uniteboston – Page 60

Nov 22 2015

UB Pics: “Better Together” Workshop and UB Bonfire!

On November 12, UniteBoston hosted Paul Fleischmann from the Better Together Ministry.

Paul shared 12 strategic principles of collaboration to help Christians grow in learning how to work together more effectively in order to accomplish what God has put each of us here to do.

20151112_203047 — Vito Nicastro and Paul Flieschmann together holding the Boston Globe article on Christian Unity that came out that day.

Stories and S’Mores on Singing Beach!

UniteBoston hosted a bonfire on Singing Beach on Saturday November 21st.

The night was beautiful; with a moonlit sky and the ocean waves crashing behind us, we shared stories around a campfire about how God was working in our lives.

New friends, great laughs, fun songs.

Nov 12 2015

Exciting Announcement: 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

Today is an exciting day for us at UniteBoston!

When’s the last time that you saw an article on Christian unity published in the Boston Globe?

This morning, it was announced that Catholic and Lutheran leaders will be observing the 500th anniversary of the reformation together.

Below is the press release, and check out the Boston Globe article here: “Groups Vow Unity Ahead of Reformation Anniversary”

UniteBoston will be helping to coordinate united service projects as part of this initiative; stay tuned for more details!

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In the Spirit of a Commitment to the Journey to full unity, Catholic and Lutheran Leaders announce Preparations for the Observance of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation

Braintree, MA – November 10, 2015 – Five centuries after Western Civilization split into two halves, Catholic and Protestant, and more than 50 years of international dialogue, the two sides are using the 500th anniversary of the Reformation to move closer together. From now until October 2017, with cooperative ventures in service, arts, academics, and evangelization, it is the hope and prayer of Catholics and Lutherans that this effort will contribute to advancing the goal of full unity.

In a joint letter (above) Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley and Lutheran Bishop James Hazelwood wrote, “Our common ground lies in the life-giving Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We share one baptism into Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior.” They added, “As we proceed toward this observance, we give thanks for our mutual baptism into Christ Jesus and our irrevocable commitment to full visible unity. For this we must all work and pray.” The full text of the letter is available at www.nesynod.org and www.bostoncatholic.org.

Recently the USCCB issued a statement stating that “Lutherans and Catholics together have issued the “Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist,” a unique ecumenical document that marks a pathway toward greater visible unity between Catholics and Lutherans. The October 30 release of the document comes on the eve of the anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting the 95 Theses, which sparked the Protestant Reformation.” The USCCB noted that at the heart of the document are 32 Statements of Agreement where Lutherans and Catholics already have reached consensus in terms of the church, ministry and Eucharist. The document also indicates differences still remaining and possible paths forward.

Bishop Hazelwood (Lutheran), “This is an opportunity to pursue a shared commitment to the journey to full unity, coming together around our common agreement on the Heart of the Gospel, listening together to our responsibility to the environment, serving together our world, connecting together to the regional, national, international ecumenical commemoration.”

Vito Nicastro, PhD, Associate Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, said, “It is important to understand that this is a mission driven event. In fact all ecumenism is an evangelization opportunity because our unity is around the gospel. The opportunity to learn from each other is exciting. The worldwide observance is turning this event into a sign of hope.”

As the commemoration progresses there are increasing opportunities for participation of all denominations of Protestants.

For more information, contact:

-Andy Merritt, Communications Director of the New England Synod, ELCA, amerritt@nesynod.org, 508-333-1761

-Vito Nicastro, Associate Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, Archdiocese of Boston, 617-435-0019, vnicastro@earthlink.net

Nov 08 2015

Newton Church Hosts Outings for the Homeless

On this week’s UniteBoston Blog, Pastor Susan Brecht shares how God is at work in Newton. It’s so great to see what God does when churches reach out to deepen their relationship with the local community!

Newton Church Hosts Outings for the Homeless

When the members of The Eliot Church of Newton, UCC became aware that approximately 66 families were housed in two local motels — one within three miles of Newton’s border and the other within six miles — they knew they had to do something to reach out to that community. It was disheartening for the church members to know that although the families were sheltered, they did not have access to full kitchens, transportation, or playgrounds for the children, and they wondered what they could do to help. (See Pastor Susan Brecht’s blog article regarding homelessness.)

