UniteBoston

Nurturing Relational Connections Across Boston's Christian Community

Becoming Conscious Investors

How can the way we invest our money reflect our values, create social change and promote thriving communities? During this event we will engage in discussions with representatives from innovative organizations engaging in this work, including the Boston Impact Initiative and the Cooperative Fund of New England and hear from individuals working this out in their own lives. Join us!

Light Refreshments will be served.

November 6th, 2019

7:00-9:00 p.m.

Church of the Covenant

67 Newbury Street, Boston

 

Archdiocese of Boston Justice Convocation

Do Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with God.

Saturday, October 5th, 8am – 3:00pm, Boston College High School, 150 Morrissey Blvd, Boston 02125.  Registration Fee $25 including lunch.  Plenty of free parking.

Come join us to deepen your understanding of injustice and inequality in our community and to learn about local Catholic efforts to bring about change. Learn from our speakers, exhibitors and other parishioners about ways they are promoting Catholic Social Teaching in their parishes/collaboratives, local communities, workplaces and families.

FEATURING: Remarks by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, Holy Mass celebrated by Rev. J. Bryan, Hehir, Cabinet Secretary Health and Human Services, Keynote Address by Janine Carreiro, Co-Director Massachusetts Communities Action Network, extended networking with wide range of Exhibitors, Small Group Faith-Sharing, Workshops on core principles of Catholic Social Justice, and NEW: Inaugural Social Justice Awards.

FOR MORE INFORMATION and TO REGISTER, go to: https://www.bostoncatholic.org/justice/ or contact Suzanne Graul at socialjustice@rcab.org or (617)746-5738

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

Letter from Birmingham Jail: Public Reading & Reflection

All are welcome on the anniversary of Dr. King’s death for a public reading of Letter from Birmingham Jail, with times of personal and community reflection.

The Letter began in the margins of smuggled newspapers in response to criticism from moderate white clergy, and became the moral framework for the Civil Rights Movement. Today, it continues to call people of all faiths and none to pursue reconciliation in our communities.

With special guest Rev. Emmett G. Price III, Ph.D. Dean of the Chapel & Founding Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

For questions or more information email richard@nscbc.org

A Christian Politician Offers Advice for Community Engagement

Learn about how churches should connect with their community through the eyes of newly elected State-Rep Nika Elugardo. Nika is a devout follower of Jesus Christ, and Nika and her team knocked on hundreds of doors to understand the needs and opportunities of the community as she ran for office to the 15th Suffolk/Norfolk District, which includes the neighborhoods of Brookline, Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill, and Roslindale. Last fall, she won her election in 2018 to become MA State Representative in this district!

Kelly Fassett, UniteBoston’s Executive Director, interviewed Nika as part of a revisioning process for River of Life Church in Jamaica Plain. Listen to the 10-minute interview to hear Nika’s advice for how churches should engage in their community, including getting involved with existing community initiatives by showing up consistently and building relationships. These relationships can be great bridges to help share the gospel in everyday life.

Key points that Nika shares in the interview:

  • In her conversations with Boston residents, Nika found that people are looking for integrity, transparency, and leaders who will boldly fight for justice.
  • In her work in the Massachusetts State House, she is focused on changing the policies within three pillars: housing, healthcare, and education. She is seeking to change laws that have systematically shut out certain groups of people from accessing the resources they need, including youth, elders, LGBTQ + populations, people with disabilities, and people impacted by mass incarceration. She describes her need to consider how God’s love and justice play into these policy decisions, and that love and justice cannot be disconnected from one another.
  • Her advice for how Christians should get involved in their neighborhood: “Throughout Boston, people from age 4 to 94 are doing a ton of things, so all you have to do is show up and build relationships. People are so welcoming when people are consistent. Just open the newspaper or go online, find out what is already happening and join in to a group of people that are doing something that you care about. Consistency is key. Churches shouldn’t over-programmatize community engagement; rather, just go and be part of what is already going on in your neighborhood because people would be delighted to have consistent friends.”

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