm; Friday 10:00am to 2:00pm. To schedule an appointment please call the church at 508-757-2708, ext. 107. She can also be reached at
My Adult Faith Development offering this year is a book and movie discussion group on race and racism held in the Landers Room at 7pm.. The next meeting is Monday, April 25 - see details below.
The schedule is:
April 25 - Documentary Screening and Discussion of "Race: The Power of an Illusion: The Difference Between Us"
May 9 - Documentary Screening and Discussion of "Race: The Power of an Illusion: The Story We Tell"
May 23 - Documentary Screening and Discussion of "Race: The Power of an Illusion:
"The House We Live In"
June 6 - Closing Worship Service
For details about this series click here.
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Stewardship: a Ticket to Belonging
Stewardship-protecting, tending, caring-is at the core of what it means to live out my faith, of building and nourishing the beloved community. It is a call to bring my best self to the mission and life of the church. --Ellen Foley
What calls me to First Unitarian Church? In many ways I can't take credit for my Unitarian faith. I grew up in the Unitarian church of Flint, Michigan; my grandparents were all Unitarian. Religion did not occupy my conscious thoughts during my childhood and early adulthood.
And yet I have always had a strong moral compass and a certainty about my own spiritual values: justice, interdependence, the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings. In my adulthood I have found, unsurprisingly, that Unitarian churches are the places where I find those who share this moral compass. I find people I want to know. People I admire. People who I hope will shape my son's sense of his place in the world and his responsibilities to it.
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Patricia "Trish" F. (Farnum) Mallard, 76, of Keene and formerly of Worcester, Massachusetts, died on Wednesday, March 30, 2016. She passed peacefully in her sleep, at Applewood Care Center in Winchester, after a period of declining health. - See more here.
Our sincere sympathy to Liz Gustavson and family on the loss of her mother, Norma Dzaugis who died April 12, 2016. Funeral plans are not complete.
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Please Join Us For Our 20th Annual Passover Seder
Our Seder is done in a cooperative family style. As such it is free for adults willing to bring a requested dish. (We have a list of needed store bought items for those reluctant to cook). $10 if you just want to come and enjoy the evening. This is a family event. All ages welcome. Children 12 and under are always free.
Come enjoy an evening of storytelling, music, food and friendship.
The Seder is a moving, participatory celebration in memory of the Hebrew people escaping from Egyptian slavery, with the rituals of the service intertwined with a wonderful meal cooked by members of the parish. Held in the Dining Room. Saturday, April 30, 2016 from 4-6:30 PM
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Jazz Showcase Opens Spring Series
JazzTrane from Joy of Music will open our Spring Concert Series this Friday, April 15 at 7PM in the sanctuary, FREE.
These innovative budding musicians have a creative approach for Jazz Standard tunes that we know and love. We enjoyed their improvisations when they played in our service earlier in the year, coordinated with Sarah's sermon on the creative process. Next in the series is Friday, April 22, Woodwind septet: Amici e Musica playing works of Beethoven and Wood.
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50/50 Collection on Sunday, April 17
Abby's House
Abby's House was founded in 1976 in Worcester to provide homeless and battered women and children with emergency shelter in a secure place where they can regroup and rebuild. Today, in addition to the shelter it has 78 units of subsidized longer-term housing. Every woman works with an advocate to move her into a place of confidence and empowerment. With no federal funding, Abby's House is supported mainly from individual donations, local churches, businesses, and foundation grants. Thank you for your generosity in supporting this important work in our community.
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This is James. Two years before he was born the life expectancy for a child born with severe heart defects was just 2 years, by the time he was 4 that life expectancy had increased to 23 years. Thanks to ongoing research and developments those numbers are still going up, but congenital heart defects are still major killers. In the U.S. more than twice as many children die from heart defects as from all childhood cancers combined. 31% of babies born with critical heart defects do not survive to their 18th birthday.
