Rev. Megan
Berkowitz
Rev. Amy
Clark Feldman
Pastor Megan
March 21 2025
Dear Church,
I gave up social media for Lent this year. I’ve tried it in past years, and it never quite stuck. I always found reasons to log back in: an urgent question for a group of colleagues, a video of Rosey that was too good not to share, or even just an accidental slip. It’s sticking this year, though. I committed to staying off social media this Lent not just as a fast, to give up something that I know I use in excess, but in keeping with our “Making Space” theme.
As the year began, I started to realize that my spirit was flagging. I know many of you have been feeling the same! So, as Lent began, I took inventory of what I needed more of in order to get a kind of spiritual reset, and to refocus my heart on God. I wanted to make space for hopefulness in my life. I wanted to make space for reading news firsthand and coming to my own conclusions. And, I wanted to make space for boredom (really!).
We’re only a few weeks in, and I definitely haven’t cured myself of the impulse to scroll when I feel bored. I have started to make a little space, though, and I can sense the way the Spirit is making use of that space. I pray that whatever it is you commit yourself to this Lent – and it’s not too late to start – that you feel the Spirit settling in to the space you make, as well.
With Lenten Peace,
Pastor Megan
Past Posts
- From Pastor Megan
Rev. Megan Berkowitz
July 10, 2026
Introducing our Bridge Pastor I am delighted to share that Rev. Rick Chrisman will be joining UCW as the parental leave Bridge Pastor this fall, from September 1st until my planned return at the start of Advent. Rev. Rick’s bio is below, though some of you may know him from a period some years ago when he was a member of UCW while serving as an interim pastor elsewhere. Closest to home for UCW, Rev. Rick has twice served as interim at the Eliot Church in Newton. Learn More - From Pastor Megan: July 3, 2026Rev. Megan Berkowitz
July 3, 2026 We had a lovely first summer service this past Sunday! Though we won’t meet this upcoming Sunday, 7/5, summer services resume the following week, 7/12 at 10:00 a.m. Worship Committee Chair Julie Heffernan will lead us in worship that morning. And though Katie Brown-Bright is off from her role as Bridge Associate for Children, Youth, and Families for the summer and there’s no Sunday school, she did put together an amazing activity cart for kids to participate in worship (crafts, streamers for some liturgical dancing, and more!). Learn More - From Pastor Megan: June 19, 2026Rev. Megan Berkowitz
June 19, 2026I want to thank everyone who presented, contributed to, engaged in, and attended last Sunday’s Annual Meeting. You took seriously the invitation to let the Holy Spirit speak through you to others, and to you through others, and our church is better for it. For those who were not present, you can still engage with the Annual Meeting via the Annual Report, which we sent in this email last week, and by looking over the presentation from the Vision Team that was offered during the meeting: view HERE or click on image below.
Learn More - From Pastor Megan: June 12, 2026Rev. Megan Berkowitz
June 12, 2026 My goodness, it has been a busy year at UCW! I hope you take some time to sit with and read the annual report for 2025-2026. Come to the Annual Meeting ready to discuss the budget and nominating slate, yes, but also to thank our committee chairs and members, to connect with someone over something you didn’t even know had happened at church this year, or to learn more about how you can get involved in different projects and programs. Learn More - From Pastor Megan: June 5, 2026Rev. Megan Berkowitz
June 5, 2026 Though it turned out to be quite a hot night, it was a joy to join with Katie, members of the congregation, and our siblings from other affirming faith communities in Newton at the annual Newton Pride flag raising celebration and resource fair this past week. In a season in our country when the rights of LGBTQ+ people are under attack and public support for our rights is waning rather than increasing for the first time in decades, we gathered to remind ourselves and the world that LGBTQ+ people are deeply and beautifully woven into the fabric of our community. Learn More - From Pastor Megan: May 29, 2026Rev. Megan Berkowitz
May 29, 2026 Things remain busy at UCW in these last few weeks of the church year! We are in the final contract negotiation stage with our new settled music director (so keep an eye out for an official announcement and bio soon!), continuing Visioning work with more to be presented at Annual Meeting, and of course preparing the annual budget review, nominating slate, and other Annual Meeting business. Learn More - From Your Stewardship ChairTools for Audacious Living: Church Service The UCW Nominating team asks everyone in our church Learn More
- From Pastor MeganRev. Megan Berkowitz
April 24, 2026 I hope you’ve had a chance to read the results of the first phase of our vision process, which were sent out just before and after Easter. If you haven’t, please do; there are links to all four documents below. After worship this Sunday, 4/26, the Vision Team will lead a conversation about your responses to the vision process and we will begin to form a sense of our strategic priorities moving forward. Learn More
