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December 27, 2015 at 4:53 pm in reply to: Greater Boston Refugee Ministry – Great New Ministry! #6091unitebostonKeymasterAre you curious to know how your church can support refugees? Check out the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry!They provide ministry informational sessions and are currently preparing for the next training cohorts in January.Please pray for the Christian community in Greater Boston to provide creative solutions for housing refugees in our communities. Check out this blog from the Emmanuel Gospel Center for some other great ideas for how we can support refugees!unitebostonKeymaster
In his blog “Merry Christmas, Gabriel – Uh can I see some ID?” Blake Coffee from churchwhisperer.com asks the important question, “Do I greet Christian brothers and sisters looking them in the eye with a genuine expectation of seeing Christ there?”
Click here to read his timely message.
All of us at UniteBoston pray that you and your loved ones would find the incarnation of Christ present with you as you celebrate His birth this week.
Merry Christmas everyone!
unitebostonKeymasterKelsey Karys, UniteBoston Rep and previous intern with Cru campus ministry, is passionate about Christian unity. She shares her reflections after attending the Taize Prayer service at MIT during UniteBoston’s 10 Days Boston event.
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I remember helping my dad build our swing set when I was a child. He handed me a hammer, and showed me how to pound, pound, pound a nail into a piece of wood while he looked on, guiding my hand when I needed, and always giving the finishing pound, burying the nail into the wood. I eventually reached an age where I realized that what took me thirty pint-sized pounds, my dad could have done with one, but his affection towards me was so great that it didn’t matter.
CALLED OUT
As I take a step back from college ministry for a season, I am having one of those moments again, where I realize first, how great an architect my Daddy is, and second, how much love and patience He has for me, fumbling around in this grown-up world.
I worked in campus ministry for two years, with the goal of seeing a house of prayer rise up on every campus in Boston. So when God called me out of the campus scene so quickly, in my me-centric world I asked Him, “How is there supposed to be a revival in Boston if I’m not on campuses starting houses of prayer?!” I thought my fears were validated when I heard the news that the MIT House of Prayer would not be continuing this school year.
I heard a familiar voice saying, though, “Hey Kelsey, answer me one thing. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 1:4)
A NEW THING
I was seated in MIT’s dimly lit chapel before an icon of Jesus, surrounded by flickering candles. I knelt on a prayer rug with about 30 others, and while they chanted in Latin, I just listened. I tried to listen beyond the haunting echoes off the tall stone walls, past the frustration that I didn’t know the language, and beyond the discomfort of having to sit still, so different from the charismatic worship gatherings that I so easily box God into.
As I listened, I asked, “God, what are you doing here? Where are you?”
Sitting next to me was Sabrina, a new Catholic missionary at MIT with a heart to bring together the different fellowships in prayer and worship. Kelly, a close friend who leads a movement called Unite Boston, bringing together churches and denominations around the city to pray and worship Jesus together, chanted on my other side. In front of me was Erik, one of my former Cru students with a heart for unreached people groups. Behind me was a large group from the Lutheran-Episcopal Ministry, who in all my time at MIT I had never seen gather with the larger Christian population. A girl from Intervarsity sat nearby, and a professor stood in the shadows in the back.
In the stillness of this Taize gathering, God whispered back, “I am doing a new thing”.
Taize prayer is a contemplative ecumenical prayer style started by a protestant monastic community in Switzerland in 1940. There is no one leader, and much of the gathering is silent, but at a few points different people read scripture in their own tongue, and the songs, which are more like chants, are often sung in Latin.
At the end of the gathering, one of the Lutheran campus ministers stood and announced that a Taize prayer gathering would be happening once a week in the MIT chapel for the remainder of the year.
MY DREAMS ARE TOO SMALL
I have dreamed and prayed for weekly prayer gatherings in the MIT chapel for years, but my dream was too small because it was just that — my dream, shaped by mycomforts, my prejudices, and my ambitions. Just as King David wasn’t allowed to build God a house, it was never going to be my job to build God a house at MIT. I may have placed a few nails and pounded them a few times with my hammer, but God won’t be limited by the ceiling of the dreams I’ve built. Instead, He lets me dream with Him, just big enough to require faith, and even shows me the fulfillment of some of those dreams.
This year, the MIT chapel is finally becoming a house of prayer — Taize-style prayer that is. For me, it stands as a reminder that “the God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything,” (Acts 17:24-25).
*Note: Taize services take place on Sunday evenings at 8:00pm in the MIT Chapel. Come and join for a rich contemplative time of worship and prayer.
