Religious Exploration classes begin again on September 21st!  We meet from 10-11:15 most every Sunday!  Please pre-register for classes, just so we can prepare for you and get to know you!  Also-  you can see what we’re up to weekly if you visit our Weekly RE Update page HERE      Thank you!  ~~The RE Team~~

The post Religious Exploration News – 2025 – 2026 RE Registration Open Now! first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

  Let’s be the welcome  we crave—
open hearts, arms outstretched.
Let’s embody radical welcome,
 unquestioning love.

 Let’s be the welcome we crave,
deeply hearing voices and hearts.

Let’s be the welcome we crave—
Enriching, understanding.
Let us embody the community we crave.

Together.

~   Rev. Dr. David Breeden

One day, Fox invites Stork, Bear, Wolf, and Monkey to dinner. Fox spends all day cooking a wonderful soup that is served in wide bowls. Most of them eat until they are full, thanking Fox for the fine meal. But when Stork tries to eat, they cannot get any of the soup out of the dish, and they go away frustrated and hungry. 

Stork then invites Fox, Woodpecker, Monkey, and Pigeon to dinner and cooks a wonderful stew, which they serve in tall, fluted glasses. When Fox tries to lap up the food, all they can do is lick the top of the glass, meaning they go away frustrated and hungry after watching the others eat. 

Monkey watches the two dinners and decides to have their own dinner party, inviting each person to bring their favorite plate, bowl, or cup to eat from. When the guests arrive, Monkey fills each person’s dish, and every person gets to eat and enjoy the company of their friends. 

BE LIKE THE MONKEY 

Come join in with your community in a shared evening of food and conversation on  Saturday March 29th @ 5:30pm  Sign up in Fellowship Hall or  http://bit.ly/3YHNGGs 

In an atmosphere of division, we are now in a wonderful place to stand together and decide how we want to support a welcoming world. UUCW is made up of determined individuals who strive to make things inclusive for folks who find themselves on the margins more often than not.  

What can we do, as a beloved community, to support, to include, and to be the welcome we all crave? I believe the first thing we can do is to come together and get to know each other better.  Next to each other, we can feel the energy of a positive hope. The actions we take, even as a small yet connected community, can impact lives.

The Cool Beans Coffee House is a fantastic collaboration of charitable community members. We have musical acts which will entertain and inspire you, all volunteering their time and talent to raise money for the operating costs of the In the Hour of Need Family Shelter, located at 91 June Street in Worcester.  

Like many non-profit organizations, IHN is fearful about the cuts in local and federal funding. At this time, they strive to maintain their work to support unhoused families and assist to find affordable housing. Please purchase a $7 ticket and join the cause. Tickets are available in Fellowship Hall and online here: https://bit.ly/CoolBeans2025

In addition, we hope you can take part in the Heart Quilt Raffle-  The money raised from this point on will go 100% to IHN. https://bit.ly/IHNQUILT . Earlier, we donated the money raised to support UUCW and its outreach involvement in the Worcester community and beyond..

Thank you all for your continued attention to the efforts of UUCW, the grassroots ideas, mobilization of community members, and especially to those concerns which you hold deeply in your heart and put your energy toward..

As we say at the end of our Religious Exploration class:

We are Unitarian Universalists  (open arms wide toward each other)
Who put love at the center of our lives.  (hands on heart)
And as we go out into the world,
Let us remember to include others (make a come here gesture with hands) and
break down (make a breaking gesture with hands) the barriers that keep people out.  

With Compassion,

Robin

The post To Be the Welcome first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

Are you a writer? Tell me your story. I will listen. How do you identify as one? How do you define the word “writer”? In my life, since I was able to write, I have written. You name it. I wrote little thoughts about the stories my mom read to me. I wrote a poetry book with my best friend at 10 years old. We walked with the handwritten and illustrated pages to a publishing company in our city and handed it to the woman at the front desk. I asked if they could please make it into a book for us. The woman smiled at us like we were a couple of cute puppies. She said something to the tune of, “Oh, aren’t you just darling!” I can’t remember what happened next, but alas, there was no book.

I wrote diaries, angsty teenager poetry, journals and essays. I wrote short stories, a novella, and three novels. I wrote a blog and have done business writing. I have never been published because I am afraid to send things out. I’m sure my stuff does not measure up to all the treasure of writing out there, but I still love to do it. In my fantasy of being called back by a publisher, I wonder if I would even want to be published because I don’t wish to go on the road promoting myself. Am I a writer? Yes, I will call myself a writer. What about you?

