Forum Replies Created
-
AuthorPosts
-
unitebostonKeymaster
Today, we highlight a new organization that just recently launched here in Boston called the Open Kitchens Project, directed by Paul Castiglione, who is a member of Reservoir Church in Cambridge.
The Open Kitchens Project creates opportunities to share authentic food and vulnerable conversation around the dinner table. It is committed to help (mostly immigrant) moms build successful food businesses. They had their first pop-up dinner experience on August 9, with over 20 people, with food cooked by Asmait Tekle from Ethiopia.
Their Food Business Startup Program starts on September 24 – be sure to contact Paul Castiglione if you know someone who might like to share their innovative & culturally diverse food! Find out more through their website or Facebook Page.
Paul is also a UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinner Coordinator for the Somerville area and he is hosting his first neighborhood dinner this Sunday evening! Make plans to stop by as we seek to support one another to better love God and neighbor and further gospel movement!
Also, check out local artist Devin Ferreira’s new music video “Mustard Seed.” Devin is a member of Revive Community Church. We appreciate his creativity in communicating gospel truths! Check out Devin’s Youtube Channel and Website!
unitebostonKeymasterThis week, we feature a blog by Joseph Miterko, a graduate of Berklee College of Music and member of the Ruach Israel community. It was a joy to have Joe on the worship team this year – he brought a lot of passion and enthusiasm to the group. Read about how Joe’s understanding of the Christian community was impacted by participating on the UB worship team!
For me, summer always tends to be a whirlwind, with so much going on! My summer thusfar has included conferences, work training, travel, assisting with three summer camps, and more. I am also active in my congregation Ruach Israel, a Messianic Jewish congregation in Needham, through leading worship and giving sermons regularly. Despite all this activity, I have such a sense of excitement about how God is working and I don’t have any burnout (except for an occasional sunburn ☺) – God is good in so many ways!
One of the events that I was so blessed to be a part of was the UniteBoston Worship Night in the Boston Common. Our team was comprised of different ethnicities and nationalities from churches across Boston. I discovered how the Spirit can flow through a group of amazing musicians that are willing to work together as a team, and the Spirit did indeed!
[caption id="attachment_13100" align="alignnone" width="1980"] From Left to Right: Volt Jingjit, Joe Miterko, and Tom Baskett[/caption]
The night before the Worship Evening, our rehearsal was held at the Berklee College of Music. As a Berklee alum, I thought to myself, “This is so cool. Who knew that I would be coming back here four years after I graduate? Not only that, but I’m back here to make music for advancing God’s Kingdom on Earth.” It felt like a great homecoming. Our music director, Tom Baskett, was a joy to work with. I genuinely enjoyed creating a fragrant aroma to the Lord with a team comprised of different musical and ethnic backgrounds. Featured were a Nondenominational Christian rapper, a Catholic singer/songwriter, a Protestant drummer, and more. We played a variety of songs, from classics such as “Come Thou Fount” to modern “Reckless Love” and everything in between, including some original compositions. A highlight was singing “Who You Say I Am” in several languages…just wow! And we even got to sing a song that is popular in the Messianic Jewish world- Psalm 133 “Hinei Ma Tov” by Joshua Aaron, which means “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.” (Psalm 133:1)
As a Messianic Jewish follower of Jesus, I appreciated this opportunity to practice Kingdom ideologies on Earth. The Kingdom of Heaven will be made up of people from every tribe and nation, Jew and Gentile, so why can’t we start applying these principles right here, right now? Every person from every nation of the world is precious in God’s sight, and God called the Jewish people as a sign of His promises, not as a superior nationality.
It felt like as we were worshipping, God’s Hand was conducting the whole evening. I love that on a Thursday night, as people are getting ready to depart for college, making last minute vacations, and soaking in these last summer moments, God brought a committed group of musicians to praise Him, to celebrate being known by Him, and to make Him known. It wasn’t just the band either….there was a team doing outreach and evangelism surrounding the concert. They had an amazing and essential role, to say the least! From the organizers to the volunteers, everyone poured their hearts out, seeking to witness to a united Kingdom of God.
[caption id="attachment_13099" align="alignright" width="1980"] Joe Miterko singing in worship.[/caption]
One of the greatest lessons that I learned in the worship night is that everyone matters and is so precious in God’s sight. On our own, we are limited in what we can do. But when many people come together to back one message, one hope, and one mission, this makes a strong impact. It reminds me of Ephesians 4:4-6: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” May these seeds planted towards unity grow into something beautiful! Special thanks to Kelly Fassett, Chloe Gaydos, Tom Baskett, and many more for turning a vision into a reality.
[caption id="attachment_13121" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The 2018 UniteBoston worship team[/caption]
August 26, 2018 at 9:08 am in reply to: What’s Next After the Worship Night And Photo Contest Winners! #13070unitebostonKeymaster[caption id="attachment_12959" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Group photo of UB volunteers! Photo Credit: Koo Chung[/caption]
By Kelly Fassett, UniteBoston Team Leader
When I agreed to Chloe Gaydos’ idea last summer to organize a worship night in the Boston Common, we had no idea what God would do. As she began recruiting for the worship team, we were amazed to see the interest and involvement of Christians from a variety of communities. The attendance at this year’s worship night was over 1,000, which was double or triple the amount from last year, including Christians of all denominations and ethnic backgrounds and many people passing by who were in the park that evening.
