First Unitarian Stewardship

We do good in this world not to get into heaven, but to bring a little of heaven down to earth.   Rev. Gary Kowalski Interfaith Hospitality Network :    providing shelter and support to homeless families with children Center for Nonviolent Solutions :   teaching our youth strategies for nonviolent resolution of conflict Jericho Road :  matching volunteer professional talent with community-based non-profit organizations What do these three Worcester social service organizations have in common?  Our vice-moderator, Seth Popinchalk, wrote movingly last week of the commitment within our community to make the world a better place.  The organizations listed above are strongly supported by members of First Unitarian who exemplify that commitment, volunteering their time, talent and financial support, and in some cases taking on senior leadership roles.  The motivation for these volunteer efforts was explained by Rev. Gary Kowalski in his f...

I am always inspired and touched by the efforts to build a better world. Seth Popinchalk, Vice-Moderator Last week Scott Hayman told me about a 5K road race to benefit Abby’s house. Abby’s House is a family shelter for women and children and provides them with “a safe place to stay, regroup, and rebuild.” I am in fair shape, so when I woke up Saturday morning I laced up my shoes and drove out to West Boylston to find the starting line. I found Scott and Maddie at the registration area. I also ran into a handful of other familiar First U members wearing race bibs and supporting the event. There was no plan among members to connect with our First Unitarian community this Saturday morning, but we found each other among the crowd of about 300. I was reminded that I am surrounded by our special community. What brings us together? We are a community because we choose to be one. We find a connection with something the church offers: the Sunday services, the sermons, the holi...

" It is rare indeed that people give.  Most people guard and keep. "  If this observation from James Baldwin, one of our contry's most respected philosophers and novelists, is true, then the opening Sunday of our Annual Stewardship Pledge Drive was a rare one indeed.  Consider these day one  statistics : Total amound pledged: $96,628 (32% of our $300,000 goal !) Number of pledges: 62 (6 of these were first time pledges !) A whopping 56% increased their pledge over last year ! Let us keep the momentum going!  If you have not yet sent in your pledge, do so today.   This is truly a wonderful beginning, and it was made even more special by our interim minister's homily.  If you missed Tracey's message, what follows are a few of her memorable and moving insights.  We come through these doors in search, in need, in hope, in prayer. We come looking for something to make our lives better; to make the lives of our family, our fr...

We see ourselves in the faces of our sisters; we hear our stories accepted , we hold each other in our hearts. We have found the meaning of community. What does it mean to enter a room where you are immediately welcomed and appreciated? What does it mean when others are genuinely interested in your well-being? It means you are valued. It means you are a part of a wholesome community. It means you are a part of something larger than yourself that feeds your spirit in a most fundamental way. These are the enriching threads that weave the UUSisterhood together. We see ourselves in the faces of our sisters; we hear our stories accepted , we hold each other in our hearts. We have found the meaning of community in this church. In my earlier years, I found meaning teaching Sunday school, working with the youth and working on numerous committees. It was work that helped support the values we share as a faith community. It enriched my life and kept me returning to fin...

2013-2014 Objectives Setting Workshop, LLPC First Unitarian: We are in the Right Place I urge you to take stock this month of all the opportunities for spiritual growth afforded to you by the church.   When programming serves the multitude of spiritual needs within the congregation, our church is robust and growth is inevitable.       As Moderator Scott Hayman reminded us in last week’s blog, our stewardship pledges provide funding for the various programming within the church.  This programming is why First Unitarian is my family’s choice for a spiritual home.  It serves to sustain our connection to the spirit of love and mystery that some people call God; it unites us in a web of community greater than our routine lives of work and school; and it provides the affirmation that comes when we connect with families that share similar values and face similar challenges.      When I take stock of the programming the church provides...

It is my hope that all will give generously and without hesitation to this year’s annual Pledge campaign.    Our future depends on people just like us! Scott Hayman, Moderator It is pure coincidence that this week happens to be my turn to share a perspective on Stewardship only a few days after the 75th anniversary of the 1938 Hurricane that blew through Worcester and, among many other buildings, pulverized our very own sanctuary beyond recognition.   Imagine!   People reported that the recently renovated steeple swayed back and forth in 100 mile an hour gale winds causing our Paul Revere Bell to ring out and clang until finally the structure could not withstand the fury. The roof of the church and the steeple imploded into the sanctuary and the organ fell through the balcony floor to its destruction.   Nothing but the front façade of the sanctuary was left!   But the remarkable point is what came next and how our congregation rallied without hesi...

When we are generous together, we can do more than any of us can do alone. When we are generous together, we strengthen our connections to our chosen community of faith. Rev. Tracey Robinson-Harris             The ushers had finished taking the morning offering. As they began to walk toward the back of the sanctuary, 4 year old Jeffrey hopped down off the pew and ran down the aisle toward them. One arm was raised above his head and in his hand he held a dollar bill. “Wait”, he said loudly so the ushers could hear him. “Wait.  You forgot me!”  The ushers stopped in their tracks.  We watched as Jeffrey caught up to them.  He placed his dollar in the offering plate.  Everyone was smiling, including Jeffrey.  He returned to the pew where his family was seated.             He was determined.  He had his gift.  He was ready to give.  He was going to...