We use a theme-based ministry program called Soul Matters. It’s an excellent tool to keep UU related topics unified throughout many of the programs offered at the church. I use it with Religious Exploration and Aaron uses it with his worship planning. It has been used with small group ministry. Now, material is available to build a UU Writing Group, and I have been looking it over. Reading through materials using this month’s theme of Deep Listening, I was pleasantly surprised. The writing prompts, discussion topics, quotes and images got my writer’s wheel turning.

This month with the children, we have begun discovering how we can listen deeply to our own hearts, our own knowing. Next we will try to understand how and why some peoples’ voices are not heard or are not deemed as important as others’. Soon we will practice the skill of listening deeply to others and how that practice is akin to love.

The exercises provided in the UU Writing Group nicely illuminate this month’s theme of Deep Listening. I want to share some examples. Perhaps the hidden, or polished, or budding writer within you will be interested in getting involved participating or facilitating a UU Writing Group!

To deeply listen and be deeply listened to…
Rev. Emily Gage

May we open our hearts and minds to one another and the world.
May we let ourselves be changed by the stories around us.
May we deeply listen and be deeply listened to, and be held in silence and love.

Personal Warm Up Prompts

Ease your way into this month’s theme with one or more of these prompts. Use them as a free association exercise. Don’t try to create a full or finished piece of writing. Simply take around 5 minutes to jot down bullet point thoughts, a short intuitive response, idea fragments or maybe even sketch some images. Have fun getting your creative juices going!

Option A: If you could go back to a conversation & correct how you listened, what conversation would that be?
Option B: How have your wounds and losses altered the way you listen?
Option C: How good are you at listening compassionately to yourself?
Option D: Thinking back to your childhood, what did you learn about listening by watching your parents interact with each other?
Option E: If you asked Love “Where do you need me to direct my attention?”, how might it answer you back?
Option F: Listen to and reflect on one of these songs on The Practice of Deep Listening:

p.s. If music is your writing muse, you might want to check out our entire
Soul Matters music playlist on The Practice of Deep Listening:

Click here for our Spotify playlist on Deep Listening
Click here for the YouTube playlist on Deep Listening

Writing Project Exercises

Suggested Steps:

Step 1: Which project exercise/prompt is yours and why?
Spend some time reflecting on the options below. Treat it as a spiritual discernment exercise, in which you try to discern which option seems to be emotionally pulling you towards it. For those who are comfortable, you might think of it as asking, “Which exercise is my inner voice inviting me to explore?” Or to put it another way, the goal is to figure out which exercise is “yours” and why that is so.

Step 2: First thoughts
Write whatever comes to mind in response to the exercise you selected. Free associate using words, sentence fragments, images.

Step 3: Write your piece
Write your reflection, poem, story, song, or story inspired by your writing.
Take your time. For some, their piece will spill out whole cloth in a matter of moments. For others of us, it will be a journey of twists and turns, with us writing and rewriting as first drafts open us to new insights, inspiring second drafts, and even thirds.

Option A: Practice the Art of Listening

We practice to become good musicians. We practice to become good athletes. We practice to become good artists. But somehow we’ve been led to believe that we don’t have to practice to become good listeners. So, to gather fodder for your writing this month, identify a listening skill, find ways to practice it each day for a week, and then write about your experience.
And if you need help picking a listening skill to practice with, here are three good ones to choose from:

• Stop Interrupting by taking a breath and/or looking them in the eye or using the 80-20 rule

• “Go on.” & “Tell me more.” (i.e. “Empty the bucket”)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpnNsSyDw-g&t=47s  (found minute 1:20-2:05)

• Ask “Will you tell me your story?” or say “I’d love to know how you came to this point of view.” 

https://urbanconfessional.org/blog/howtodisagree

So! Back to Robin. The options given of what to write about go from Option A to Option I and there are also visual photo prompts to stir your brain into a writing frenzy! Is this cool or what? Well, maybe it is for someone who likes to write. But it could be that you’ve always wanted to try your hand at writing and this is the nudge to begin. Anyway you look at it, I think it’s another avenue for folks to gather and discover and share. This isn’t a “how to write” or writing critique sort of group. It is a group that allows and supports ideas and sharing through the art of written word.

If you’re interested in talking more about getting a group like this rolling, either as facilitator or participant, or a participating facilitator, reach out to Robin or Aaron and we will listen. There is so much writing potential here! I can hear them, the stories …all the wonderful stories. Can you hear them too?