The worship team did an incredible job leading us in a variety of types of music, including gospel, Christian rap, Messianic Jewish, charismatic, and traditional hymns. I helped to coordinate the sponsored tables of thirteen local churches and organizations that surrounded the perimeter of the premises. There was also great fellowship – a family reunion of sorts – and even a woman who painted canvases throughout the evening and a spontaneous dance party! A sense of joy filled my heart as I saw all these groups come together in worship as we sought to witness to the love found in Christ. Check out the photo gallery here!
[caption id="attachment_13038" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] A great crowd at the event, and thirteen sponsored tables! Photo Credit: Elijah Mickelson[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_13003" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Worship. Photo Credit: Koo Chung[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_12996" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Lori Dupre painting “One City.” Photo Credit: Koo Chung[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_13035" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The 2018 UB Worship Team in front of Lori Dupre’s paintings. Photo Credit: Elijah Mickelson[/caption]
One of the greatest joys for me as the Team Leader of UniteBoston is seeing more and more people running with the vision of Christian unity. Unlike other UB events where I’ve been the main person to make everything happen, at the very heart of this event was unity: an amazing team of volunteers, sound technicians, and musicians to plan and implement all of the logistics. Thanks to the UB community, the event on Facebook was shared 228 times, and over 50,100 people viewed the event (yes, that’s 50 thousand people! Not a typo!)
Below are some stories of people who were impacted; click here to give your feedback and input from the worship night – We would love to hear your input on how this movement can continue to build and grow!
Personal Stories
“You’d be hard pressed to find as diverse a crowd of believers worshiping together in Spirit and Truth as were gathered that night. Some have moved to Boston because they believe the Holy Spirit is not at work. Strange how those people never attend events where the fullness of the Church is being expressed in the diversity of God’s people!”
-Rev. David Wright, Black Ministerial Alliance“As we gathered on the Boston Common, our ‘common neighborhood backyard,’ the vibrancy, joy, diversity of our common faith came alive. It was truly incarnational, if one had to use a theological term. Although much of the style of the event was different from my Catholic style, I felt welcomed and engaged. Christ is our Center, our Life. Thank you so much.”
-Fr. Michael McGarry, The Paulist Center“The August 19 evening worship on Boston Common was as filled with God’s Spirit perhaps as the Common has been on a number of historic moments over many years, such as the First Great Awakening there in 1740 or the Billy Graham meetings there in 1950. We pray God is increasingly filling Boston with His Spirit now in 2018.”
-Ralph Kee, Emmanuel Gospel Center Church Planting Collaborative
Continue the Momentum Towards Unity
Ephesians 4:16 says that the body of Christ is joined and held together by every supporting ligament. This is Christian unity: Every person has a part to play to build up the body. The participation of every community matters. You have a unique, valuable contribution, by which others can learn and receive from.
Here are some things you can do to continue the momentum towards Christian unity after the worship night:
1. Build relationships with other Christians
While large events are great, the power of Christian unity comes from relationships. It is relationships across our varied church traditions and backgrounds which empower inter-church collaboration. Thus, one of the greatest things you can do is to set up a time to meet with someone from a different background than you – perhaps ethnically, denominationally, or socioeconomically. To do this, you can visit a worship service from another church in your neighborhood, asking, “What can this form of Christian worship teach me about God?” It’s often as we step outside our comfort zone that our false understandings are revealed and we discover the manifold wisdom of God present within the church (Eph 3:10).
2. Join a UniteBoston Neighborhood Dinner
UniteBoston has a team of nine dinner coordinators that are coordinating regular gatherings for prayer and fellowship within neighborhood communities. The goal for the dinners is to build relationships and to let our relationships inform our shared mission of revealing Jesus’ love within our communities. We gather to hear our personal stories of faith in Christ and to answer two questions: “What is God already doing in our community?” and “What can we together to better demonstrate the love of Christ?”
You can sign up for a dinner in your neighborhood by clicking here. Our neighborhood dinner coordinators are also happy to sit down with you and grab a cup of coffee to learn how we can be supporting you and what God is doing in your midst. Please contact us – We’d love to hear from you!
[caption id="attachment_13081" align="alignright" width="960"] Neighborhood Dinner at Adam’s house in East Boston[/caption]
3. Share about UniteBoston on Facebook or Instagram
This year, we increased our marketing strategy and have discovered the power of social media. We encourage you to take one of our photos and share it on Facebook (@uniteboston10) or Instagram (Uniteboston) – or simply email your friends and encourage them to get involved with UB/sign up for our weekly newsletter!
“Organizations have programs. People have friends. Friends trump programs every time…The world has been shouting over the noise of our programs that it doesn’t need more presidents or organizations, what it needs is more friends.” – Bob Goff in Love Does
[caption id="attachment_12987" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Photo Credit: Koo Chung[/caption]
4. Submit an event from your church/ministry to UniteBoston’s weekly newsletter
UniteBoston has a large infrastructure for promotion and advertising. Our website is viewed by 2,000+ people monthly and our weekly newsletter goes out to over 3,000 Christians in the Greater Boston area, so it’s a great way to get the word out about your event and increase visibility. Many people attest that posting on UB helped them to connect with new people and increased their event size!
There are two options for posting:
-Free: Posted on the UniteBoston.com website-$30/week: Featured on our weekly e-newsletterClick on the link here to submit your event to UniteBoston!
5. Join our team!
The current UniteBoston team is a tight-knit group of people that is committed to one another and to joining God in His work in this city. If you believe in Christian unity and want to be a part of a community that is working to make the unity we share in Christ visible, please prayerfully consider joining our team!
