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Weekly Update
Friday, December 13, 2024
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Making Calming Snowman Jars
This Afternoon! December 13 from 4:00 - 6:30 p.m.
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At the Union Church - Everyone and All Ages Welcome!
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Block Print: Pastor Megan
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The Third Sunday of Advent
December 15 at 10:00 a.m.
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This Sunday is Joy Sunday in our Advent season of worship and waiting. We’ll light the candles, remember the anticipation of Jesus’ birth, join in singing the season’s beautiful hymns, and lift one another in prayer. I hope you’ll join us.
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Meeting ID: 826 8730 1128
Passcode: 386028
Dial in: 1 646 558 8656
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The bulletin is available HERE
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Thank you for your generosity with this season’s mission efforts, ensuring a joyful, dignified Christmas for our siblings. With a great response to the warm clothes collection for refugees and asylum-seekers, a totally full Mitten Tree sign-up, and bags of hygiene products for women and girls in need in MA through Dignity Matters, you all have stepped up to ensure that this winter is warm, comfortable, and filled with joy for people in our community.
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We partner with organizations like the ACE Center and Project Care and Concern because through them, we can join hands and hearts with the most vulnerable people in our communities in genuine relationship. Through these relationships we are part of larger community efforts to make real change, both in people’s immediate needs and in the long-term goals for justice.
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The Mitten Tree is a great example of this: our individual gifts support the mission of an organization dedicated, like so many in our church, to working for housing justice and proclaiming that everyone deserves a home. I invite you to read the information, below, from Nancy Zollers about who exactly these gifts go to. Then, please remember to bring your wrapped and labeled gifts to church by this Sunday so we can bless them and send them to their recipients!
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"And who are the recipients of our Mitten Tree gifts?
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The gifts you bring to our Mitten Tree are delivered to our neighbors who were once homeless or at risk of being homeless and are now living in supported, congregate housing. They are elderly and/or disabled people and usually without any family. The housing was created as alternatives to homeless shelters. For many, these rooms were to be a transition opportunity to achieve housing, however the critical lack of affordable housing availability has left these neighbors without opportunities to transition.
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Your gift may be the only Christmas present they receive. With it you are sending love and an acknowledgement that you see them as worthy this Christmas season. As we deliver your generous packages next week we will bring back photos and some stories from some of your beneficiaries. Project Care and Concern has been our partner and Erika Pond our Leader. Many of these folks have met Union Church members and others know us by our Congregation and long time association with them.”
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Loving God, hear the prayers
of your people gathered in this community,
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- We pray for all who are sleeping rough in the face of cold and wet weather this week and throughout the winter to come. Empower our political leaders and community organizations to address the needs for shelter with creativity and passion, so that all who are in need can have a safe place to rest.
- God, we pray for Molly Owen-Kiritsy and all who are grieving Molly’s mom, Polly.
- We pray for those most vulnerable in our country – queer and trans, immigrant and refugee, Black and brown, poor and unhoused, and so many more – and all those who fear for the future after elections. We pray for a future in which all people in our country can thrive, in which all your children throughout the world can thrive. And God, we ask you to make us instruments of bringing that future, your kin-dom of peace, justice, and mercy, to reality.
- For all in our UCW community who are ill, or who are caring for loved ones. For all who grieve, God, we ask for the comfort of your presence.
- We pray for peace for your people all throughout the world. Teach us to beat our swords into plowshares, O God, and to sow wisdom and reap peace, justice, and joy.
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We pray to you, grateful for your accompaniment with us in all things. Amen.
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If you have other prayers of concern or celebration you
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would like lifted up in community, please email
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Intergenerational Life - Youth and Families
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All-Ages Nativity Story Worship Service
Sunday, December 22, 10:00 a.m.
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Our beloved annual telling of the Christmas story is back in an all new way this year with roles and fun for every age and interest. Please contact Pastor Amy if you can be part of this special service. We're hoping to find people willing to read, play a part (speaking or non-speaking), share music or art, or help in any other way.
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Youth Group Christmas Party and Cookie-Making
DATE CHANGE!! Saturday, December 21 (See invite for details)
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Mark your calendars for a fun time making cookies for neighbors (and eating some ourselves :) and celebrating Christmas! Pastor Amy will reach out to our youth with invitations - If you don't hear from her, please text at 617-938-8112! See you soon!
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Setting the Table for One Another
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Thank you to Jean Wellington and Tanya Lazar for hosting this Sunday's reception!
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Cookie Potluck at Reception
Christmas Sunday, December 22
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Next Sunday, Dec 22. you are invited to bring your favorite Christmas cookies (or other holiday treat) to share at reception.
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We are still in need of hosts for Dec. 29 & Jan 5.
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Every Sunday after worship we gather in the stage room for a time of fellowship. This reception is hosted each Sunday by different members of the congregation.
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Hosting a reception is a thoughtful expression of our hospitality, and it’s easier than you think! If you’re new to hosting, help is always available. Please consider volunteering for two dates this year?
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If you have questions, Kathy Malone is the point of contact for 2024-25: 617-365- 4960; [email protected].
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Sharing the Stories of Our Faith
Reading Scripture in Worship
For generations the stories and wisdom of our faith were only shared orally, and reading scripture out loud is still a central part of our worship and community. Please consider sharing your voice in worship this fall.
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Scripture Reader Sign-up: HERE
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Pastoral Care Connections
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Please don't hesitate to reach out to Senior Pastor, Rev. Megan Berkowitz, or Associate Pastor for Youth & Families, Rev. Amy Clark Feldman for prayer or pastoral support.
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and her phone is 617-965-3893
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Most weeks, Friday is a day of Sabbath for Pastor Megan; Monday is Pastor Amy's day of Sabbath. With a pastoral emergency, please don't hesitate to reach out to either pastor.
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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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