Dotting I’s and Crossing T’s,
Robin

The post Some Musings About a Writing Group first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

Young Adults Mixer-  The first one is coming up soon on Wed October 16- to be held at First Unitarian Universalist 90 Main Street Worcester, MA. The November 20th event will be held at The Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester 140 Shore Drive, Worcester.  Events will alternate between the two venues. Please sign on HERE and share with others. Pre-registration and payment is required.  

Robin Mitzcavitch, UUCW Dir. of Religious Exploration

The post MA Young Adult Network – Register Now! first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

Welcome back to the official church year! Behind the scenes, many have been busy inviting people to become a part of the community of activities at UUCW.  Yes, we need people, as all communities do, to get things done. I see the practice of invitation as an invitation to a party.  A party, you say?  Yes!  

I know it may be a stretch to think of joining a painting work group, assisting in our classrooms, helping teens go on a service trip, or greeting folks at the front of our sanctuary as accepting a party invite. I have noticed that each group that forms to get things done, often becomes a joyful and meaningful community of friends. Working together on tasks important to sustain a congregation or to support a cause is life-changing work. Within this experience, we grow by knowing others more deeply. I like to think of life as a blending of experiences and talents to make the world better.

But an invitation to a work project is not the only party! There are many social groups that are forming or which already exist within our community that want you to check them out.  Maybe you won’t get a formal invitation, but I’m here to say that you are officially invited!  

• We are looking to form a “Great Outdoors” group.  Are you interested in participating or leading an outdoor experience?  Let us know!
• Young Adults- we want you to gather in a social and supportive way. There is a monthly social that we are attempting to kick off in October called MYAN (Massachusetts Young Adult Network.)
• How about joining our book group, fiber arts group, women’s group, quilt group, Garden-on Team?
• Maybe you have an idea to start your own group…we can help you.  There have been discussions about a writing group.
• Parents- there are tons of opportunities to gather together to get to know each other.  One way is a formal parent meet-up group.  Other ways may be to be involved in activities with other parents such as a group hike, a playgroup, or our wonderful monthly game night.

Although many of the invitations to “join” come from others, the call to walk our own paths through the world is an invitation from ourselves. To know what will feed you spiritually and mentally and to seek out those opportunities is the greatest gift of invitation. When we invite ourselves to listen to our own calling and not wait for the invite is a bold statement. To raise your hand and enter into an area that you know could be important, but new to you, is not always an easy thing to do.

I know that being part of a church community has allowed me and my own children to do things that we may have never sought out on our own. UUCW has already gathered the opportunities for engagement, you can check them out on the boards in Fellowship Hall and on our website.

You are invited to be part of a community. RSVP anytime you’d like! It’s a party of discovery, growth, joy, and meaning. I truly hope you can attend!

With Love,

Robin

The post You’re Invited first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

Have you ever come across a quote, a story, or a poem that really makes you pay attention?  Maybe this piece of writing transforms you with its words, lingering and growing in size and meaning. I’ll come across something and think: “I need to keep this and study this because it feels important.”  This happens to me frequently, so therefore I keep and study a lot of writings. I am fortunate that I have a small platform in which I can share my enthusiasm. I can share wise words gifted to me by others, with the classes I teach and the groups I facilitate. Today, in this monthly nugget, I will certainly share too. Thank you for indulging me.

Below is a poem I want to read again and again, and get to know, like a song, a prayer, a familiar and comfortable wisdom.

“things to remember as this world dies
you did not come here to pay bills and die
nor did you come to build the fortunes
of those destroying the Earth
Imagine instead
that you came to gather precious things
fallen from the pockets of Ancient Ones
as they fled the desert’s march –
each a reminder of something
they pledged never to forget

Things like
how to call birds by name with your whistle
which news to tell the bees
and which to share only with the moo
how to tell a parliament from a conspiracy
a colony from a convocation

Things like
Nature has no race or nation, class or creed
except when humans seek to deceive –
division designed to sever you
from kith and kin and buddha-mind

Things like:
the antidote to oppression
is not freedom but belonging
the opposite of domination is communion
the medicine you need
is always outside your door
and there’s likely a wise woman
two streets away
to show you how to use it

These things were left to help us remember
how each world before has ended
and how each death became a door to new life
and how this world wants to take you in her arms
and make of you a lover
and have you listen to the land
talk to the stream
find meaning in the silence of trees
and wisdom on the singing breeze

Listen a while to discover
the right season for all the ten thousand things
the ninety-nine names we use for our own divinity
how to share power
so it cannot be captured by the vain and greed
how to step into the flow of life
and make of the Earth a common treasury for all beings
how to map the stars
learn the lesson of each constellation
and still know there is more in heaven and earth
than any of us were ever meant to know

So fill your pockets as this world dies
knowing some of it will guide you to the next
and some will fall to the ground
in time to be found
by those who’ll bring the world back to life.”