Right now, we have volunteer opportunities available in finance, journalism, and neighborhood dinner coordination.
Photo Contest Winners!
And here are our photo winners from our photo contest! Each of the three people below will receive a gift card to Neighborhoods Cafe, which is a cafe run by David and Betsy Hill from CityChurch. Neighborhoods is a local coffee shop in the Fenway/Kenmore neighborhood that has organic fair trade direct trade coffee and crepes. Thank you Betsy Hill for donating the gift cards to UniteBoston!
[caption id="attachment_12953" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Harim @Hrl88 from Highrock Cambridge wrote “One day, we will remember that this was the start of everything.” We loved this photo that highlighted her creativity and graphic design with the worship night theme![/caption]
[caption id="attachment_12955" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Kristine Guo @kristine.guo with her friends Faith, Godwinna, and Elizabeth! Kristine told us that Faith was a close friend that she met at UMass Boston last year and they unexpectedly found out that we were both Christian after following each other on Instagram and seeing that they both had Bible verses in our bios! Kristine attends CBCGB, the Chinese Bible Church of Greater Boston.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_13076" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Camille Gaydos @anursewhocares posted this photo. We loved how she caught this moment of worship amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, which captured the worship night’s theme of “One City, One Love.”[/caption]
unitebostonKeymasterOn August 18, 2018, an estimated 1,000 people came out to the second-ever UniteBoston Summer Worship Night in the Boston Common. The worship team was intentionally diverse, with Christians from all different ethnic and denominational backgrounds. There was incredible music, 13 sponsored tables by local churches and organizations, Lori Dupre painting with our theme “One City / One Love,” great fellowship, and even a spontaneous dance party!
Special thanks to Koo Chung and Elijah Mickelson for the incredible photographs here; they have superb photography skills and are highly recommended!
Check out the photos below, and you can view more on the UniteBoston Worship Night Facebook Gallery.
Also, click here to watch the highlight video that Luke Zvara put together!
Personal Stories
“You’d be hard pressed to find as diverse a crowd of believers worshiping together in Spirit and Truth as were gathered that night. Some have moved to Boston because they believe the Holy Spirit is not at work. Strange how those people never attend events where the fullness of the Church is being expressed in the diversity of God’s people!”
-Rev. David Wright, Black Ministerial Alliance“The August 19 evening worship on Boston Common was as filled with God’s Spirit perhaps as the Common has been on a number of historic moments over many years, such as the First Great Awakening there in 1740 or the Billy Graham meetings there in 1950. We pray God is increasingly filling Boston with His Spirit now in 2018.”
-Ralph Kee, Emmanuel Gospel Center Church Planting Collaborative[caption id="attachment_12957" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Our awesome team of vocalists. Photo Credit: Koo Chung[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_12958" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Group photo to begin the day! Photo Credit: Koo Chung[/caption]
“As we gathered on the Boston Common, our “common neighborhood backyard,” the vibrancy, joy, diversity of our common faith came alive. It was truly incarnational, if one had to use a theological term. Although much of the style of the event was different from my Catholic style, I felt welcomed and engaged. Christ is our Center, our Life. Thank you so much.”
-Fr. Michael McGarry, The Paulist Center“The Unite Boston Worship Night was a great gathering of believers all across Boston. I sensed God was reconnecting a lot of people to Him through the Holy Spirit during the worship. It was humbling seeing people surrendering to worship just like David did in the Old Testament! God Bless UniteBoston!”
-Tinuola Ajayi, River of Life Church“This gathering demonstrated how Christ is able to bring all kinds of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to worship Jesus together in the city of Boston!”
-Rebekah Nyakairu, Grace Chapel Watertown[caption id="attachment_13002" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Worship. Photo Credit: Koo Chung[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_13038" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] A great crowd at the event! Photo Credit: Elijah Mickelson[/caption]
How were you impacted by the worship night?
We’d love to hear from you – Submit your feedback here.
[gallery link="file" size="large" columns="2" ids="13042,13041,13040,13039,13037,13036,13035,13034,13033,13032,13031,13030,13029,13028,13027,13026,13025,13024,13023,13022,13021,13020,13019,13018,13017,13016,13015,13014,13013,13012,13011,13010,13009,13008,13007,13006,13005,13004,13003,13001,13000,12999,12998,12997,12996,12995,12994,12993,12992,12991,12990,12989,12988,12987,12986,12985,12984,12983,12982,12981,12979,12978,12976,12975,12974,12973,12972,12971,12970,12969,12968,12967,12965,12961,12960,12959" orderby="rand"]
August 12, 2018 at 2:22 pm in reply to: 7 Great Reasons Why You Should Come To the UB Worship Night #12927unitebostonKeymasterBy: Kelly Fassett, UniteBoston Team Leader
Thursday’s upcoming UniteBoston worship night is proving to be a momumental gathering within the Christian community. Here are 7 reasons why you should plan to come:
1. It is the prayer of Jesus
The longest recorded prayer of Jesus is for the oneness of His disciples: “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21)
We come together because it is the direct expressed will of Christ that he prayed for, and the New Testament frequently references the need for unity among all who are claiming the name of Christ.
2. We rarely have the opportunity to gather together as the entire body of Christ
Often, our churches function within our own congregational or denominational walls, which can be isolating. This is especially true in Boston, where being a Christian puts you in the minority. We need to capitalize on every opportunity to come together and see how God is working beyond our own context, because in doing so, we realize that we are just one small part of a whole. This strengthens the gospel movement that we are seeing locally and helps to identify opportunities for collaboration.
