Please consider joining us for one of our RE classes. We have a nursery with two babysitters each week for young children and infants as well as a Religious Exploration class for children. We are a small but mighty group and welcome all newcomers. If your children are older, we have a youth group bi-monthly on Sunday evenings. All our children this year are “Building Bears of Wholeness” and collecting badges that support our values. There are always new bears for newcomers no matter the age or how long they join us!
Our team has been researching how our congregation can maximize its impact on the critical 2024 elections. We’ve reviewed non-profit organizations that can help us increase both voter turnout and knowledge of the issues voters need to know when casting their votes. And on the first Sunday in April (4/7), we will present opportunities that we believe can offer all of us effective ways to become engaged and have a significant impact on our democracy at local, state and federal levels.
I have learned that some parishioners are concerned about the congregation's role in selecting the new minister. The contract minister process is very different from the settled minister process.
Middleboro resident and business owner Jim Lane and his wife were on a very well-deserved cruise when a fire broke out and their house burned down. His home and all their possessions were destroyed in a 2:00 a.m. fire on February 24 here in Middleboro. In addition, one of his young daughters died. They now have nothing ... and are homeless.
Cranberry Circle Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) was formed in 2003 at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Middleborough, MA. It is an eclectic, open group of Earth-Centered pagans that encourages education and diversity. Its general Pagan beliefs fit in with the UU Principles and purposes.
About 85% of the church’s operating budget is generously provided by congregation members through their annual pledges. Each year we hold a pledge drive to raise the money needed for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. The Parish Committee, with input from the Finance Team, is in the process of drafting a budget for the fiscal year to help us determine this year’s pledge goal.
Early in my ministry at UU Middleboro-- I don't remember now, just when-- I devoted a Sunday service to the importance of covenant in church life. I remember making a distinction between contract and covenant, a distinction that is too often not acknowledged and too often misunderstood. We all have experience with contracts, legal agreements that bind one party to another, that delineate lines of responsibility and limit liability. They are essential in our larger society for ensuring that each party is protected from malfeasance and that each party's interests are protected. Their function is to make clear the limits of one's responsibilities.
A covenant works differently.
RE Children Build a Bear of Wholeness: Sunday mornings we head downstairs after the Message for All Ages and learn more about creating a home. In January we made hearths, and in February we will share the heart of our homes with each other and our families. Nursery During the Worship Service Niko Pucillo-Dunphy and Jesse Hoyle offer child care during the church service. Please feel free to bring your infants and toddlers to have fun with Niko and Jesse while you are in the sanctuary participating in the service. Youth Group Youth Group is tentatively scheduled for February 11 and February 25, 2024. We will continue with the element of air. We meet from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall, and we always share dinner.
UU Middleboro contributed $420 toward the Haitian refugees’ Christmas, joining with other churches and organizations to ensure all parents as well as children received gifts. In December our congregation also contributed to Doctors Without Borders ($1,002) and to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund ($500). The January Cash in the Plate was donated to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund. The February Cash in the Plate will be donated to the Brockton Area branch of the NAACP.
We continue scheduling weekly ½ hour vigils on Saturday mornings from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon on the church lawn. All are invited to join in. Contact Dody Adkins-Perry (adkinsperry@gmail.com) with any questions.