*Originally published on campusrenewal.org; republished with permission
unitebostonKeymasterOn 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.[caption id="attachment_5930" align="aligncenter" width="3264"] Vito Nicastro and Paul Flieschmann together holding the Boston Globe article on Christian Unity that came out that day.[/caption]
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.
November 12, 2015 at 11:16 am in reply to: Exciting Announcement: 500th Anniversary of the Reformation #5887unitebostonKeymasterToday 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 http://www.nesynod.org and http://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
unitebostonKeymasterOn 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 HomelessWhen 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.*unitebostonKeymasterBostonServe and churches in the South End were featured in the South End News last week! Check out the article here:
unitebostonKeymaster“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”
-Jesus, in John 12:32On 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
Trophy Cleaning and Painting
With Heart Change Fellowship at English High School
Cleaning, Painting, and Carpentry
With People’s Baptist Church and North River Community Church
At Timilty Middle SchoolCodman Park Clean-Up
With Global Ministries Christian Church
Harvard Square Homeless Outreach
With Journey Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Boston, and others
Visiting Elderly Friends
with the Community of St. Egidio, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Boston, and others
Ramsay Park Clean-Up
With South End churches, Friends of Ramsay Park, and Northeastern University
Somerville School Painting
October 18, 2015 at 3:19 pm in reply to: This Saturday is BostonServe: Let’s Serve the City Together! #5808unitebostonKeymasterGod is up to great things in Boston!
On Saturday October 24, we have the opportunity to make Christ’s love visible together in a way that one church cannot accomplish alone.
On this day, many churches around the city are serving in their neighborhoods as a visible sign of Jesus’ love for Boston.
We enthusiastically invite those who might not identify with a particular church, denomination or faith to join us in serving our city!
The opportunities are listed below – To join in a project, simply email the service coordinator of the project you are interested in, and include Kelly Steinhaus in the email as well (Kelly@uniteboston.com).
We look forward to serving our city with you!
Kelly Steinhaus
UniteBoston Team Leader
kelly@uniteboston.comFriday, October 23rd
A service in the sanctuary that will end with a candelight vigil on Warren Street to bring healing and hope to our traumatized communities.
Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm
Location: Roxbury Presbyterian Church, 328 Warren Street, Roxbury
Contact: Nancy Kilburn, nkilburn@rpcsic.orgSaturday, October 24th
Painting and Cleaning at English High School
We will be painting the support services office and cleaning the trophy case to make the room more inviting for students.
Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm
Location: English High School, 144 McBride Street, Jamaica Plain
Contact: Pastor Jua Robinson, jrobinson@hcfboston.comOur vision of service is one of friendship and accompaniment. We visit our elderly friends at the Laurel Ridge nursing home regularly, and would love to have you come and join us!
Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm
Location: Laurel Ridge Nursing Home, 174 Forest Hills Street, Jamaica Plain
Contact: Kerri Marmol, kerrihilleren@gmail.comWe will be gathering to help clean up Codman Park. Come and join us!
Time: 10:00am to 3:00pm
Location: 6 Codman Park, Boston
Contact: Pastor Bruce Wall, bruce@grace.orgHarvard Square Homeless Outreach
We will be building relationships with our friends who are living on the street, and share information about local resources and programs.
Time: 1:00 to 3:30pm
Location: Journey Church Office, Basement of First Church Cambridge, 11 Garden Street, Cambridge
Contact: Kelly Steinhaus, kelly@jcboston.orgPrepare and serve a healthy and hearty dinner to 70 -100 people in need.
Time: 2:15 to 7:00pm, but shorter periods are helpful and welcome
Location: 13 Sellers Street, Cambridge
Contact: Frank Smith, fseysmith@verizon.netWe are working with the school to clean up the area and paint.
Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm
Location: 40 Armington Street, Allston
Contact: Pastor Shan, shan.gian@gmail.comWe will be painting, cleaning and doing some carpentry to help improve the school environment!
Time: 8:30am to 2:00pm
Location: 205 Roxbury Street, Roxbury
Contact: Pastor Paul Atwater, paul@northriverchurch.orgJoin with your community to clean, beautify and celebrate your neighborhood park! More info on the Facebook event here:
Time: 9:00am to 1:00pm
Location: Ramsey Park, 1927 Washington St, Boston, Massachusetts 02118
Contact: Sarah O’Conner, sarah@ststephensbos.orgOther Great Service Happening Around the City on October 24: (No Extra Volunteers Needed)
Painting At A School in Somerville
Evening Worship Gathering – October 24
UNOW is a united worship movement that brings together the Body of Christ across cultural, denominational, and social lines for worship, prayer, evangelism, and acts of compassion. UNOW’s vision for 2015 is to see as many grassroots nights of worship happen across New England on October 24th.