2. This event is designed to highlight different expressions of the Christian faith
There are many ways to worship and praise God, and this event is designed to highlight the beautiful myriad of Christian worship in our city. We are excited to hear of a dance team who is coming and to have Lori Dupre who will be worshipping through artistic painting!
Celebrating the unique gifts within each part of the body of Christ is core to our mission. Our leadership has intentionally brought together a worship team of Christians from diverse denominational and ethnic backgrounds. We are planning to sing songs with Caribbean, Gospel, Messianic Jewish, Traditional, Evangelical, and Mainstream Christian influence. We are hoping that there will be something for everyone, as well as the opportunity to experience the Christian faith in a new way.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Some of the members of this year’s UniteBoston worship team[/caption]
3. You can see the great work that is happening within a variety of local churches and ministries
This year, we have sponsored tables, where a dozen or so different churches and ministries will sit at tables surrounding the perimeter of the event to share about their work in the city. This is a great way to see what is happening within the larger Christian community and see churches working collaboratively, side by side, which is models the body of Christ that we are created to be.
If you are interested in sponsoring a table, the cost is $100 to $250 depending on your organization size. All proceeds go to support the costs of hosting this event. You can learn more here and email Kelly at kelly@uniteboston.com for more information.
5. It’s a great event to invite friends and neighbors
This event is designed to minister to people who might not normally go into a church building. It’s a fun event with good music, in an informal park setting. In John 17, Jesus prays that we would be one, so that the world will know who He is. Thus, we unite not simply for unity’s sake but because our unity is evangelistic, a sign and a witness of a God who has reconciled all people to God and one another. Our goal is that all people would experience the love of Christ through worship and we will be training all volunteers to engage in conversation in a way that honors the people that we meet.
6. It’s endorsed by many different church bodies
This event has received endorsements from Highrock Church, the Catholic Archdiocese, the Institute for Christian Unity, as well as a number of local churches. We were even featured in this week’s Boston Pilot newspaper! Because of the efforts of many people to help get the word out, there are also over 1,300 people who are interested/attending the event on Facebook! Please come, and invite friends and neighbors to join you!
7. Worshipping together is transformative
There is nothing like joining our hearts together in worship, and throughout the eight years of UniteBoston’s ministry, we have seen that God really shows up when we come together from all of our different backgrounds to worship Jesus. Vito Nicastro, UniteBoston Board Member, adds that, “in this process, we discover our real, though imperfect, incomplete, unity with all those who are incorporated into Jesus Christ by faith and baptism. And that’s a powerfully encouraging and upbuilding experience.”
Let’s come together to see the Church in all her glory and splendor and sing praises over our city!
unitebostonKeymasterThe UniteBoston worship night was featured in the Boston Pilot! The Boston Pilot is a Catholic newspaper and has a readership of over 60,000.
Read the full article here! Reprinted below with permission.
______________________________________________________
BOSTON — Catholics are invited to participate in an informal, ecumenical worship event, entitled “One City, One Love,” being held on Aug. 16, at the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common.
The ecumenical group UniteBoston is partnering with the Institute for Christian Unity to host the event that will run 7-9 p.m.
UniteBoston executive director and board member Kelly Fassett told The Pilot, “The purpose of this event is to help all people encounter the love of Christ through worship. We want to create a unique worship environment for Christians of all backgrounds to come together around what unites us: Jesus.”
Dr. Vito Nicastro, associate director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and Board President of UniteBoston, called the event “a chance for Christians of all different churches and ecclesial communities to come together around the person of our Lord Jesus Christ and around the experience of shared worship, which gives us a much stronger sense of our unity.”
Nicastro told The Pilot, “I think it’s important that Catholics attend this event because it is an example of what the Second Vatican Council recommended, or commended, for Catholics as part of our commitment to ecumenism, to the Christian unity which not only was a large part of the reason for the Second Vatican Council, but is also the direct expressed will of Christ that he prayed for.”
But, Nicastro added that the reasons to attend go beyond that.
“Catholics ought to attend this event is because it’s fun. It’s new, it’s easy to do, and enjoyable, and informal, and a great way to just meet all sorts of different Christians who will be there and there’s as much to give as there is to receive,” he said.
The event was first held last year at the suggestion of a UniteBoston summer intern, Chloe Gaydos, now the UniteBoston Worship Team Coordinator. At the time, she was a student at Gordon College, where she regularly played drums at charismatic worship services. That year, hundreds of people gathered for the event on the Common, including passersby attracted by the music in the popular public spot.
In an email to The Pilot, Fassett said, “We want the church to be represented in her full diversity and splendor but also to help people who might not normally step into a church building experience the love of God through worship. In John 17, Jesus prays that we would be one, so that the world will know who he is; thus, we unite not simply for unity’s sake but because our unity is evangelistic, a sign and a witness of a God who has reconciled all people to God and one another.”
Fassett said they hope coming together from different Christian denominations will be an answer to that prayer, and “a visible sign of the reconciling peace that is found in Christ, which is something that I think our world needs right now.”
Nicastro said holding the worship event at the Parkman Bandstand “gives it a sort of public character different from many of our events.”
The UniteBoston Worship Team, who will provide music for the worship service, includes musicians and singers from various cultures and denominations.
