Dear Unity Church,

Even though the regular church year is drawing to a close, Unity Church is bustling with activity and excitement. I hope all of you make time this summer for rest, vacation, and relaxation, and I hope you will join in some of the amazing opportunities to worship and connect listed below:


Summer Worship
Join us at 9:30 a.m. on the following Sundays for a worship series on Under the Umbrella: Fun and Play. Childcare will be provided.

On the Sundays of June 29, July 6, and August 31 Unity Church will be closed. All who wish to worship those Sundays are invited to visit our neighbors at the Unitarian Church of Sharon. The church is located at 4 North Main Street in Sharon, MA, and their worship services begin at 10:15 a.m. with childcare provided.

Come to General Assembly. You can read more about General Assembly in the article below, but here are a few free event highlights:
Want to carpool to Providence for worship? Just come to Unity Church at 9:15 a.m. Those who show up can arrange among themselves who will drive with everyone departing for Providence by 9:30 a.m.

In faith,
Rev. Kristin

     

General Assembly (GA) Begins on June 25th!

Not sure what to expect? Here's how to check out all the eventsand register.

• Read or download the complete GA Program and the full business agenda.
• Use the GA Mobile App. 
• Register HERE online, for the whole GA or by the day, at right up until GA starts. 
• Register at the RI Convention Center, Room 558, at no extra cost, but you might have to stand in line.    

Enjoy a Commuter's Respite
For day commuters (by bus, train or car), the BCD is sponsoring a "Commuter Lounge" in Salons A and B of the Biltmore Hotel, where people can retreat for a while during the day to relax, together or alone. We've also added a Family Respite Room in the Dunkin Donuts Center, right near the general sessions, where anyone, including parents with young children, can take a break.

• Click here for lots of transportation information.

Invite Others Along for the Open Events
Three worship services in the Dunkin Donuts Center are open to the public:

• Service of the Living Tradition on Friday evening,
• "Make Way for Love", pre-WaterFire worship on Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m., and
• Sunday morning worship service at 11 a.m., followed by open hours at the Exhibit Hall.

All of these feature inspiring speakers and music, and the thrill of raising voices in song along with thousands of other UUs.

More About WaterFire on Saturday Night!
The theme of this General Assembly is "Love Reaches Out," and we're reaching out in a new way as an active sponsor of, WaterFire, beautiful Providence event.

Shop, Learn, and Dine in the GA Exhibit Hall
Browse nearly 100 exhibitors and vendors, do socially conscious shopping, and break bread with your fellow congregants and UUs from around the country. While you're there, stop by the GA Service Project booth to learn about hunger and homelessness and how UUs are working to end them in Rhode Island.

Enjoy Historic Providence
Local UUs, in collaboration with the Rhode Island Historical Society and the Roger Williams National Park, have arranged low-cost or free tour opportunities of all sorts, open to anyone. Some require reservation by June 20, and others are open without reservations. Click here to learn more.

Worship Together with Thousands on Sunday
Sunday morning worship at 11 a.m. is open to all. The Exhibit Hall will be open following the service, from 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.. Some BCD congregations are organizing buses and car pools to Providence. Some are also planning to live stream it for their congregations at home. Here's how to watch the service and other major GA events even if you can't be there physically.
COME, COME, WHOEVER YOU ARE-SEE YOU AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY!

Want to Help?
We'd love to have you! There are multiple opportunities:

• Be a GA Guide. The Public Witness team is looking for volunteers to assist attendees at WaterFire on June 28th. You need not be a registered GA attendee to help out with this. Great for people who know and love Providence's signature art event. Volunteer Here! There's also room for some extra help welcoming folks as they arrive in town.

Here is the WaterFire Public Witness Event Flyer 

• Sing at WaterFire. As a sponsor of WaterFire, we've arranged for some UU hymns and songs to be part of the WaterFire 'sound track', and we need our Ballou Channing District (BCD) choirs to assemble to lead the singing. If you can be a part of this, and gather a group from your choir, please contact petervanerp@cox.net. Singers need not be registered GA attendees.
• Donate Bowls to Combat Homelessness and Hunger. The Empty Bowls support our GA Service Project to address homelessness and hunger in Rhode Island. A variety of handmade bowls have been collected already-ceramic, pottery, papier-mâché, felted, copper, wood-and many more are needed to raise funds. The "empty bowls" provide a context for considering the innovative approaches to addressing hunger and homelessness by our beneficiary organizations, Housing First RI and McAuley House. At a booth in the Exhibit Hall and at a tent at WaterFire, the handcrafted bowls submitted by UUs will be offered for a donation. Meanwhile, the creation of bowls can be a group activity for members of your congregation, or a solitary one. Instructions for making papier-mâché or felted bowls are available from the Coordinator, Nori Duncan at nori.duncan@gmail.com or 401-475-1678. Please contact her to pledge a bowl (or several, or many) to the service project, and to arrange for delivery. You may ship your bowls in advance or bring them to the booth at GA. For groups of bowls, it may be possible to arrange pick-up within the BCD. Watch the UU World for an upcoming article with more details about the project.

• Help Other Folks Get to GA. If you can't go yourself, how about financially supporting a youth or aspiring leader from your congregation? If you can go, how about organizing a car pool in your congregation? Traveling together, whether daily, for one occasion, or for the whole GA, saves money, driver fatigue, and the environment, and it offers the opportunity for shared experience and reflection. Get that travel signup sheet posted early, and let people know about it.

Please see the Unity Church Executive Committee for more information.