James has grown up in this church. He is a student in our D'oh! Simpsons class, a member of our BYKOTA youth group, and a WindHorse House scholar in our Hogwarts Themed Wiogora programs. James has critical heart defects including the four that make up Tetralogy of Fallot. He has endured several cardiac catheterizations, two open-heart surgeries and countless procedures. James has also had eye, nose, oral, GI and bronchial surgeries He will have his third open-heart surgery in the near future, but in the meantime he is just enjoying life.
James just turned 15, and we are expecting him to have a long and healthy life. Please help us make that a reality for him and for the thousands of children who are born every year with heart defects.
To sponsor James in the American Heart Association Heart Walk on May 7th please see Abigail during coffee hour or pledge on-line by clicking here.
Every dollar we raise is restricted to congenital heart defects research.
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Interfaith Hospitality Network Fundraiser
RSVP Extended to Wed., April 13th
Capital Campaign Fundraiser
Brunch & Celebration
Sunday, April 17 - 12:30pm - 2:30pm
Blessed Sacrament Church, (Phelan Center)
551 Pleasant St. Worcester
Tickets must be reserved in advance
Adults $40 - Child $20
50% of ticket price supports the Capital Campaign
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31st Annual Walk for Homeless
We need your support
Team First Unitarian Church's goal is to raise at least $500 for the Walk for Homeless
This 5K walk is on Sunday, May 15th, at 2:00pm at Elm Park
You can support Team First Unitarian Church by:
- Walking or Running and raising funds
- Donating on line to the Team page
- Donating with a personal check or cash before or after church on Sunday
To donate on line, click here. A sign-up sheet will be available in Bancroft Hall or
See Lesa McWalters, Youth Coordinator
THANKS for YOUR SUPPORT!
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UU Sisterhood Monthly Potluck Dinner and Program
Please join us for the next UU Sisterhood, Friday, April 15. We will start the evening with our usual potluck dinner starting at 6:00pm. All women of the church are encouraged to attend, please bring a dish and drink to share.
This month's program will involve a TED talk and discussion. For those who have not discovered TED they are short videos on a huge variety of topics. We have chosen two videos that we think will be of interest to the sisters.
1. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin discuss lifetime female friendship and its relationship to health and happiness.
2. The Surprising Science of Happiness by Dan Gilbert
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Men's Group May Event: Quabbin Reservoir Walk
Our Men's Group activity for May will be a walk on the trails of the Quabbin Reservoir. The area has miles of paved roads as well as well maintained trails through the woods, scenic overlooks, picnic areas, an observation tower, and visitor's center. It is a beautiful, accessible, and uncrowded area just one hours' drive from downtown Worcester. Our plan is to meet at the church at 9:00 and carpool to the location. On the way back we can stop for lunch at Rose 32, a well known local lunch/coffee spot.
The event will be during the second week in May. The date will be announced soon.
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Wiogora Registration Open Now!
The Wiogora Council and Professor Veralyce Gibbons, Headmistress, are excited to announce that Registration is open for Wiogora's Summer program - July 25th to August 5th. Our fifth year's theme is Mystery: The Order of the Phoenix! Go to www.wiogora.org to sign up young scholars; After last year's success, we anticipate filling up quickly! Our program uses Harry Potter's story to teach the inherent worth and dignity of every person; Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth; A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; the right of conscience and use of democratic process; The goal of peace, liberty and justice for all; and Respect for the interdependent web of existence by caring for planet Earth.
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John Henry's Hammer Upcoming Spring Concert
May 21--Cosmic Slim and His Intergalactic Plowboys, opening acts-Arny Spielberg and Melody Sizer.
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Early Bird Coffee & Conversation
Before worship on Sunday morning some friendly folks can be found enjoying coffee and conversation in the dining room. They gather around 9:30 a.m. or a wee bit later. That's when the coffee is ready. So, show up, pull up a chair, join some talkers and help warm the place with enjoyable chatter on range of subjects. In the joyful rush for coffee and treats after worship, the busy atmosphere can inhibit opportunities to get to know others more deeply. Early bird coffee is one way to engage with friendly people. Church school teachers, those on church committees or in leadership roles are encouraged to show up periodically and converse with those gathered.
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Important First U Links -
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