Nicastro said, “It’s important for us to give our witness, it’s important for us to evangelize, and one of the ways that we do that is by publicly lifting up the name of Jesus together. But in this process we discover our real, though imperfect, incomplete, unity with all those who are incorporated into Jesus Christ by faith and baptism. And that’s a powerfully encouraging and upbuilding experience.”
unitebostonKeymasterPrashan de Visser, graduate of Gordon College and founder of the Global Unites, preached a powerful message entitled “Unity in Christ” at Highrock Arlington this month. Global Unites equips youth to transform global societies through movements that promote hope, non-violence and reconciliation.
His sermon highlights the polarization that is taking place within America today, and five practical steps that Christians can take to embrace our spiritual mandate as peacemakers that bridge the current lines of divisions.
Click on the video below to be inspired by the scriptural mandate for oneness among God’s people from a global perspective!
August 4, 2018 at 10:54 am in reply to: Endorsement from the Catholic Archdiocese for Upcoming Worship Night #12876unitebostonKeymasterWe just received an endorsement for the UB worship night from the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston! Check it out below – We are grateful for the leadership of UB Board Member Dr. Vito Nicastro in this and his role within the Archdiocese of Boston.
It’s encouraging to see more and more churches and ministries come behind this opportunity for public witness to the gospel – We look forward to worshipping with you in the Boston Common on August 16!
The Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is pleased to join with UniteBoston’s “Once City One Love” Worship Night, and with other endorsers of this event such as the Institute for Christian Unity, local pastors, Highrock Church, and others.
This is the second year of this public witness to the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and this witness is all the more powerful because it comes in one voice from Christians of many churches and ecclesial communities. Jesus prayed for all of us his followers to be one, so the world may believe (John 17:21), and we encourage Catholics of the Archdiocese of Boston to add their presence to the evangelization of this event.
For more information, feel free to contact Dr. Vito Nicastro, Associate Director of the Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious affairs at Vito_Nicastro@rcab.org, or call the Office at 617-746-5799.
unitebostonKeymaster“A diverse group composed primarily of smaller urban congregations of color is gathering for a worship night, and has asked all Christians in Greater Boston to join them. Too often larger churches ignore these invitations because we already have our own busy calendars, but this only perpetuates our division. This is a chance to change that…I believe that this is a moment to be led by brothers and sisters in Christ for the sake of the unity of the Body of Christ.”
Our team was so encouraged this week to see the way that Pastor Dave Swaim from the Highrock Church Network has encouraged participation in our worship night! I appreciate his wisdom that the Church in Boston needs more followership, especially among larger churches and movements, in order for God to lead us towards greater unity.
The incredible thing is that there were three completely independent events that aligned together:
- Highrock’s Lead Pastor Dave Swaim committed to getting behind our worship night through funding and support
- That same Sunday at Highrock Arlington, an outside speaker was in town who was preaching a sermon on Christian unity
- Chloe Gaydos decided that Tom Baskett, a member of Highrock Church, would be our worship team director
Wow – how awesome is God! Our team said “yes” in faith for hosting the worship night before we knew where all the funds would come from. We praise God for Highrock’s generosity in helping us to provide for the expenses to host this worship night. I believe that Highrock churches are modeling God’s intention for the giving-and-receiving synergistic functioning that is indicative of the body of Christ that we are called to be:
“But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:24-27).
A movement across churches is emerging, a united song is rising up: May we come together to worship the One who gives life and love to the city!
Kelly Fassett
UniteBoston Team Leader
Dear Highrock,Short story: on Thursday, Aug 16, 7-9 PM Christians from all over Boston will be gathering for united worship on Boston Common, and we’d like Highrockers to join this celebration. Learn more at http://www.uniteboston.com
Longer story:
For years many of us have lamented how fragmented the Christian community is in Boston. I’ve always believed that it is due to a lack of leadership, but recently I’ve wondered if the real problem is too much leadership, meaning that everyone wants unity so long as it means everyone else following or agreeing with me.Perhaps what we need now is more “followership”, meaning churches willing to NOT be in charge. I think this is an especially essential spiritual growth edge for larger movements like Highrock.
A diverse group composed primarily of smaller urban congregations of color is gathering for a worship night, and has asked all Christians in Greater Boston to join them. Too often larger churches ignore these invitations because we already have our own busy calendars, but this only perpetuates our division. This is a chance to change that.
This group will include Christians of every ethnic, economic, and denominational stripe, so it’s probable that not all the songs or styles will be your favorites, but I believe that this is a moment to be led by brothers and sisters in Christ for the sake of the unity of the Body of Christ.
I encourage you to come if you can, and please forward this invitation to all your friends in every other church around Greater Boston, charismatic to Catholic and everything in between, so that the Church can be represented in her full diversity and splendor.
I don’t know what this event will be like, but I am looking forward to a new experience while building new relationships as we worship with our spiritual family whom I don’t yet know.
Many Blessings,
Pastor Dave
Highrock ChurchunitebostonKeymasterIt’s been incredible to momentum growing for the upcoming UniteBoston worship night – over 950 people have already indicated that they are interested/attending the event on Facebook! One of the most beautiful aspects is the diversity of people represented on our worship team.
A few members of the band include:
- A Catholic singer/songwriter
- A Protestant drum teacher from Berklee
- A Nondenominational Gospel Singer
- A Boston-based Rap Artist
- An Indie/Jazz Worship Leader
- A Messianic Jewish Musician
- A Latino Worship Leader
- A young man from one of the first Pentecostal churches in Indonesia
With our diversity, we seek to be a witness of the power of a reconciling, loving, redeeming God…See below to meet the members of the worship team!
