The Union Church in Waban |
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Online Worship
March 21 at 10:00 a.m.
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On this fifth Sunday in Lent, Tom Vawter will share a moment of illumination. Our UCW Choir will share a piece entitled "Holy, Holy, Holy" by A. Jeffery Lavelley. Pastor Stacy will be our preacher and Gerry Elion will be our scripture reader. |
To join worship on Zoom:
Meeting ID: 832 2059 8969
Passcode: 458322
Dial in only: 1 646 558 8656
Find a Copy of the Bulletin HERE
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Pick Up Your Palms! If you have not yet picked up your palm for Palm Sunday, you can stop by the church anytime following worship this Sunday until 6pm. We will have a large basket with the palms on the bench outside the elevator lobby. If you can't come to the church, please reach out to Pastor Amy (amy@ucw.org; 617-938-8112) and we'll bring one to you!
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To connect to Sunday Worship or to any of our online offerings, you may go to our website at www.ucw.org. There you will find a click through to Sunday morning worship and to other online opportunities. You may also use the link below.
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Lenten Bible Study
Sunday Mornings at 8:00 a.m. (zoom)
Please join us for a walk through the Gospel of Mark. All are welcome to explore this text with us and to encounter the Risen Christ within it. No biblical study or experience is needed. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Stacy.
Meeting ID: 885 0724 0203
Passcode: 584285
Dial in: 1 646 558 8656
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Easter Blooms Now Available to Order |
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If you wish to participate in our Easter celebration with the donation of an “Easter Bloom,” please submit your order by Wednesday, March 31st.
We will be decorating our Sanctuary with live plants, and your dedication details will included in our online Easter bulletin and service.
Each donation of $15.00 will be used to purchase the plant of your choosing.
You may order and submit your dedication
details at the link below.
Thank You!
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Celebrating Holy Week at
The Union Church in Waban
The Union Church in Waban invites the community to join it in celebrating the Easter season.
Due to public safety concerns and pandemic restrictions, services will be held outdoors and online.
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Palm Sunday: March 28th
10:00 AM: Online Virtual Service
During this online service, our children and youth lead us in telling the story of Holy Week.
To join worship on Zoom:
Meeting ID: 832 2059 8969
Passcode: 458322
Dial in only: 1 646 558 8656
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Maundy Thursday: April 1st
6:30 p.m. Virtual Service (Online)
Gather online in the main zoom room for welcome and grace before breaking out into small groups for dinner and conversation.
7:00 p.m. Celebration of the Lord’s Supper (Online)
Gather back in main room for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper and the Tenebrae Service. Readers are those who shared moments of illumination during Lent: Mark, Gerry, Sandra, Alan, Julie, Tom, and Jay.
Zoom Links will be available as the date approaches.
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Good Friday : April 2nd
5:00 -7:00 PM: Open Sanctuary Station of the Cross
Come into the quiet of the sanctuary. We will have a Sign-up Genius for people to sign up for slots.
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Easter Sunday: April 4th
Easter Sunrise Service (In Person)
Amy will lead this in person service. Time & Location TBD, stay tuned!
10:00 a.m. Easter Service (Online)
This joyful, multi-generation online service will incorporate prayer flags, and alleluias, and will be led from the Sanctuary, which will be decorated with the Easter Blooms. The service will include trumpet and special music as well as a visual compilation of the dedicates from the Easter Blooms.
To join worship on Zoom:
Meeting ID: 832 2059 8969
Passcode: 458322
Dial in only: 1 646 558 8656
12:30 p.m. An Encounter in the Garden (in-Person)
You are encouraged to come in your Easter finest complete with bonnets! We will have interactive stations. For those who have donated Easter Blooms you can pick up your plants (which will be moved to the front lawn to turn our outside yard into a garden!). Children will enjoy a safe egg hunt, and all will be invited to take a bulb home to spread the garden out through the community as signs of the good news of the power and presence of the Christ, alive in the world. Stay tuned for more details to follow!
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Advocates for Racial Justice |
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SAVE the DATE: Friday, APRIL 9th, 8:00 p.m.
Zoned Out: Who Gets to Live in Suburbs of Boston
Union Church Advocates for Racial Justice .
April is Fair Housing Month. To mark the occasion, the UCW Advocates for Racial Justice are hosting a congregational conversation. Just what does fair housing mean? Have you ever thought about why you live where you do? Or about the unseen forces that led you there, or kept you from living somewhere else? What about the people you don’t see around you? These are the questions we’ll ponder in small groups on Friday, April 9, 8 to 9pm. Please come! Everyone and all ages are welcome.
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The Newton Community Development Foundation (NCDF) was founded in 1968, in the wake of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination and the passage of the Fair Housing Act, through the combined efforts of the Newton Clergy Association and Church Women United. They saw the desperate need for affordable housing in Newton and were determined to do something about it.
