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News & Events
May 3, 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, May 9 - see details below.
The schedule is:
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 Bridge to Belonging
It doesn't matter what brought you here. What matters is that you are here now. That you live the covenant. That you pray, that you sing, that you are of service.
-- Jay Lavelle
I am a Unitarian. I am not a Unitarian-Universalist, or - God forbid - a "UU". I was in the church before the merger and was thankfully grandfathered in so I wouldn't have to deal with the music requirement.
I would like to able to say that my church childhood was idyllic, walking down the tree-lined streets to the white wood church facing the town common. However, most of my childhood memories are blurred, blended, or blocked. Or just wrong. What I do know is that an interest in spirituality attempted to surface in my adulthood. It was not a review of my past and current lives that brought me back to the fold of Unitarianism, but something far more subtle than that. Click here for the rest of the story.
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Seth Popinchalk is the winner of the family gift certificate to West End Creamery. His name was drawn by raffle helpers Amelia, Ava, and Miles Wilander. Thanks to all who entered and signed up to teach or be a Classroom Friend for 2016-17.
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Dear Friends of the Garden,
Please remember to bring your extra plants to church on Saturday May 7th, during our garden clean up from 10:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m., or before church on Sunday, May 8th, for our Green Exchange Plant Sale.
On Saturday, May 7th, please join us for a spring garden cleanup from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. We will rake and weed, maybe spread mulch if we get some by then, take stock and generally beatify our garden for the spring season.
Our Green Exchange Plant Sale will be held on May 8th and 15th after Sunday worship. This popular fund raiser is a wonderful way to share the wealth of your garden, learn about plants and go home with some new "green treasures". There is a large supply of garden pots near the back of the garden, help yourself and fill them with divisions of your garden plants which we will sell for $5 each. We will also be signing up garden volunteers for summer maintenance of the First U gardens at the Green Exchange.
To celebrate the early spring we are starting our garden tours a little earlier this year. We would like to have our first tour on May 22nd and continue every Sunday till September. It is very easy to host a garden tour. Your garden doesn't need to be "perfect". We appreciate and love to visit all sorts of gardens. Just open your garden from 4:00 to 6:00 pm on your host day, maybe have very light refreshment on hand if you wish, and enjoy all the compliments. To sign up to host a garden tour see Mary McAlister on Sunday, May 1st, 8th, or 15th, or email her at maryalmc@gmail.com or call or txt 774 314 0356. Finally, we are very sad to be losing our chair Kate O'Dell as she has plans to move to Maine this summer. Although she is irreplaceable, we are looking for a garden committee chair or co-chair. If you are interested please contact Mary McAlister.
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Dear First Church family,
Many of you have likely seen Olive and her three children at church the past few Sundays. Vanessa and Jordy seem to be doing great in Sunday school, and Angela has also been taking to the day care room. Please do feel free to greet them after church during coffee hour. While they are all just learning English, it would be great for them to practice saying hello and introducing themselves!
Meanwhile they are beginning to get more settled with a regular schedule. This week Olive will begin computer classes and ESL classes at Ascentria. All three kids will start day care this week, pending Vanessa's placement in a special needs classroom in the Worcester Public School system.
Over the last two weeks we have received numerous donations. Thank you to all who have given and reached out with offers to help. We also have a new official member of our team, Sandra Black, who has signed on through Ascentria Care Alliance, the agency we are working with.
The following is a list of items needed as of this week:
- Large plastic containers for food storage.
- Diapers: Size 4 (day and night), Size 5 (night)
- Mousetraps
- Girls clothing for Vanessa, size 8
- Boys clothing for Jordy, Size 4-5T
- Girls clothing for Angela, Size 3-4T
- Bedding for 2 twin beds and 1 double bed
- Help with English tutoring and ASL tutoring
- Transportation to appointments, grocery shopping (weekends preferred), laundromat, church
- Babysitting, so that Olive can sometimes get to appointments without all the children.
- Play dates or outings for the children to area parks, playgrounds, etc.
Please plan to bring donated items to church on Sunday and leave them by the welcome table during coffee hour. Those who are interested in volunteering with the family and providing transportation will need to complete an Ascentria volunteer application. Contact the team to find out how to get an application.
Thank you,
Ellen Foley, Sandy Hakkarainen, Danna Peterson, Sandra Black and
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Young Artist Showcase
Saturday, May 7
TIME CHANGED TO 3PM
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Men's Group May Event: Quabbin Reservoir Walk
Our next Men's Group activity will be a walk on the trails of the Quabbin Reservoir on Wednesday, May 11. We will meet at the church at 9:00 AM and carpool to the location.
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. On the way back we can stop for lunch at Rose 32, a well known local lunch/coffee spot.
Jim Tartaglia is the organizer for this event. For questions about the hike, please contact him at jtartaglia@charter.net.
For more information about the men's group, please contact Rick Silva at avlis@aol.com, or Ken Mandile at kmandile@swissturn.com
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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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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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Dancing with the Peacemakers
Have you always wanted to try ballroom dancing? Now is your opportunity! The Center for Nonviolent Solutions is sponsoring a ballroom dancing class with Norm Thibeault, the owner and manager of Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Worcester. Have fun and raise money for CNVS programs that are building a culture of peace in Worcester!
Wednesday, May 25, 2016, 6:00 Reception,
6:30 to 7:30 Dance Class
First Unitarian Church, Unity Hall.
Cost: Individual - $30, Couple - $50, Family - $75, High School/College student - $10, Children 10 and under - free. Reservations at: http://www.nonviolentsolutions.org/
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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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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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Comic Ryan Conner, is coming to the Unitarian Church of Marlborough & Hudson on May 14 from 8:00-9:00 pm! Conner, whose comedy draws on his life experiences growing as one of 12 brothers in a multi-racial family, was a top-10 finalist in the 2015 summer season of the prime-time NBC TV show, Last Comic Standing. Get details here.
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Important First U Links -
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