Name: Korleen Sheridan
Instrument: Guitar & Vocals
Home Church: St Cecilia Parish (Roman Catholic Church)
“The worship night allows people to experience God’s love through song. To be able to bring Boston together to showcase this unconditional love is powerful, humbling and transformative.”
Name: Caleb McCoy (http://www.welcometotheoak.com/)
Instrument: Vocals
Home Church: Neighborhood Church of Boston
“I am excited to worship with a diverse group of people from different backgrounds. I think the fact that the worship team is represented by different races, denominations, and styles of worship will make this night extra special.”
Name: Jireh Calo
Instrument: Piano & Voice
Jireh is a graduate of Berklee in Contemporary Writing & Production, and an incoming master’s student for the Berklee Global Jazz graduate program
Home Church: Revive Community Church
“The more I grew as a believer, the more I felt the desire and need for more unity within the Church. We may attend different churches and come from diverse backgrounds, but as believers of the risen Christ, we are all essentially part of one Church — God’s church. Together we embody Christ. I am so excited to be part of UniteBoston’s worship night because I get to worship together with my fellow brothers and sisters!”
Name: Ola Olukorede
Instrument: Vocals
Home Church: Dayspring Chapel (Non-Denominational)
“I’m excited to worship with an amazing group of people who are determined to make a difference. We want to show the world that a new generation of Christians are rising. God is equipping His people – We are God’s instruments of praise to shake up the city of Boston, for His glory.”
Name: Ope Olukorede
Instrument: Vocals
Home Church: Dayspring Chapel (Non-Denominational)
“I love the idea of bringing people of different ages, backgrounds and even denominations together to worship the one true God. I am excited to sing and worship God with my friends, family and city! I cannot wait to see where God brings us next as we pour our hearts out to him on this special night! ”
Name: Joseph Miterko
Instrument: I am a pianist, percussionist, and vocalist. I have been playing piano since the age of 5. After attending Berklee College of music, gigging in quite a few venues, and doing some teaching, I finally settled down and am now teaching at the Yamaha Music School of Boston.
Home Church: Ruach Israel (Messianic Jewish)
“It’s always amazing to worship with other Believers from an array of backgrounds! You never know what is going to happen next….I’m excited to see God do something new and exciting in our midst.”
Name: Christian Schmutz
Instrument: Drums (Berklee graduate ’15 in Drum Set Performance)
Home Church: Antioch Community Church (Non-Denominational)
“I really believe that when believers come together as one body to worship, we get an idea of what the Heavenly throne room will be like. It was such a beautiful thing to see God move during the worship gathering last year. I’m excited again this year because I believe this gathering really ministers to the heart of God, blesses his church, and is a powerful step in the advancement of the kingdom here in Boston!”
Name: Chae Rin Park
Instrument: Voice
Chae Rin grew up listening to church music and started going to music school since when she was 17, and she is currently attending Berklee College of Music.
Home Church: City Life Church (Presbyterian)
“I have been on tours around the US for Korean Churches on a team called “True Worshippers 12.” Since I’ve been in school, I haven’t had a chance to participate on a praise team. I am excited to be a part of this worship night with people to praise and worship God.”
Name: Ben Hills
Instrument: Sound Team
Home Church: First Presbyterian Church Northshore
“I’m excited to see people from all different denominational backgrounds worship Our Creator as one body. It’ll be a distant echo of when we are united in the new heavens and new earth.”
Name: Calvin Limuel
Instrument: Keyboard, graduate of Berklee College of Music (Jazz Piano/Drums Performance, Contemporary Writing and Production)
Home Church: Anchor Church Boston (Assemblies of God/Pentecostal), Forest Hills Covenant Church (ECC), Heart Change Fellowship (EFCA), Gereja Pantekosta di Indonesia (Pentecostal Church of Indonesia/International Church of Foursquare Gospel Network).
“One of the aspects that I enjoy in my ministries and musical occupations is diversity. I’ve played different kinds of music, both inside and outside the church setting. I’ve been engaging in conversations with Christians of different denominations and theological understandings, but also I’ve been exposed to different cultures and languages. I see myself personally as a mesh of all these things, and it’ll be beautiful to see those things manifested in a night of worship.”
Name: Jordan Knott
Instrument: Vocals
Home Church: The Shepherd’s House, Woburn, MA
“Though I’m from Northern Mass, I attended UniteBoston’s Worship Night last year. It was so refreshing to worship with the body of Christ in such an open area. I have been a worship leader at my church and campus ministry for years. I knew I wanted to be apart of this amazing event this year! It’s an honor to meet all the diverse and talented people that help to make it happen!”
Name: Alyssa Fuller
Home Church: Alyssa is a member of Hillsong Boston and is the technical director for Hillsong.
Instrument: vocals, cello, and piano
“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body,whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”
Name: Ben Laine
Home Church: Victory Chapel (Pentecostal)
Instrument: Guitar/Vocals
Influenced by his drummer father, Ben started playing the drums at 6 years old. He picked up the saxophone at 9 and piano at age 10. Since then, he has heavily focused on piano, singing and songwriting. Many of his songs are influenced by life struggles and his faith in God. Ben’s music is a pop/rock sound, with heavy piano and rhythmic parts. Through his music, Ben wants to reach out to the lost and give hope to a world in need.
“I’m super excited to be worshipping with such amazing people and ushering the spirit of God into Boston and All of New England!”