By Chris Taylor, from Permaculture Design Magazine.

May you find the time and space to be transformed by the beautiful and important works around you.

In Peace,

Robin Mitzcavitch

The post Words That Transform first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

In 1983, after years of advocacy, Martin Luther King Jr Day was established as a federal holiday. What did that mean? For many, it was another day off from work or school. For many schools and churches we would nod at MLK Jr. and perhaps watch a video with his famous “I have a dream” speech. 

Now, there are so many organizations who are offering ways to turn this holiday, which celebrates MLK Jr., a man who was a pioneer civil rights leader, into a day of service to others. This is the only federal holiday which asks us to use it for a day of service. I am committed to spreading the word. What will you do on January 15th?  

The other question I ask myself: How will I continue my service year round?

Part of the  theme of this year’s MLK Jr Day of Service is “It starts with me.” What a relatable concept, one in which, as a Unitarian Universalist educator, I plan to lift up in all of our classes. Service is not a thing that other people do and we say: “Look at her, it’s amazing that she does so much to help others!” It’s a thing that we all can be engaged in at any level. “It starts with me,” says that even my one small contribution matters, and when I contribute, I become part of a beloved community which is made up of many types of people. In this community, to view it as beloved, we understand that all beings are worthy of dignity, equity, love and compassion

According to the King Center, Martin King King Jr. had six principles of nonviolence, which were inspired by Jesus Christ and Mahatma Gandhi.

King said the six principles should be embraced as a lifestyle. The six principles are:

• 1. Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people.
• 2. Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding.
• 3. Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice or evil, not people.
• 4. Nonviolence holds that unearned, voluntary suffering for a just cause can educate and transform people and societies.
• 5. Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate.
• 6. Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice.

How to Celebrate Martin Luther King Day 2024?

Celebrating Martin Luther King Day can be done in various meaningful ways that honor Dr. King’s legacy and promote his ideals. Here are some ways to celebrate:

• Attend Commemorative Events: Many communities organize parades, lectures, and other events that celebrate Dr. King’s life and message.
• Engage in Community Service: Participate in volunteer activities or service projects that benefit your community, aligning with Dr. King’s commitment to social justice.
• Educational Activities: Learn more about the civil rights movement and Dr. King’s work through books, documentaries, or visits to relevant museums and historical sites.
• Reflect on Social Justice: Take time to reflect on the progress made in the fight for civil rights and consider how you can contribute to a more just society.
• Spread Awareness: Share Dr. King’s messages of equality, love, and nonviolence on social media to inspire others.  Educators and students are invited to attend a “Beloved Community Teach-in” on January 12th offered by the King Center.

On Sunday, January 14, our children will spend the morning preparing a service project which we get involved with every year. Thanks to our own beloved community, we’ve collected lots of winter gear like hats, gloves, and scarves. These items will get distributed in places where people can pick them up if they need the extra warmth this winter. We call it a “park drop.” We label each item and leave a hat on a bench, a scarf tied around a small tree, mittens clipped to a fence. The label says: “I am not lost. Please take me if you need me or give this to someone who may.”

In addition to labeling the items and getting them ready for the COA class and the Youth Groups’ park drops, we will ask each child to take some labeled items home with them so they can do their own “drop” during their MLK Jr day off from school. This is a small and tangible way to start the ball rolling and the wheels turning. We will also be discussing other ideas of things to do for the day of service. 

What will I do? I will be volunteering at the In the Hour of Need Family Shelter as overnight coverage, because, after all, it “starts with me.”

“Some years ago a famous novelist died. Among his papers was found a list of suggested plots for future stories, the most prominently underscored being this one: “A widely separated family inherits a house in which they have to live together.” This is the great new problem of mankind. We have inherited a large house, a great “world house” in which we have to live together– black and white, Easterner and Westerner, Gentile and Jew, Catholic and Protestant, Muslim and Hindu– a family unduly separated in ideas, culture and interest, who, because we can never again live apart, must learn somehow to live with each other in peace”  MLK Jr.

