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Unity Church of North Easton News
(Unitarian Universalist)
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"Welcoming people into community to grow in thought, spirit, and service to others."
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Volume 4, No. 5, October 24, 2014
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 Dear Unity Church,
When I first began my ministry here with all of you at Unity Church, several people told me this church was the "best kept secret" in the town of Easton.
There are so many reasons I think this description fits. But the thing that continues to stand out to me is the dedication of the leaders and volunteers in our wonderful congregation.
Since we discovered our guiding vision as a congregation last church year, your Executive Committee has been hard at work figuring out short and longer-term goals to lead us, step-by-step, into this vision. Inspired by an area-wide training coming up this November, your Stewardship team is already excited about this year's financial canvass.
The Worship Committee has welcomed several new faces and is brimming with exciting ideas, some of which we will get to experience this church year. Our Religious Education program has added a class for our youth who have outgrown our younger classes. And Unity Church has just begun conversations with several other area congregations about forming an official cluster, with the goal of sharing programming and maybe even working together to better our wider community.
Each church year seems to develop its own character or flavor, and this year seems to be a year of trying new things. As we continue to experiment and innovate in all areas of church life - from worship to fellowship to religious education - please know that your questions, doubts, and needs are always welcome. Change is an important part of our ongoing search for truth and meaning, and as such can be invigorating. But it can also be stressful or annoying. It can even bring us face-to-face with parts of ourselves and our past that we hadn't realized.
A few of you have come to me to talk about how some of the new things we've been trying have made you feel. But I wanted to be sure everyone knows that the invitation is always open. I welcome the chance to talk with you during my office hours, listed below. And whether by phone, Skype, or in person at the church, please contact me ahead of time to schedule an appointment so that I can plan to be fully present to you during our conversation.
I also hope you will talk directly to your staff and volunteer leaders who work so hard to make this church the wonderful place that it is. Whether it's to ask a question, express your thanks, or raise a concern, I hope we can continue to grow into a congregational culture where we all feel comfortable sharing honest feedback with love and respect, trusting that good intentions and love of Unity Church guide even the less successful or popular experiments our leaders might try!
In faith and affection, Rev. Kristin Office hours: Tuesdays 10-3, Thursdays by appointment Email: klgrassel at gmail.com |
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Creep into Parish Hall
on Saturday, October 25th, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Eat Pizza! Paint pumpkins! Tour Haunted Holly House!
Trunk or Treat
will happen at 6:15 p.m.
in the rear parking lot!
Decorate your car, and please bring a treat to hand out!
A prize will be given for the best decorated car!
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UCAN News 
by Melanie D'Aiello, UCAN Chair
Hello members and friends of Unity Church!
On Sunday, November 2nd during coffee hour, we will be collecting Halloween candy (a few pieces or entire bags), toothbrushes, and toothpaste to support Sapphira Murphy's Virtual Trick-or-Treat for the Troops. Sapphira is unable to go trick-or-treating this year needs our help to collect as much candy as she can to send to the men and women who serve our country.
Paper and markers will be available at coffee hour so that church members, big and small, may write a letter or draw a picture for the troops to include with the donated candy.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
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Making Music at Unity Church
by Richard Hill, Organist &Music Director
As we approach the final October Sunday, our music making is off for another year. Week after week you hear our choir, our band, handbells, soloists, and those people around you who sing out each week. Making music here is an act of love. People do it because it's fun.
And that is my own feeling.
On Sunday morning, I love making music. We have an excellent organ and a Steinway piano. We have dedicated singers and instrumentalists. Our handbell ringers show up for Wednesday rehearsals all year in spite of terrible weather.
The choir has been in existence since 1917 when it replaced a professional quartet. One of the first choir directors was a young Harvard student named Virgil Thomson. If that name doesn't ring a bell, Google him. Lawrence Gurney who sang in the choir for over fifty years told me that Virgil had a "flock of red hair." which left him several years later as he returned home from France and his collaboration with Gertrude Stein.