Name: Ronald Ayala
Instrument: Electric Bass
Home Church: Hillsong Church
“I’m excited about UniteBoston because I believe that there is power in worship. It allows us to bring people from different backgrounds to create an atmosphere that is entirely devoted to bringing God glory.”
Name: Volt Jingjit
Instrument: Violin
Volt is a graduate of Berklee School of Music in Violin Performance, and he was also a part of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute.
Home Church: Mars Hill Fellowship
“I have been on worship teams since I was young. After I moved to Boston, I was far from my home in Thailand, but God is always the same, and God’s presence has stayed with me. The UniteBoston worship team feels like family to me; I enjoy that together we have a thirsty heart to worship and praise God!”
Name: Erich Clark
Role: Sound/Tech. Erich Clark has over two decades of live and recorded sound engineering experience. He started in bars, meeting halls, and private recording studios. In 2006, he attached himself to Ipswich Presbyterian as media tech, trainer, and renovator.
“The family of God in Boston is so colorful, talented, and skilled. Bringing top notch music that glorifies God to such a beautiful park is a life changing experience.”
Name: Tom Baskett
Role: Tom is this year’s UniteBoston Worship Team Director. Tom is also a singer, percussionist, producer and teacher on the faculty of Berklee College of Music. He specializes in gospel, R&B and jazz, and has directed music and worship events throughout Boston and the U.S., and in Asia and Africa.
Home Church: Tom currently worships at Highrock Church Cambridge and Highrock Church Arlington. He comes from a long line of Black American gospel singers, preachers, teachers and church leaders.
“I am moved and thrilled to worship with the universal Body of Christ in Boston! Stretching over divisions of race, language, nationality and generation makes us more like God, Who transcends all barriers and breaks every chain.”
Name: Chloe Gaydos
UB Role: Worship Team Coordinator
Home Church:
Congregation Lion of JudahWhat Chloe enjoys about UB:
“My transition to Boston is vibrant because of my relationships with other Christians who are different than me. When I’m with the UB volunteers, I feel another level of love and support that I want my city to also experience. Through UB, I have not only learned about the power of Christian unity, but I have also experienced the impact firsthand through planning the worship night.”
About Chloe:
Chloe works in the consultant field in Boston. She loves to climb, play the drums, and serve the community in her spare time.
[caption id="attachment_12848" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Worship Planning Team Meeting in June – Dreaming big with God about what the 2018 worship night will become![/caption]
First UB Worship Team Rehearsal
[caption id="attachment_12937" align="alignright" width="1024"] Our UB worship team got the opportunity to meet the prayer team yesterday at a rehearsal at Berklee! Our musicians are sounding really good, thanks in part to our music director Tom Baskett.[/caption]
unitebostonKeymasterPastors and Leaders: Click Here to Download the Letter about the UB Worship Night and the application for a sponsored table.
Also, click here to read an endorsement for our worship night from Pastor Dave Swaim of the Highrock Church Network! And check out another endorsement from the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston!
There is something powerful about worshipping Jesus together.
Last year, Uniteboston hosted our first night of worship in the Boston Common, and it was a huge success!
“As ever, the simple act of all different people coming together to lift up the name of Jesus is the witness to the world that He is Lord. Our response to being created by God is to love Him and to share that with the city. As the lights came one in the buildings and the moon came up in the dark blue velvet sky, we planted God’s love in the heart of Boston.”
-Dr. Vito Nicastro, Archdiocese of Boston and UB Board Chair“UniteBoston made the love of God visible in Boston on August 26th. God’s peace paid us a visit because it is only when we come together to love one another, that God’s peace will show up.”
–Read Rev. David Nunez’ blog about his experience at last year’s worship night
“I have never quite seen something like the worship night in Boston in such a public space. The location was perfect for catching passerby’s who would perhaps not normally find themselves at church but enjoyed the music. Also, because the music was specifically Christian, some people came up and asked for prayer or names of churches in the area. This provided a wonderful opportunity for ministry.”
-Jacqueline Turner, Aletheia ChurchWe are excited to announce that this year’s summer worship night will be on Thursday August 16th from 7:00 to 9:00pm in the Parkman Bandstand in the Boston Common!
Here are some ways you can help:
1. Spread the word – We appreciate your efforts to get the word out to congregation members and colleagues through Facebook invites, email campaigns, and church announcements. Here is a letter that is addressed to pastors and ministry leaders.
2. Host a Table – This year, we are coordinating sponsored tables as an opportunity to help spread the word about your church, ministry or business. The cost ranges from $100 to $250 depending on the organization size; all proceeds go to support the cost of coordinating the worship night. Click here for the application!
3. Donate – This event requires a variety of resources, including supplies, sound equipment rentals, and food. We would be honored if you would consider donating to help make this event successful: http://www.uniteboston.com/give
4. Get Involved – We’d love to have you involved on the logistics, music, outreach, or prayer teams! Email Kelly Fassett, kelly@uniteboston.com for more information
5. Pray – Prayer makes a huge difference! We appreciate your prayers for smooth logistics, for unity among the various volunteer teams, for God’s presence to be made manifest through the worship team, for financial provision, and strong advocacy for the worship night among the varied church networks in our city.
Come worship with us on August 16th at 7pm at the Parkman Bandstand in Boston Common!
Thank you for joining into the UB community – As Christians, we are better together!
unitebostonKeymasterThe Boston Projects is one of many churches and ministries that are engaged in youth ministry this summer. Check out Boston Projects’ Facebook Page to see photos from their recent Summer Love Campaign and meet their summer staff!