The seeds were planted two Sundays before Easter when a member who runs an agency that develops affordable housing, got up during announcements with an idea to provide an Easter dinner for families living in one of the nearby motel shelters. Volunteers signed up, donations were collected, and an invitation was sent out. Two families from the shelter accepted the after-worship dinner invitation.

“One member provided rides for a family. The event organizer, another church member and his extended family, and I cooked and hosted the dinner,” explained The Rev. Susan Brecht, pastor of the church. “So we outnumbered our guests that day.”

“Despite the low attendance, it turned out to be an interfaith event,” she said. “Christian, Muslim and Jewish families sat together for an Easter feast.”

Interfaith fellowship wasn’t the only good result of the event. The Jewish wife of one of the members who participated was so moved by her conversation with a single mom with two children that she is now looking into starting a mother’s support group for women living at the motel.

That event also spurred more thoughts from the members about how they — a people of faith who are called to reach out to those who are suffering — could bring a little joy into the lives of these families, especially the children. Their answer was to host summer cookouts for the homeless families.

Cookouts on the church grounds were held on four Sunday afternoons. The church provided a meal, fellowship, and open space in their playground and adjoining park for the children to run and play. Twenty guests arrived for the first cookout, thirty for the second and third, and then fifty for the fourth event.

The cookouts were truly an all-community experience. Volunteers from The Second Church in Newton, UCC, The Unitarian Universalists, and employees from a local bank joined with those from Eliot to cook, organize games and crafts, and visit with the parents. Car seats were donated for drivers from Eliot, and the Boys and Girls Club provided a small bus. Local markets provided food. Other congregants gave monetary donations.

“Our guests thanked us over and over again,” said Brecht. “They loved the food, and in some cases got to take some of it home with them. But most of all, they were appreciative that a church actually cared enough to do this. I sat with a couple of adult guests over lunch at one of our cookouts, and listened to why they had left organized religion. I would not have gotten a chance to hear these stories without the cookouts.”

Those from outside the church who helped host were so excited that they asked to be involved in planning more events. The church moderator said the events were transformational for him. Most of his time prior to this was spent in meetings talking, and very little time was spent doing something meaningful. He felt that time got ‘flipped on its head’ this past summer.

The church is now looking at what they can do on a monthly basis to deepen their relationship and give assistance to those they have gotten to know over the summer. One of their goals is to get to a place where anyone walking in the door would not be able to tell a host from a guest.

Brecht explained: “In Chapter 2 of the Letter of James, he tells the early Christians: What good is it my brothers and sisters if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.’ This could be my mantra. It’s by our works, our reaching out to those in need in our communities that the church can be renewed in mission, energy and spirit, and ultimately the wider church’s reputation can be rehabilitated.”

The mother with two children who went to Easter dinner came back to attend the cookouts over the summer and is now attending Eliot on Sunday mornings, with one of the members providing transportation.

“It was that first low-attended dinner that inspired us to do more,” said Brecht.

Pastor Susan Brecht can be reached at the church office at (617) 244-3639 or office@eliotchurch.org or visit their Facebook page or follow them on twitter. Their website is: http://www.eliotchurch.org/.

*This article was published originally in the Massachusetts United Church of Christ News; republished with permission.*

Nov 05 2015

BostonServe in the News!

BostonServe and churches in the South End were featured in the South End News last week! Check out the article here:

http://www.mysouthend.com/viewissue.php?id=414

Oct 27 2015

BostonServe Photo Gallery

“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
-Jesus, in John 12:32

On October 24, 2015, UniteBoston hosted BostonServe, which encouraged Christians throughout Boston to serve in their neighborhoods together on one day.

It was the first time that UniteBoston held this event – and what a success! There were eleven projects taking place throughout the city.

Together, we can make God’s love for Boston visible in a way that one church cannot accomplish alone.

Check out the photos below to see God’s love in action!

Playground Clean-Up and Painting

With Symphony Church at the Jackson-Mann K-8 School