Unitarian Universalist Congregational

Society of Westborough

Before Service at 9:30 am

Religious Exploration Class

Share the Plate organization for May -

Pastoral Counseling Center of Westborough

The Pastoral Counseling Centers of Massachusetts provide counseling to all persons seeking wholeness and renewal, honoring their race, ethnicity, religion, cultural background, gender identity and sexual orientation. We know that mental health care is of profound importance and can be very difficult to access, so we include the Pastoral Counseling Center as one of our share the plate organizations every year. Donations like ours make it possible for the PCC to provide mental health services to as many people as possible, regardless of their insurance coverage or income.

Happy Spring from the Board of Trustees!

Ministerial Search Update & Flourishing Futures Task Force

The late winter and spring have been very busy at UUCSW! First and foremost, I’m sure most of you have heard the news that on April 10, Rev Laurel gave us notice of her resignation, effective at the end of her contract with us on July 31, 2024. While saddened to hear of her upcoming departure, the board knew we needed to organize ourselves quickly, hoping to hire someone who can start in August, giving UUCSW the smoothest transition possible....



Read the full letter here

Art Show

This Sunday, May 5 is our Sunday Fun-day Art Show. It's not too late to bring items in for the show - you can bring arts and crafts on Sunday morning, or you can help us make some more during our Sunday Funday activities!

Questions? Please contact Colleen at office@uucsw.org

Annual Meeting

It's that time of year again! Our Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, June 9 after worship, and the annual report will be sent out to the congregation in the week before. If you are the head of a committee that submits a report, please send your report to the office by Sunday, May 26. Please contact the office with any questions. Thank you!

Welcome Blanket Update



Our welcome blankets will be on display at church this Sunday, May 5th - perhaps as works in progress! Thank you to Erin G, Sharon B, Phyllis S, Stacy S, Jane W, Sheila M, Pam, Kristina, Colleen and Rev Laurel for crocheting or knitting squares. Big shout out to Erin for attaching squares with help from the Fishnet Crocheters NE Guild and Sharon. Truly a hodge-podge of hands creating a donation of welcome to be given to refugees through welcomeblanket.org If you have questions, Jane Walsh is the contact from the Racial Justice Committee for this project.

Garden Committee

Now that the weather is nice and we can go outside, check your gardens for plants to split and donate to the Garden Dedication Plant Sale. Do you have over grown perennials such as daisies, Lilly-of-the-Valley, and hostas? We need potted plants to sell on Saturday June 8th. Thank you!

Pledge

Have you had the chance to pledge yet?

If so, THANK YOU! If not, pledging is easy! You can pledge in Realm (go to the giving link in the left column), fill out a pledge form found in the sanctuary and hand it in, or email Bruce Hall at bruce300@gmail.com. If you’d like to discuss your specific pledge, please call Bruce at 650-380-4675. You can also discuss our pledge campaign with anyone on the pledge committee, or any member of the Board of Trustees.

Thanks for helping us Grow and Share Together!

SMOC Food and Clothing Drives

SMOC food and clothing donations may be dropped off in the box in the Sanctuary every Sunday. Bologna may be stored in the upstairs refrigerator in the parlor. Other requested items are chewy granola bars and juice boxes.

May's SMOC collections will be delivered to the Worcester shelter on Friday May 24th. Donations may also be dropped off on the Thursday evening before, on May 23rd. (Ruggles Street door from 4:30 - 5:45) If you need alternate arrangements for drop-off, please contact Pauline Sciarappa at psciarappa@gmail.com.  Thanks to all who help UUCSW support SMOC, your generosity is greatly appreciated.

Vote Forward

The Racial Justice Committee is committed to encouraging voters as a way for citizens to make a difference. We are sending letters to potential voters in historically underrepresented communities in the electorate. The names and addresses are brought to us by Vote Forward. Sheila McPharlin is coordinating the project. If you would like to participate, please contact her at sheilamcp@gmail.com or by phone. 860-304-4668.

Book Group

Our next book group meeting will be Fri, May 10 at 7pm at Central One Bank, 40 South Street, Westborough. The book this month is Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt.

Summary: an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

Please contact Susie Wells with any questions: susie48winnip@gmail.com.

All are welcome!

Options for Assistive Listening during Worship Services

If you are in need of Assistive Listening Devices during worship service, please know that we have several options.

• We have assistive listening devices available in the front of the sanctuary in the tech area
• You may log into Zoom from the sanctuary and sync with hearing aids
• There is Closed Captioning on the big screen at the front of the sanctuary. If you sit on the right side of the church, you will have a clear view of the text

If you need anything other than the options above, please contact the office at office@uucsw.org and we will work with you to accommodate your needs.