The Black Ministerial Alliance also partners with churches and community agencies to provide 8 weeks of safe, healthy summer programming, which includes Vacation Bible School, Fit Church/Fit Community Health Fairs and outdoor fitness, Victory Generation Summer Kids Camps, and Teen Café Youth Violence Prevention activities!
Susan Butterworth from St. Michael’s Episcopal in Marblehead shared that their church is doing a Wednesday evening Picnic and Prayer on the lawn. In this initiative, they gather as a community for food and fellowship, then read Evening Prayer, in full view of the neighbors!
Also in the news:
How Serving the Community Transformed a Dwindling Church>>
How is your church involved in sharing the love of Christ this summer? Email photos and stories to kelly@uniteboston.com and we may include it on the UB newsletter!
unitebostonKeymasterPhoto credit: Kingdom Mission Society
Can We Learn to Accept Difference?
Alexei Lauschkin, director of Kingdom Mission Society, offers a theological perspective on how Christians can understand our differences and small steps that you can take on your path towards Christian unity, such as getting to know Christians from other traditions and praying for Christians throughout the world.
Also in the news this week: Gathering Looks at How to Overcome Polarization Using Catholic Social Teaching
unitebostonKeymasterFaith Leaders: We Need to End Separating Children at the Border
This week’s blog is from Kingdom Mission Society, which offers a variety of perspectives from faith leaders on the “zero tolerance policy” at the U.S.-Mexico border for cases of suspected illegal migration.
Kingdom Mission Society also has a Guide to Asylum and Navigating the Crisis of Separated Families
Also in the news this week:
unitebostonKeymasterThis week’s blog is written by Tony Lee, who attends Aletheia church and has been involved with UniteBoston’s worship team and neighborhood dinners. As a young professional in Boston, he is interested in finding Christian movements in the city and connecting people together. Read below to hear about how Tony understands gathering as an opportunity to gain, give, and grow.
[caption id="attachment_11886" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Neighborhood dinner gathering in Revere[/caption]
I was a UB dinner coordinator this past year and had the pleasure of hosting a few dinners at my home in Revere. I got to coordinate strangers meeting other strangers for fellowship, and make them some good food. (Note: You can read Father Tom Ryan’s experience of attending a UB neighborhood dinner at Tony’s house here.) From these nights of gathering, I’ve picked up on a few themes that can illuminate the value of gathering, and the unifying potential it has.
To gather is to gain.
Gathering comes with perks. I’ll start with the food. I especially enjoy potluck gatherings (pro-tip: hosting a potluck usually correlates with extra treats later). In college, I was on a student leadership team and remember planning events to always involve food because that was the best incentive to get students to attend. Not surprisingly, this works the same for people after college. We like food and we like to go to things where food is present.
Whenever food and fellowship combine, good things happen. People are happy, and the social atmosphere is pleasant. I sincerely believe there is more potential for exciting conversations over hors d’oeuvres than over the phone. So by gathering, we also gain relationships. Every time I invited someone into my home, I was receiving their friendship by spending time with them. These dinners are now memories for us, and a point of empathy. In summary, I got a friend, a memory, and some empathy points from gathering. That’s pretty good.
To gather is to give.
I have the role model of my mother as a great giver. She was the homemaker in my family, and the most faithful, diligent, caring person in our house. Her hospitality was more like sacrifice. So whenever we came together for supper, the spirit of giving was evident. Now I’m doing the best I can to give like her.
Hosting a dinner for a large group is a commitment. I’d get worried about food, seating, or social comforts for the guests sometimes. But out of my anxiety, was an opportunity to give. Guests also may need to prepare their sides, or travel far distances. In the process of gathering, there are opportunities for us to give, or to give up. I’m sure we’ve all been the people who show up to a potluck empty-handed, or choose not to go to somewhere because of the commute. But like anything else, we can practice giving and grow in our sacrificial lifestyle. Even interpersonally, I try to focus on encouraging or motivating others in their own esteem than dig for what they can offer me. It just so happens that we meet others who also like to give, which is how we gain. The world teaches me to take, but my mom taught me to give. I believe this is what God desires to teach us as well.
To gather is to grow.
At the dinners, we were able to gain and give to one another. We practiced this with people we knew and strangers. Of course, it can be challenging to suddenly come to a point in a conversation with someone who has drastically different ideologies than me. One time, I caught myself becoming very defensive, and had to recalibrate my objective in the moment to prioritize unity. I got some growth points from that. It’s actually much easier to live without fixating on our differences, and rather seeking out our common denominators. To do this, I have to receive someone as a friend (gain), and be considerate to them (give). Because in the end, it’s not what divides us that matter.
As Rose from Star Wars 8 says, “we’re going to win this war not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.” This is critical. We as children of God are created in His image and have a deep connectedness that unifies us. Jesus was the model for the ideal unifier. He ate with outcasts on the margins and shared the gospel to those who needed it most. We have the same opportunities in our city. We can find a rhythm of gaining and giving, by staying open to friendships and paying it forward. There is much growth that develops from this rhythm.
I believe this is the direction our hearts and minds must go. It’s the direction of growth and wisdom. Gathering together is simply the vessel that allows us to get there, through practice and experience. But also, food can be a part of the journey.
[caption id="attachment_11798" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] UB Dinner Coordinator Team, Spring 2018[/caption]
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="960"] First UB Neighborhood Dinner at Tony’s house, November 2017[/caption]
Learn more about UB neighborhood dinners here, and sign up so that we can contact you when one is happening in your neighborhood!
-
AuthorPosts