Winchester Unitarian Society Highlights November 1, 2018 Upcoming Worship Sunday, November 4th 10:00 am Family Worship, Meyer Chapel "The Thinning Veil" 10:30 am All Ages Worship, Sanctuary Testimony: A Service of Remembrance The Rev. Heather Janules Worship Associate: Peter McEntee When someone we love dies, their presence among us is sustained through sharing stories of their life. This service will reflect on the practice of storytelling about our beloved dead and the power of hearing their words once again. All are invited to bring photos and small mementos of those we remember to place in the sanctuary chancel. This Sunday, we share our gifts with the Hospice and Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts, connecting individuals with organizations providing compassionate end-of-life resources and care for patients and their families. Please Note This fall, we have been experimenting with the order of the liturgy for the 10:30 worship service. We have also added a brief time of Community Greeting at the beginning of the service so there is a time of fellowship before the children leave the sanctuary. This also allows their adult caregivers to greet those around them as they are picking up their children at the end of the service. This Sunday, worship will begin with Gathering Music, not Ringing of the Bell. Keep your ears peeled for John Kramer's beautiful opening. We will soon create a formal opportunity or the community to provide feedback on the various "experiments." In the meantime, feel free to send feedback to ​Rev. Heather at [email protected] Music There are so many great opportunities for singing at the Winchester Unitarian Society. Hymn Sing: First Tuesday of the month at 7:15 p.m. in the Meyer Chapel. Adult Choir rehearses 8:45 am on Sunday mornings. Children's Chorale every Tuesday @ 6:15 pm in the Sunshine (Spirit Play) Room. All children grades 2-6 are most welcome. Our new Youth Choir every Tuesday @ 6:15 pm in the Meyer Chapel. All singers in grades 7-12 are most welcome. ​The more the merrier, so don't be shy about getting involved. Questions? Contact John Kramer at [email protected] Religious Education Mark Your Calendars! Our Next Potluck Theology happens on November 18th. We look forward to seeing you there for an early evening meal, fun and learning! THIS SUNDAY Morning Groups World of Wonder: Our Friends, the Trees. We are planning on getting to know a couple of trees very well, with all our senses and bark rubbings. Sunday promises to be warm and dry enough for meeting the trees on the grounds of Winchester Unitarian Society, so please come dressed for a morning outside. Teachers Beatrice and Caroline lead the group. Moral Tales: Gratitude: We are learning about being thankful/expressing gratitude. We will hear a story about gratitude, and create a gratitude tree on which to hang our grateful leaves. Teachers Charlotte and Elizabeth lead the group. Neighboring Faiths: We debrief last weeks’ visit to King’s Chapel before turning our attention to Buddhism. Buddha comes from the Sanskrit root word, 'budh', 'to wake’ or ‘to know. What does wakefulness mean to contemporary Buddhists? Many Unitarian Universalists also practice Buddhism, and we explore a practice of mindfulness accessible to both UU’s and Buddhists. Teachers Rebecca and Christian lead the group. Afternoon Groups: Our Whole Lives: Our Whole Lives meets 4:30-6:00 PM in the Wallace Room. This week we explore body image and cultural norms – and discern our own values. Liz Scott and Sarah Milt lead the group. Middle schoolers are also welcome to join us as we explore Unitarian Universalism in Neighboring Faiths, or participate in worship at 10:30. Family Worship at Winchester Unitarian Society 10:00 a.m. Sundays Family Worship happens in the chapel at 478 Main Street from 10:00-10:20, all Sundays this fall excepting 11/18 and 12/16. S-30 and Counting, Rebecca’s Sabbatical Approaches As many of you know, I am entering my tenth year of service at Winchester Unitarian Society and after many transitions and challenges I am taking five months of my accrued Sabbatical leave from Dec 1st – April 30th, returning to the congregation on May 1st. By stepping away and exploring what engaging and compelling faith development looks like in the current day, as well as taking an extended break from the day to day demands of congregational work – I hope to bring new energy and insights to Winchester Unitarian Society as we work to minister most effectively together to those currently affiliated and those we might welcome in the future. I believe this will be the least disruptive timing for the congregation, well after the program year has gotten underway