The gatherings are scheduled to take place from 6:00 to 9:00pm. We are encouraging everyone who participates in BostonServe to wear their tee shirt to the UNOW gathering.
Here are a few of the local UNOW gatherings. Check the website for the most updated information:
http://www.unitednightofworship.com/events/
- CCF Ministries, 105 Princeton Blvd. Lowell, MA 01851
- Defenders Boston Church, 10 E Cottage St., Boston, MA 02119 **Many from UniteBoston will be here**
- Ethiopian Christian Fellowship, 838 Mass Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church) *This location will feature songs in both English and Amharic
- New Life Christian Center, 47 Spruce St., Chelsea, MA 02150
Come and serve the city with us and you can get one of these shirts for FREE! This BostonServe tee shirt is a visible sign of our desire to bless the city together with the love of Christ.
Watch this video interview with Pastor Bruce Wall from Boston Praise Radio & TV
unitebostonKeymasterDescription
Every Tuesday evening, a small group of us from the Community of Sant’Egidio visit our elderly friends at the Laurel Ridge nursing home in Jamaica Plain. We will be serving there on Saturday the 24th from 10am to 12pm and would love to have you come and join us!
Our vision of service is one of friendship and accompaniment. We approach the outreach to the elderly with the intention of becoming friends, not volunteers. We also feel it is imperative to take care of the elders in our midst who have been abandoned to a nursing home with no one to visit or remember them. We want to listen to their lives, share our own lives, celebrate birthdays, learn from their wisdom, discovering the importance of stopping and taking time with a friend. In the hectic rhythm of our lives, it is a gift to be invited to sit, talk and listen with an elderly friend who is alone. This simple hour with an elderly gives us that true rest of which Jesus speaks. (Matthew 11:28) We look forward to welcoming new friends to join us on the 24th and meet our beautiful older friends!
Details
Name of Church/Community Group: Community of Sant’Egidio
Project Time & Location (Address): Saturday the 24th from 10am–12pm at Laurel Ridge Nursing Home 174 Forest Hills St, Jamaica Plain MA 02130
Number of Volunteers You Will Bring (Approximate): 4
Do You Need More Volunteers?: YesContact Info
Name: Kerri Marmol
Email: kerrihilleren@gmail.com
Phone: (347) 266-4152unitebostonKeymasterDescription
We are helping a school in Somerville, MA paint their outdoor facilities. At the request of the school, this service project and location will not be publicized.
Details
Name of Church/Community Group: Hope Fellowship Church
Project Location (Address): Somerville, MA
Number of Volunteers You Will Bring (Approximate): 10
Do You Need More Volunteers?: NoContact Info
Name: Alex Grant
Email: alex@hopefellowshipchurch.org
Phone: (617) 299-9497unitebostonKeymasterDescription
We will be painting the support services office and cleaning the trophy case at English High School. Painting the office will make the room more inviting for students. There are trophies in three cases from the early 1900’s through 2015.
Details
Name of Church/Community Group: Heart Change Fellowship
Project Time:9:00am to 12:00pm
Project Location (Address): English High School 144 McBride St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Number of Volunteers You Will Bring (Approximate): 12
Do You Need More Volunteers?: YesContact Info
Name: Jua Robinson
Email: jrobinson@hcfboston.com
Phone: (617) 283-5060unitebostonKeymasterGod is changing lives through UniteBoston! Listen to testimonies of changed minds and hearts after attending various gatherings during the 10 Days of Prayer. Together, we are better!
unitebostonKeymasterDescription
We will be serving at Bridge House, a half-way house for men released from prison. We have all of the volunteers that we need, but we are excited to be a part of the BostonServe initiative!
Details
Name of Church/Community Group: Grace Chapel Men’s Bible Study Group
Project Time & Location (Address): 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Bridge House, Framingham, MA
Number of Volunteers You Will Bring (Approximate): 6
Do You Need More Volunteers?: NoContact Info
Name: Jack Richardson
Email: jrichardson@visionnewengland.orgunitebostonKeymasterDescription
On the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, Saint Peter’s CommonCare ministry serves a healthy and hearty dinner to from 70-100 people in need. Volunteers come together to begin food preparations early in the afternoon, and the dinner begins at 5:00 p.m.
Details
Name of Church/Community Group: Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church
Project time: 2:15 to 7:00pm, but shorter periods are also helpful and welcome
Project Location (Address): 13 Sellers Street, Cambridge
Number of Volunteers You Will Bring (Approximate): 10
Do You Need More Volunteers?: YesContact Info
Name: Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church CommonCare
Email: Frank Smith, fseysmith@verizon.net
Phone: (617) 320-2740 -
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