Rehearsals back then were held on Saturday nights and the 25 singers were all paid. This was a night out for many and romances often were generated. Lawrence Gurney met a singer from South Easton, Olive. They married and their daughter grew up to teach music in the Easton schools. Olive was principal of the North Easton Grammar School and served several years on the Easton School Committee.
It was not until the fifties that choir rehearsals moved to Sunday mornings. Today we begin singing at nine o'clock with warm ups and the hymns. We follow this with next week's anthem and anthems for the following three weeks. We finish with the anthem of the day which we practice in the church with organ, piano, or without accompaniment. So we try to stay ahead by five weeks. The music is balanced with easier melodies and challenging tunes. This month's theme is forgiveness so we haven't any fears of doing anything wrong.
Our choir is fun. They help each other and listen to each other. They are a joy and you are welcome to join us. You'll be glad you did.
Our handbells go back to 1991 when we had but two octaves and three sixth graders some of who rang until they graduated from high school. Our last two high school graduates were Leah Hutchinson who has remained with us and Emily Augustine, now at U. Mass. Some of the original ringers remain and have developed musically over the years as they listen to one another and adjust rhythms and harmonies along with tone colors.
Last winter was one of constant Wednesday snow storms but the handbell ringers showed up week after week. There was but one cancelation. And when summer came they continued to meet for knitting and weekly refreshments. We are blessed with this group.
Our band is the latest addition. They are also a dedicated group who practice every Thursday night. They work together with enthusiasm and help to one another. Their music is not easy and it takes time to put together much of their repertoire but it always moves our congregation.
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 Exciting Changes in RE!
After attending a few wonderful workshops this fall, I have decided to rejuvenate the religious education program by taking it in a whole new direction beginning this spring!
Our new program will take on the approach of Spirit Play, a Montessori-based style of religious education.
It sees the purpose of religious education as helping children in living into their own answers to the existential questions such as:
- Where did we come from?
- What are we doing here?
- What is our purpose?
- How do we choose to live our lives?
- What are our gifts?
- How do we use them?
- What happens when we die?
- Why do we die?
- Why are we lonely and sad sometimes?
As in Montessori, the key elements are the classroom environment and the teachers. These elements free the children to work at their own pace on their own issues.
Each session begins with a story, told using props. If you are crafty, or have any sort of materials at home that you feel would
 be great for telling stories and you would like to donate, it would be greatly appreciated! (Some examples would be small animal or human figurines, blocks, religious relics, etc).
An orientation will be held in Spring 2015 for anyone who would like to learn more!
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It's-Still-a-Thrill
To-Grill-in-the-Fall
Social Hour
Who says cookouts are for summer only?
When?- After Services on Sunday, November 2, Rain or Shine
What will we eat?
- Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Garden Burgers, and Drinks will be provided, and we'll have everyone's contributions.
What do I bring? - Your favorite snack, side dish, or dessert to share. No alcohol, please.
- Lawn Chairs
What will we do?- Eat, talk, and toss a ball or Frisbee or two.
Come and have some fun and food with us!
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NEW England Region 
The Ballou Channing, Clara Barton and Massachusetts Bay Districts of UU Congregations share all staff, and every staff person serves all three districts.
As part of this collaboration, they started a new website for all three districts. You can find the archive of newsletters and a lot of other great information on this site. Keep in mind that the site is still under construction, so if you discover problems, don't hesitate to send them an email.
Follow and Join
In an effort to avoid triple posting on Facebook, they are closing down the Ballou Channing, Clara Barton, and Mass Bay District pages. They've launched New England Region UUA page. Be sure to LIKE them if you haven't already.
Join the List
If you were receiving emails from any of the three districts prior to July 1, you will continue to receive them. However, if you aren't on their list, please join.
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Looking for Unity Church Member Contact information?
You can find it on our web site under the Member Access menu,
after you log in as a member.
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New to Unity Church?
New to Unity Church or want to Join Our Mailing List?
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Photo Credits for this Issue of the Unity News
Ellen Dehm
Unity News Contact Info
For questions or comments regarding this message, please contact Cathy Adler, Unity News Managing Editor & Web Administrator,
at welcome2ucne@gmail.com . |
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