With Blessings of Peace,

Robin

The post How to Celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

There is a lot asked of us, isn’t there? Work hard, spend quality time with your loved ones, stay mindful and organized, be adventurous, pay for continual rising costs to live, try the recipe on Instagram, stay in shape, volunteer, educate yourself and others, and take care of those who suffer.

I have begun to host a small group at the church called Kindred Conversations. It’s been quite lovely to gather and discuss some of our Soul Matters monthly topics.This month’s theme is generosity. I was attracted to the opening introduction for leaders of the small group, it read:

“It would be easy to see this as a month of niceness. After all, for many, the call of generosity is equated with the call to be kind………………..First of all, it’s transformative. Generosity doesn’t just brighten our days; it changes how we relate to life……………..It also connects. Deep down we know the difference between giving and giving generously………..But make no mistake, generosity doesn’t stop there, at care and connection. It also challenges. True generosity doesn’t just ask us to care for people, it also asks us to call them out.”

I was startled by the idea that I could think of generosity as calling someone out, challenging one to think of something in a different light, questioning the intent and purpose of generosity.  I knew that the person I’d be first to challenge is myself. I think of myself as generous, heck, I work at a church, and generosity is what we do here! But this opening introduction for our small group discussion topic stopped me and made me want to ask some big questions of myself and about my intentions. This isn’t always a comfortable thing to do.  

Who do I want to care for? Why do I work hard? Why am I striving to accomplish certain things? Why does social media cause anxiety? Why do I feel bad when I don’t want to cook dinner?  When am I generous to myself?

So, as we contemplate these wonderings together, it feels right to know the good questions to ask. It also feels satisfying to understand how others relate to this “bouncy” topic. I appreciate the  shared words and vulnerability when folks speak about something that hits a nerve somewhere inside of them. That, I believe is my truest definition of generosity, the sharing of something true within yourself, even if it feels too close to the nerve. It’s the difference between giving and giving generously. And when I challenge myself to identify things that are uncomfortable to talk about, I realize that it’s a gift of growth that I’m bestowing upon myself.

Here are some of the questions we are exploring this month in Kindred Conversations. I wanted to share them, since this morning group can’t fit everyone’s time availability, but the questions can!

                                               Generosity Questions:

How has your definition of generosity changed since you were younger?

How has your enjoyment of generosity changed since you were younger?

Who taught you the most about being a generous person?

What’s been your greatest act of generosity?

What’s been your hardest act of generosity?

Have you ever wished your parent(s) had been more generous in some way?

How easy is it for you to receive the generosity or help of others?

Some say that attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. Tell me about a time when someone’s gift of attention came to you when you needed it most?

French author Andre Gide wrote, “All you are unable to give possesses you.” Has that ever been true for you?

How good are you at being generous with yourself?

Kindred Conversations meets biweekly on Wednesdays from 10:30-noon most months in the lounge. Our next gathering is on November 15th. Bring your coffee or tea and a snack if you desire. It’s a casual and friendly environment.

The post Feeling Generous in A Needy World first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

The Religious Exploration Team and I do a planning retreat every year, over 6 months before the new program year begins.  We all bring our unique vision, interests, humor, and talents. We combine them with my training and experiences with the UUA and with fellow religious professionals…. and we throw all of these “supplies” on the “crafting” table.  At first it looks like a mess, and it’s a little overwhelming, but eventually we come up with a design, full of rhyme and rhythm. The only unknown is who will show up to our party when the RE year begins. I like to think of our weekly gatherings as parties, I guess. 

I spend the gap in between planning and the opening day to try to register families and recruit volunteers, to write curricula, to plan outside events and activities, outreach opportunities, and fundraisers. Sounds like a lot, and well, yes it is. Thankfully, I have a wonderful team to assist and parents and congregants who are always willing to step up and volunteer.  

And then, suddenly, the RE program pops open and the time moves fast. Every weekend is surely like hosting a party. Sometimes the party is well-attended, and sometimes not…but the party goes on. The parties are magical for me, because no matter if the Sunday goes as planned or not quite so, it’s filled with moments of wonder and meaning.  It is what it needs to be. The most important work we do here is to build a loving community.  And the lessons and activities we explore together only strengthen the good in us and support our wonder and our challenges because we know that we belong. And that, after all these years, is the thread that runs through UUCW and its existence: belonging.  Thank you for allowing us to be co-journeyers with you.

