UniteBoston

Nurturing Relational Connections Across Boston's Christian Community

Bible Studies in the Suffolk County Jail

Pre-pandemic, a team of us sponsored by the Boston Dream Center co-led “Soul Care” Bible Studies at the Suffolk County Jail, 200 Nashua Street for about 5 years.  Over 700 men participated. Although there is still a COVID masking restriction, there is a new possibility for volunteers to serve at the jail following background check and orientation.  We have been invited to relaunch Bible studies as soon as we can get a team together and get ourselves organized.  I invite you to a ZOOM information meeting June 9 – 7-8PM to explore this possibility with you.  (If you are unable to join the ZOOM meeting, but are still interested please contact me).
Craig Parker
Boston City Director – The Navigators
craig.parker@navigators.org

Boston Microchurch Conference

The Boston Microchurch Stream & Summit is an in-person gathering organized around a high-quality livestream of the Microchurch Conference plenary sessions supplemented with rich opportunities to debrief, learn, and build relationships at an in-person event.

This event is perfect for Boston-based missional practitioners, leaders of traditional churches who are exploring microchurch, and anyone eager to learn about this smaller way of doing church.

Co-Hosts: This event is organized by three networks working to cultivate decentralized church movement in Boston. THE TABLE, Antioch Roxbury, and Public Church.

COVID Protocol: Please do not attend if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Masks required unless you are actively eating/drinking or speaking from the front. All participants are required to have a negative COVID test (at home or PCR) within 48 hours of the event. Rapids tests are available on-site for participants who are unable to otherwise secure a negative result at a cost of $10/test.

Location: The event will be held in the at Awaken City Church | 184 Hyde Park Ave. in Jamaica Plain. The location is conveniently located steps away from the MBTA Orange Line Forrest Hills stop. Some street parking is also available on adjacent streets

Converge Partnership Launch Week!

Support the life-changing work of refugee leaders!

1) Join our virtual gathering on Tuesday, December 3rd, from 9-9:30am to learn about the Converge Partnership with the Intercultural Ministries of Emmanuel Gospel Center (EGC) and Universal Human Rights International, leveraging the skills of our diverse community with refugee leadership at the forefront of refugee work.

2) Register to attend our fundraiser dinner on Thursday, December 5 from 6-8 pm to hear from refugees about how they are taking initiative to support their communities.

3) Mark your calendars to donate on Giving Tuesday. Thrivent Financial Services will match $1 for every $2 donation to the partnership made on Giving Tuesday!

To learn more, join the virtual gathering, to donate toward the match, or to RSVP for the dinner, please visit: www.egc.org/refugee

Boston Ujima Project and Faith Communities for a Solidarity Economy

We are growing a network of faith organizations as part of the Boston Ujima Project, which organizes neighbors, workers, business owners and investors to bring a community-controlled Boston-based economy to fruition.

We are on our way! And you are the most important part of the equity-equation! Whether you came to the first kick-off event in Nov 2018, or are engaging for the first time with us, or anywhere in between, we urge you to engage with us as a broader body of faith communities. We gather to encourage making commitments to the equitable distribution of decision-making power and resources in our city, and to grow and be joyful together, in pursuit of racial and economic justice. All are welcome,including but not limited to members, staff and leaders of congregations and faith organizations.

Details:

  • When: Thursday, November 21st, 6-8pm
  • Where: Jamaica Plain Cohousing, 65 Cornwall St., Boston
  • Dinner provided.
  • RSVP today via Eventbrite
  • Spread the word via Facebook to folks in your or other organizations/congregations who you want to be part of Ujima’s work!
  • Co-hosted by Kavod, a community of young adults committed to local social justice organizing and meaningful Jewish practice.
  • Feel free to reach out to Nadav at partnerships@kavodhouse.com or Seona at seonaboston@yahoo.com

What to expect: 

At this event, we will learn from and celebrate how some faith communities have been engaging with Ujima, including over $80,000 of direct investment into the Ujima Investment Fund, and over $15,000 (and counting) purchased of goods and services from the Ujima Business Alliance businesses! You did this, and we can continue to do so much more together!

If you have made purchases with Ujima’s businesses or partners, please record them on this Google Form. See our list of partners and businesses at www.UjimaBoston.com.

This will also be the space to meet some of the Ujima business owners, and familiarize and network with the other efforts within the Ujima ecosystem.

And what would be a faith communities meeting if we didn’t have a little fun and laughter together, to foster goodwill and ignite collaboration among the faith communities represented amongst us.

Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra (Mark Harvey, director) will open its historic 47th season with a Duke Ellington Celebration, including tuneful classics and joyful sacred music featuring the First Parish of Concord choir, directed by Elizabeth Norton, with Nikki Turpin, narrator.  The concert will be held Sunday, September 22 at 7:00 pm at First Parish Church of Concord MA.  The program is sponsored by the Music Ministry of First Parish in collaboration with The Robbins House.  Aardvark has been called “stunningly beautiful” (New York City Jazz Record), “spellbinding” (The Boston Globe) and “one of the best jazz ensembles in the world” (Jazz Podium, Germany).  The band has been praised for “lush sonorities and a saxophonic blend worthy of Ellington’s finest reed sections” (JazzTimes).

The concert will honor Duke Ellington (1899-1974) in his 120th birthday year with a program celebrating joy, justice, and love – themes that were important for Ellington throughout his life.  Although not a religious event, the program embraces the tenets of Christianity in celebrating social justice, equality and inclusiveness.  The Reverend Dr Mark Harvey, Aardvark’s founder and music director is a retired Methodist minister, who has written compositions on themes of spirituality, peace and justice and led his orchestra in concerts for these causes for 50 years.  The September 22 concert will feature music from Ellington’s Sacred Concerts, including Heaven and New World A-Comin’ which Duke described as “a place where there would be no war, no greed, no categorization, and where love would be unconditional.”  The First Parish choir will join Aardvark in two sacred works:  the ebullient David Danced before the Lord, and It’s Freedom, a powerful expression of Civil-Rights-era fervor with resonance for today.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra performs widely, has premiered more than 175 works for jazz orchestra, and has released 15 CDs, including 9 discs on Leo Records and a recording of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music on the Aardmuse label.  Aardvark guests have included Sheila Jordan, Ricky Ford, Geri Allen, Jaki Byard, Jimmy Giuffre and other luminaries.  The band has performed Ellington concerts for more than three decades, including an Ellington Centennial Concert in 1999 at MIT’s mainstage Kresge Auditorium.  Mark Harvey has transcribed many Ducal works, and has written and lectured about Ellington for more than 25 years.

Aardvark is: Arni Cheatham, Peter H. Bloom, Phil Scarff, Chris Rakowski, Dan Zupan/saxes and woodwinds; K.C. Dunbar, Jeanne Snodgrass/trumpets; David Harris, Jay Keyser/trombones; Jeff Marsanskis, Bill Lowe/bass trombones, tuba; John Funkhouser/piano; Rick McLaughlin/string bass; Harry Wellott/drums; Jerry Edwards and Grace Hughes, vocalists; and Mark Harvey, arranger/music director.   The orchestra is managed by Americas Musicworks, Rebecca DeLamotte, director, telephone 617 776 8778


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