NCDF initially developed a plan to create 508 units for low- and moderate-income families, on 10 sites scattered throughout the city. The scattered-site concept, meant to achieve a fair distribution of subsidized housing, provoked strong citywide opposition. Newton residents everywhere resented the intrusion of multifamily housing units, feared the influx of inner-city residents, were concerned about overcrowded schools and increased traffic, opposed zoning changes, and seemed to fear that such housing meant cement high-rise projects. The initial proposal was turned down and the struggle for city and community approval continued.
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In 1974, the Newton Board of Aldermen finally approved NCDF’s proposal for a single 50-unit mixed-income rental development. The Hamlet, now called Houghton Village (Langley Road), welcomed its first residents in 1977. The next successful NCDF proposal became Casselman House (Sumner Street), 43 apartments for low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, dedicated in 1982. NCDF now manages seven properties of varying sizes, including the Weeks House and Warren House apartments.
For the whole story of NCDF’s founding and evolution, go here. Additional recommended reading: Low–Moderate Income Housing Study (Newton Planning Dept., 1968), especially, pp. 10–14, “Community Attitudes on Housing: The Dichotomy.”
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You are invited to register for Rev. Phiwa Langeni's free Yale Divinity School seminar on Wednesday, April 7th from 12- 1:30 p.m., and then join members of the Union Church In Waban on the following Sunday, April 11th for a discussion of the seminar, and how we may begin to live more fully into our Church Covenant which commits to inclusivity for all. The free seminar offers practical tips on language, pronouns and other queer-related issues and we will gain insights into ways we can create space for LGBTQ+ youth and others at UCW.
Register for the free April 7th seminar HERE
The UCW Community Discussion on Sunday, April 11th
will be on a Zoom breakout session following our Sunday Worship.
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Children, Youth and Families |
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Lent and Holy Week
Children & Family Gatherings
Palm Sunday: Mar. 28th - 10:00 a.m. Worship
Youth-Led Service and Walk Through Holy Week.
We are excited for our kids to lead us in sharing the story of Holy Week and Easter. If you or your children or youth would like to read, share art or music, or participate in some other way, live or pre-recorded, please reach out to Pastor Amy (amy@ucw.org). Pastor Amy will also be at the church this Sunday, March 21st directly following worship if you'd like to connect then and pick up costumes or record your parts! Feel free to text her at 617-938-8112.
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EASTER! April 4th
Plans are in the works for a Sunrise Service; a morning online service; and an in-person outdoor family gathering following morning worship. Stay tuned and be in touch with Pastor Amy if you'd like to help out!
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CAN YOU HELP THE EASTER BUNNY? Donations of (wrapped, nut-free) Easter Egg Candy Appreciated!
We're still working out the details of how to share our beloved Easter Egg Hunt safely this year, but the Easter Bunny has promised to come, and would be very grateful for donations of wrapped, nut-free candies, or small stickers/goodies that we can put in the eggs! You can leave them in the green bins on the bench outside the elevator lobby, or reach out to Pastor Amy, who will gladly pick them up! Thank you!!
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Parents Group
Next Thursday, March 25th, 8:15-9:15 p.m., following Gathering Space
TOPIC - Parenting and Kids Through Holy Week
Parents Group meets each month, following our monthly half-hour contemplative service of prayer, Gathering Space, which meets at 7:30-8:00 p.m. We'll start at 8:15pm in case Gathering Space runs a bit over. The Zoom link is below. Please contact Pastor Amy (amy@ucw.org) with any questions. Looking forward to gathering, and sharing in the joys and challenges of parenting!
Meeting ID: 880 556 282
Passcode: 499897
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Lenten Family Devotionals and Prayer Bags
The Children's Ministry Team has created Lenten prayer bags for all families through Lent that contain family devotionals, and materials to make beautiful weekly prayer squares. It's not too late to pick yours up! Pastor Amy is also happy to bring one by your home. You can reach out to her at amy@ucw.org.
You can also download a copy of our Lenten Family Devotional created by the Salt Project by CLICKING HERE.
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High School Youth Groups
Ninth Grade Youth Group
Palm Sunday - Meet at 6:00-7:00 p.m.
9th Graders will gather on the evening of Palm Sunday for some fun - we'll make palm crosses, help stuff some eggs, and catch up. We'll also spend some time thinking about what Holy Week means for us this year. We hope to see you! Location tbd based on weather.
For All High Schoolers
Seeking Illumination, Sharing Stories - Interviews with our Elders. Throughout Lent, teams of our high schoolers will gather with our elders to hear their stories of illumination. If you would like to participate as a high-schooler or elder, please reach out to Pastor Amy.