One of the favorite parts of my job is when I watch young people growing in community with each other.  I love seeing the new groups form, the connections made, the cooperation and acceptance build.  What a gift.  Time passes, and I watch these young people move into OWL, Lessons of Loss, Coming of Age classes, Teen OWL classes, Youth Group, and then out into the world.  I see them (admittedly, mostly on social media) as they bring their UU values out there with them. 

Time passes, we will grow, and we may grieve, but we always have the ability to give and receive love in all of its forms like knowledge, discovery, friendships, and diverse acceptance.  That is the bridge which connects us forever- love. May we appreciate and honor the work done here in this community and in our programs. And in quoting Rumi: “Love is the bridge between you and everything.”

Please watch your emails for my annual “asks” of  you to fill our co-operative RE teaching program. Many of you have filled out a survey letting me know how you can help.  I have factored those into putting together our teacher scheduling.  Next year we need your help to teach and assist the groups as follows:

0-pre-k-  The Childcare Space. Gladys Maldonado will be the presiding staff member and we are looking for a substitute leader if Gladys has to be out and also volunteer helpers year -round.

K-4th Grade- Explorers. Lead teachers and assistants needed.

5th and 6th Grade- Builders. Lead teachers and assistants needed.

7 and 8th Grade- Our COA Program – assistant to Robin needed.

9-12th Grade- Youth Group– Youth Group Advisory Leaders needed.

Thank you for being there as supportive families and congregants.  We honor your time and your love and commitment to all of the children and youth in our programs.

Summer Connections

Please remember, even though RE does not officially meet over the summer, there can be opportunities for pick-up gatherings of children and families.  Reina Quidon has offered to organize childrens’  hang-out groups during summer services or directly after. Please contact me if you’re interested, and I’ll put you in touch. If you have other ideas to get kids together over the summer for a trip to an amusement park, or a game, or a hang-out at a park…please contact me and I‘m happy to coordinate the communication.

Maya Desai has a gathering opportunity:  Pickup Soccer and Playground Time

Organized by members of the Refugee Ministry Team, there is a pickup soccer game every Sunday evening from 6:30-sundown at Holmes Field.  We meet at the intersection of Plantation and March Streets. This is a low pressure, no score kept, all ages (10-50+), mostly guys game, but another scrimmage could get started with girls/women and/or the littler kids.  In the park is also a great playground for those less keen on soccer.  It’s a great way to spend a summer Sunday evening.  Ask Maya (maya dot c dot desai at gmail dot com) with questions, but it’s so informal, you should just show up!!  (No cleats or shin guards required. Bring your own water although we usually bring some as well.) 

Adult RE

We are poised to offer the following  Adult programs if there is interest.  Please let Robin know if you want more info!

Adult Coming of Age – A Continuing Journey

This experience will be offered bi-weekly on Wednesday evenings 6-8pm  October -March. The model is a “covenant group” of people committed to journeying through the entire program together.  There will be a limited number of slots available, and is not conducive to drop-in participation.

 Kindred Conversations

Using the Soul Matters small group ministry themes and discussion topics, we hope to have a space to gather biweekly on Wednesday mornings from 10:30-noon, opposite our Lunch with the Minister dates. This is open to all and can be attended all year as a drop-in activity.

In the spirit of Adult Connections Groups- we are looking for folks who may be interested in taking part in and /or facilitating the following offerings to add to our mix.:

• A Writing Group Support and Discovery Group- Sharing stories, experiences, writing techniques, writing prompts, contests, joys and challenges. For anyone who likes to write in any genre  and level.  Possibilities of a monthly evening gathering or bi-weekly? You can create it!
• The Great Outdoors Group-can you lead an outdoor experience? Folks can sign on to lead a monthly experience where all are invited to participate.

Excited for Our Time Together,

Robin

The post Parties and Passages and Religious Exploration for All first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.

It is with joy that we got to share all of our wisdom about spring religious holidays with our Religious Exploration Children.  We did this by viewing a wonderful video made by our own Vickie Cox-Lanyon and then having some discussion and crafting time. We then celebrated Easter the very next week with tales of Easter Bunnies and the story of Jesus’ life.  

I love that we are able to introduce the broad scope of global celebrations with honor and respect.  We can prepare children to meet others who celebrate and worship differently. Our hope is that all people can understand and honor traditions and beliefs different from our own.  

Please enjoy our Spring Holidays video and share with your friends.  The images are beautiful and the information is interesting!  (Thanks Vickie!!)

The video is available at https://youtu.be/cgswPpeY_0s if the one above does not work with your browser.

The post Spring Holidays and UUCW first appeared on Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester.