church – Page 4 – UniteBoston

Jan 23 2019

Made to Flourish Lunch and Learn

Join us at our first Lunch and Learn of 2019! We look forward to a great lunch and learn as we see the intersection of “Faith & Government” through the eyes of newly elected State-Rep Nika Elugardo. Nika earned her B.S. from MIT in Urban Planning, an MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government with concentrations in political advocacy, leadership, and peace and security, and a J.D. from Boston University Law School with externships in tax law, human rights, and corporate social responsibility. Nika’s work experience, training as a lawyer and policy leader, progressive values, and passion for our District position her to be a bold, effective leader on Beacon Hill. Nika won her election in 2018 to become MA State Representative to the 15th Suffolk/Norfolk District, including the neighborhoods of Brookline, Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, and Roslindale.

Email boston@madetoflourish.org to RSVP.

Please note: This event is limited to church/parachurch staff members

Jan 17 2019

Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. King & MLK Day Service Projects

Martin Luther King was a doctoral student at the school of theology at Boston University, and lived in the South End. He was an assistant preacher at Twelfth Baptist Church. He led a mile-long civil rights march from the South End to the Boston Common.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. also stood at the Parkman Bandstand (the same location as the UB summer worship night!), in front of 22,000 people, speaking to the racial divisions: “Now is the time to make brotherhood a reality. Now is the time. The vision of the new Boston must extend into the heart of Roxbury. Boston must become a testing ground for the ideals of freedom.’’

This week, the world commemorates the 51st anniversary of his assasination, and King’s legacy lives on in our city. Pastor Larry King from Cambridge Community Fellowship Church seeks to extend this legacy and shape the identity of his church around social justice and racial reconciliation. Their congregation was featured on Channel 10 News – Click here to watch this!

Martin Luther King’s Prayer for the Church

We thank you for your church, founded upon your Word, that challenges us to do more than sing and pray, but go out and work as though the very answer to our prayers depended on us and not upon you.
Help us to realize that humanity was created to shine like the stars and live on through all eternity.
Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace.
Help us to walk together,
pray together,
sing together,
and live together
until that day when all God’s children
– Black, White, Red, Brown and Yellow –
will rejoice in one common band of humanity
in the reign of our Lord and of our God, we pray.
Amen.

Martin Luther King Day Service Projects

One of the best ways to live into Martin Luther King’s legacy is to participate in service projects. A few are listed below, or email Kelly Fassett, kelly@uniteboston.com if you know of any others that should be added to this list. It would be great to see Christians come together to serve alongside our neighbors!

St. Stephen’s Youth Program’s MLK Day of Action

Monday, January 21, 9:00am-2:00pm at Blackstone Innovation School, 380 Shawmut Ave, Boston.

Join for a variety of projects to honor Martin Luther King. There will be physical maintenance projects (painting and cleaning) and projects appropriate for children under age 13 and those with physical mobility limitations. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, and the day will conclude with an MLK Day Reflection and Education Equity Workshop.

In addition, the Blackstone is requesting donations of hypoallergenic and fragrance-free hygiene supplies such as soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and especially skin lotion. If you can provide any of these, please bring them with you to the Day of Action where we will be organizing an area for young people to receive these essential items. Sign up here.

9th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Day of Service

Monday January 21st, 9:00am to 1:00pm at Brandeis University, Waltham

Come honor and learn from the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., pack meals for food pantries & congregations that serve the homeless community and participate in social justice discussions with Brandeis clubs and local non-profits.

This year’s theme is “Continuous Giving” and features guest speaker Kevin Peterson from The New Democracy Coalition. Workshops for the day include: Chaplains on Way – Spiritual Companioning, Prejudice or Empathy with CMM’s IFYI Program Director Shelton Oakley Hersey, Habitat for Humanity, Community Day Center of Waltham, with activities for younger kids too. Sign up here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Monday January 21st, 2:00 to 5:00pm at Cambridge City Hall and various locations in Central Square, Cambridge

The 9th Annual Cambridge Day of Service organized by Many Helping Hands 365 to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event is FREE and open to the public.

All ages are welcome to help with projects that benefit children, teens and adults in need. Join us for an afternoon of hands-on service projects! Make fleece scarves and blankets for homeless children and adults. Make Valentines for elders and veterans. Sort food, winter clothing, books and toiletries for people in need and more! Come spend an afternoon making a difference in the lives of others. Sign up here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Service Project with Courageous Conversations

Monday January 21st, 9:00 to 11:00am at the Church of Our Savior (453 Adams Street, Milton, MA 02186)

Come to assemble blessing bags and distribute to homeless attendees at a mid day luncheon in Boston. Supplies needed include toiletries, granola bars and small snacks, and $5 gift cards to local restaurants. Unscented toiletries are preferred. Bags will be assembled. At 12:00pm, the blessing bags will be distributed at St. Paul’s Cathedral (138 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02111). Sign up here.

Martin Luther King Jr. Outdoor Service Project

Monday January 21st, 9:30am to 12:00pm, 500 Walk Hill Street, Mattapan

Join us for the outdoor service project at the Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary. Help us collect litter from the trails. Sign up here.

Courageous Conversations MLK Day Celebration

Monday, January 21st, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM, Concord Baptist Church, 180 Blue Hill Avenue, Milton

Milton Interfaith Clergy Association invites you to participate in the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Milton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Sign up here.

Martin Luther King Day Community Conversations on Race

Monday, January 21 from 8:30am to 3:00pm at Grace Chapel, 3 Militia Drive, Lexington and surrounding towns

the Town of Lexington will commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with its 6th annual family-friendly day of volunteer activities supporting the underserved. The events begin at 9am (doors open at 8:30am) with a community dialogue on race in the Courtyard at Grace Chapel. This year’s topic is Dismantling White Privilege and Institutional Racism in Lexington and Beyond: the 400-year Struggle for Racial Justice. From 1-3pm, there will be fleece scarf and blanket making in the gym at Grace Chapel as well as a drop off station for donations of non-perishable foods, new and well-preserved toys, media, and more. Town activities will include cookie and card making, delivering sand to seniors for their winter walks and driveway and more. Visit the website for more information.

2019 Town of Brookline MLK Day Celebration

Mon, January 21, 3:00 to 4:30pm, Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard Street, Brookline

Join together for Brookline’s celebration of the life and values of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at 3 pm Monday, January 21, 2019, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. The theme for this year’s event is “Reflections on Race – Brookline Then and Now.” This year’s program will feature Brookline: Facing Civil Rights, a documentary film conceptualized by the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee and Produced by R. Harvey Bravman. Sign up here.

MLK Day of Learning: 50th Anniversary of the Poor People’s March

Saturday, January 19, 8:30am – 1:00pm at City Mission Boston, 185 Columbia Rd
Boston

Fifty years ago, Dr. King announced the Poor People’s Campaign. Although launched in 1968, this movement continues to be relevant today. Join City Mission for our annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Learning, where we will continue this important work. The US Census reflects the huge disparities in Boston, where the poverty rate for white residents is just under 7%, and for Black residents is 21.5%. The event is coordinated by City Mission Boston and will include guest speakers and facilitated small group discussion to help us learn from, and build community, with each other. Sign up here.

Boston Cares MLK Day of Service

Monday, January 21st, 10am to 1pm at Boston Latin School, 78 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston

On January 21, 2019 Boston Cares will organize 600 volunteers at the Boston Latin School, to support local immigrants and refugees through the creation of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) learning tools for community organizations and schools throughout the city of Boston. Volunteers will create English journals, conversation games, and vocabulary and citizenship flashcards for organizations for immigrant and refugee families learning English and preparing for the citizenship exam. New this year, volunteers will also create magnetic lapdesks and phonetics kits for beginners who may not be literate in their native languages. Additionally, our sponsors will join us in building beds for families who do not have a bed of their own. MLK Day is always kid-friendly and open to youth 5+. No orientation is required. Register here.

Mar 23 2018

i-ADVANCE

Faith Fellowship Ministries International, a multi-ethnic and multicultural church, will host, i-ADVANCE, a 4-day leadership conference in June focused on equipping leaders with practical skills to positively impact their communities. i-ADVANCE, will have 8 educational sessions and workshops on:

1. How to effectively develop a Street Ministry to address

Worcester’s homeless epidemic.

2. How small business owners and pastors can get their finances in order.

3. How to communicate with empathy.

4. How to implement godly leadership principles.

The conference is designed to help attendees rapidly evaluate, implement and maximize their potential by equipping them with practical skills and industry insights to positively impact their communities. Speakers include representatives from All Nations Church, Net of Compassion, UNOW, Revival International Network, TD Bank, and more.

Jun 16 2018

DaySpring Conference

Join us for a spectacular week of worship, prophetic services and amazing ministrations from Apostle Sam Aiyedobgon and Prophetess Angella Reid. There will be events every day from Wednesday to Sunday so you can pick any night or come to all!

There will be free childcare! Come and experience God in a new and refreshing way! Also follow DaySpring Chapel for more information at https://m.facebook.com/DaySpringChapelBoston

Nov 20 2013

Boston’s “Quiet” Revival Gets Noisy

Basil Yarde has a unique “birds-eye” view of God’s work throughout the region as Director of Church Relations at Salem Communications. It was an honor to sit down with Basil to hear more about the spiritual revival and awakening that he sees.

At a recent New England leader’s gathering, Basil Yarde enthusiastically proclaimed that he has the best job ever. When asked to explain, he said, “I get to interview and see what God is doing all over the region.”

These past ten years, Basil has seen remarkable change among the spiritual landscape of the city: “When I came to the city, I knew that revival was coming, but people told me that I was crazy. They would say to me that Boston is God’s frozen chosen and that nothing happens here. And some of these same people are now saying the thing that I came saying, that revival is here.”

What indicates that the revival is here? Basil has seen a number of churches recently inherit huge parcels of land and large buildings. One is the ever-growing North River Community Church, which was built recently on 45 acres of land. The same thing happened with International Family Church in North Redding, who was able to get a large factory for half price (7 million dollars). Basil remarked, “When the Reebok people were building, they had no idea they were building for God’s harvest!”

In addition to this, here in the metro Boston area, several large Catholic churches have become home to smaller Pentecostal ministries and churches, such as the Greater Boston Vineyard in Cambridge. Youth With A Mission in Somerville recently acquired a massive 21,000 square-foot building in Somerville. Other churches are forming new sites to reach more people, such as Fenway Church, Grace Chapel, Pentecostal Tabernacle, and Alethia Church. He says, “All of these churches have a vision for souls – God is giving them barns to bring the harvest in. These churches are not pulling people from other churches, but rather being filled with new people that are coming into the Kingdom. For me, that is major proof that revival is here.”

Not only is God increasing the capacity of churches, but He is birthing dozens of new ministries in the city. Ten years ago, Basil heard about one new ministry every month. Now, there are three or four times that many popping up.

There is one vision of revival that stands out as prominent in Basil’s mind, a vision that God gave him when he first arrived to Boston: “The Lord showed me that people were walking down the street crying. They didn’t know why they were crying, but the weight of God’s glory was so strong that people were feeling remorse and wanting to repent. Rather than churches going out, people were knocking on church doors to get right with God.”

Personally, when I moved to Boston, I was inspired hear many groups of Christians believing for a large spiritual revival and awakening in the region. However, each time I left the prayer room I became discouraged in my neglect to see the answered fruit of these prayers.

Despite this, I believe that the lack is not on God. He is working; it just takes eyes to see. Through creative genius, He is birthing new ministries, increasing the capacity of churches, and reviving our city. It is only when we are able to have a bigger perspective not on us and our church but on God and His Church that we are able to truly detect the mighty workings of our King. Indeed, there is a monumental fabric of redemption and restoration that is being woven through the Greater Boston region.

The Church is growing…do you see it?
Boston’s Quiet Revival is becoming loud…can you hear it?
What is God doing in your midst? I invite you to post below…

-Kelly Steinhaus
UniteBoston Team Leader

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