Weds., March 31st Preparing Sandwiches for BostonWarm for Maundy Thursday
High Schoolers are invited to join Pastor Amy to make sandwiches to deliver to our unhoused siblings at Common Cathedral. We'll meet (location TBD based on weather) from 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Middle School Youth Groups
Middle School Youth Group
Palm Sunday, March 28th - Meet at 4:00 -5:00 p.m.
We would love for our middle schoolers to help lead our Palm Sunday service with their awesome reading, art, and musical abilities. Please let Pastor Amy know if you can help! We'll also gather in the afternoon for a fun time making Palm Crosses, stuffing Easter Eggs, catching up, and getting ready for Holy Week. We hope to see you there! Location tbd based on weather!
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Adult Education and Formation |
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Gathering Space
Thursday, March 25th at 7:30 p.m.
We welcome you to "The Gathering Space," a quiet and contemplative space for our spiritual selves. The 30-minute Zoom gathering offers a brief but precious opportunity to pause and be comforted through music, meditation, candle lighting, poetry, readings from various faith traditions, and a time for lifting up prayers. If you’d like to join or if you have a poem, prayer, mediation or short reflection that you’d like to share, please reach out to Cindy Spertner, Daon Drisdom, or Pastor Stacy.
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Book Group
Tuesday, March 30 at 7:00 p.m. (zoom)
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Please join us for our next book group on March 30th at 7:00 p.m. We will be reading "Sycamore Row" by John Grisham. You will find a zoom link and sign in information below. If you have any questions, please reach out to Alan Cody.
Please mark your calendar with our upcoming selections and dates:
-April 27th "A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope,
Justice and Freedom" by Brittany K. Barnett; and
-May 25th "Americanah" by Chimananda Ngozi Adichie.
Meeting ID: 832 4667 4155
Passcode: 431699
Dial in: 1 646 558 8656
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Tea Time Bible Study
Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m.
Please join us for a walk through the Book of Acts with Rev. Arlyne Grant and other friends. No biblical study or experience is needed. This will be a fun filled time of conversation and learning.
Meeting ID: 847 2838 1864
Passcode: 837512
Dial in: 1 646 558 8656
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"Listen in" is a new offering that we are so happy to extend to you. We love poetry. We love the way it speaks to our hearts and opens new vistas of illumination and meaning. We love to talk about poetry and would love for you to join with us. "Listen in" is a new adventure that we hope will be a blessing to you. We invite you not just to listen in to the conversation the two of us are having, but also to listen in to your own heart and what these poems may be saying to you. So join us?
Here is our first offering. A conversation about the poem "Book of Genesis" by Kei Miller. Click on the image of the rock to listen in. Or go HERE.
Let us know what you think?
With joy and peace -- Tom and Stacy
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Newton “Freedge” Volunteer Opportunity
Starting on March 23rd, Newton will have a new, free, supplemental food program that is available at all times and in all weather for anyone! The Newton “freedge” is an outdoor refrigerator and pantry and will be located in Nonantum, in parking lot space generously donated by Central Drapery and Dry Cleaning. Based on the operating principle of “take what you need, leave what you can”, our Church will be in charge of monitoring the fridge every other Saturday. This will include cleaning, picking up food from local businesses, and stocking the fridge.
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Book Buddy Program
Last March Josephine Bolling McCall visited our church and told us about the book she had written about her father who was lynched in Lowndes County, Alabama because he had become such a prosperous businessman.
Our church responded to her visit by 32 members volunteering to participate in a Book Buddy program that would pair volunteers with children in the Lowndes County elementary schools to encourage them to read.
To learn more or sign up to help with this ministry, please go HERE.
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Common Cathedral
Weekly Sandwich deliveries to BostonWarm Continue
We continue to deliver sandwiches, soft fruit, granola bars and more to our unhoused siblings in downtown Boston every Thursday. To learn more or sign up to help with this ministry, please CLICK HERE. Thank you!
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The Massachusetts Council of Churches shared the following this week: "Churches please place on your calendars a Massachusetts Town Hall on Anti-Asian Racism on Thursday, March 25th from 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Colleagues and ministry partners have asked for people to attend. As the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center wrote "Racial trauma whether physical or emotional and mental impacts our family, friends, and neighbors. It is not new. COVID-19 did not start it. A vaccine will not protect us from racism." Attending this forum is one way to support the community at this time and learn how to #StopAAPIHate.
Pastor Amy plans to attend as much of the Town Hall as possible before Gathering Space that evening. Please don't hesitate to reach out to her at any time if you would like to talk.
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Our Covenant
We, the members of The Union Church in Waban, true to our founding principle of being an inclusive church, covenant together to nourish and to sustain in our common life and practice a fully welcoming and affirming church for all persons. Welcoming all persons who seek to join with us in a commitment to love God and our neighbors, affirming the inclusive love of Jesus, we are open to all, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, nationality, ability or economic circumstance. We invite all to full participation in our worship, membership, leadership and life of this church.
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