and this year’s congregational life has settled. December’s worship cycle is predictable, Jan Fest organizing is in place from year to year and curriculum and calendar for the second half of the program year will be in place by the time of my departure. I will return in time to plan and prepare for the year ahead. Coverage for most aspects of my job will be taken up by other staff members and volunteers from within the community. In addition we are working out the details for a short-term Sunday morning “lead” during my time away. ​I’ll write more about Sabbatical coverage in each of the next three Highlights, as well as future details about my plans for time away and how I hope to share them with all of you. Wanted: Religious Education Lead Teacher We need your assistance in finding our next Lead Teacher. WUS seeks an enthusiastic Sunday morning program leader for the 2018-2019 church year in our Religious Education classrooms. We welcome graduate students, non-traditional educators, and early career teachers, as well as experienced teachers. We compensate at a competitive rate. For more information, please go to https://www.winchesteruu.org/wanted-religious-education-lead-teacher/ Spread the word! WUSYG Winchester Unitarian Society Youth Group WUSYG Presents FALL FEST 2018 This Sunday, November 4th, WUSYG will be hosting their 5th Annual Fall Fest fundraiser in Metcalf after the Service. All ages are invited to this fun event that will include lots of Fall-themed games, crafts, activities and food! The event is free but food/games/crafts will have suggested donations. We will open with a tribute to Diwali, and also have live musicians, pumpkin painting, a 50/50, bake sale, and plant sale (see below!) All funds raised will help off-set costs for WUSYG's upcoming service trip in April. We look forward to seeing everyone there! To check out more about what is happening in WUSYG, please click here to see the WUSYG Newsletter. Other dates and info about following us on social media (please join our Facebook group and follow us on Instagram!) can be found on our recently-updated website: https://www.winchesteruu.org/youth At Fall Fest, you may also purchase a spider plant from Rev. Heather's Spider Plant Farm. Spider plants help clean the air and are easy to grow and propagate. All plants are of comparable age and quality; price difference is due to the quality of the pot; $3 for a fiber pot, $5 for a terra cotta pot, $10 for a ceramic pot. There are other plants in ceramic pots ranging from $5 (chip in the back) to $20 (large, productive plant in a large pot.) All funds raised at Fall Fest will help offset costs for WUSYG's upcoming service trip in April. We look forward to seeing everyone there! Congregational News Partner Church News We’ve been in partnership with the Unitarian Church in Marsosvasarhely, Transylvania for almost a quarter century. During that time, one of the most gratifying aspects of that partnership has been the opportunity to provide scholarship support to young people who, without that support, would be unable to pursue their studies beyond high school. WUS has helped nine: Seven have graduated from university, one from technical school, and one from a program leading to a teaching certificate. All are participating members of our partner church. The last of them graduated in 2016. Now, we have an opportunity to support a tenth student: Anna Kiss is studying at the Art and Design University in Kolozsvar where she is enrolled in a three-year program learning ceramic, glass, and metal work. Her father, a Unitarian minister, died at age 35. Her mother, who earns a small salary as secretary at the Second Unitarian Church in Marosvasarhely, is the sole support for Anna and her fourteen-year-old brother. In the past, we have assembled groups of six WUS families each willing to provide $150 per year. The $900 annual total still goes a long way in Transylvania. We expect our scholarship recipients to let their supporters know how they’re progressing at least twice a year. If you’re interested in being part of Anna’s group, please get in touch with Maggie or John Russell (781-729-8128). Where in the World is the Intern Minister on Sunday Mornings? For the next three Sundays, the Intern Minister, Marianne DiBlasi, will be learning about WUS’s Religious Education curriculum for different age groups, so she will not be participating in Sunday morning worship in the Sanctuary. On the three upcoming Sunday mornings, Marianne can be found participating in Family Worship in the Meyer Chapel at 10 am, then attending the RE classes for each age group. On October 28, Marianne will be visiting the PreK-1 World of Wonder class.