UniteBoston

Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City

Transforming Hostility into Enemy-Embracing Love Sermon

Do you want to learn more about the theology behind Christian unity?

UniteBoston’s Executive Director Kelly Fassett preached at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary this past Wednesday. Her sermon was titled “Transforming Hostility into Enemy-Embracing Love.” Jesus redefined who we should associate with and modeled enemy-embracing love, even for the people that were nailing him to the cross. The sermon is centered on the scripture text Ephesians 2:11-22, which emphasizes Jesus’ reconciling peace, and the work of Christ that destroyed hostility between Jews and Gentiles.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” (Ephesians 2:14-17)

As Christians, how can people believe that we are reconciled to God, if we aren’t reconciled to one another? Kelly believes that there is one major component that is preventing unity and reconciliation: hostility. She highlights four steps we can take to uncover the hostility we may be holding towards other Christians by:

  1. Reflecting on which Christian groups we consider to be outside of the “true Christian church”
  2. Going with curiosity to learn from people and worship settings
  3. Reflecting and discerning which aspects of their faith that you want to adopt into your own Christian practice
  4. Speaking well of fellow Christians and treating them as if they were the living, breathing body of Christ

She states boldly that Christian unity is a process by which the church is brought to maturity (Eph 2:21-22, Eph 4:15-16). Our differences even among Christians seem to lead to intractable polarization and division – Listen to the sermon below to reflect, learn and grow together across the diversity of Christian belief and practice.

 

 

5 Reasons Why Your Gift to UB Makes A Difference

UniteBoston has come a long way since its start in September 2010, when two young adults dreamed about a more interconnected Christian community and sent out a newsletter called “UniteBoston” in a basement in Cambridge. Their hope was to initiate awareness towards John 17 unity and inter-church collaboration. Interest grew quickly, and UniteBoston soon expanded into a website and then a non-profit in 2012. Now, six years later, it is a growing ministry that reaches thousands of Christians and churches from all different backgrounds throughout the city to further gospel movement.

The 2018 UniteBoston worship night that was attended by over 1,000 people displayed the interest of many Christians in a movement that would transcend the historic boundaries that have tended to characterize the Christian faith. In many ways, UniteBoston is seeing greater momentum than ever before.

We know that there are many great ministries in Boston doing great work; here are five reasons why your investment in UniteBoston’s ministry makes a difference.

1. We’re uniquely building bridges across historically divided Christians

UniteBoston is one of the only Christian organizations that is exclusively devoted to Jesus’ prayer “that they would be one.” We are building bridges across historically divided Christians ethnically, denominationally, and generationally. Our efforts are beginning to bear fruit, as we are seeing unprecedented unity among Christians that have been divided for centuries. Within UniteBoston, there are Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, and Mainline Protestant Christians, as well as Christians from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. The 2017 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity gathering that was hosted by 8 co-presiding leaders of 8 different Christian traditions is one example of the fruit that is emerging through our ministry.

2. Young adults form a large part of the UB Community

If you spend time at the UB worship night or at the neighborhood dinners, you will find that a large percentage of young adults in their 20’s and 30’s are involved, and UniteBoston’s Executive Director Kelly Fassett is only 33 years old! While trends in churches indicate that many young people are leaving the faith, UniteBoston is uniquely engaging young people and mentoring them with older leaders in a way of doing Church that encourages deep intimacy with Jesus and respect for Christians of other backgrounds. Click here to meet the members of the UB Team and the UB Worship Team.

Photo Credit: Koo Chung

3. UB helps people gain a bigger perspective of how God is at work in Boston

People involved in UniteBoston continually express how refreshing it is to meet Christians from other traditions and neighborhoods. Many state that their involvement in the neighborhood dinners and worship gatherings enriches their own faith and also helps them to see how God is at work in Boston. Seeing the bigger picture enlivens the work within our own local congregations and ministries.

Photo Credit: Elijah Mickelson

4. Reconciliation happens best through relationships

While efforts towards Christian unity have traditionally focused on dialogues between high-level leaders, UniteBoston has focused on building unity through relationships on the ground level. At the end of the day, we are convinced that reconciliation happens not through statements or documents but through deep conversations and relationships. Our neighborhood dinners enable people to share our stories of faith in following Jesus and cultivate missional unity towards loving our neighbors.

Neighborhood Dinner at Sally’s House in West Roxbury

5. We seek to change the narrative of the public perception of Christianity

News stories about Christians today are unfortunately characterized by pastoral abuse or sexual misconduct. While each of our churches have flaws, in many ways, Christians are known for what we are against, rather than what we are for. We seek to create a public witness that as Christians we are for reaching across boundaries, for welcoming the stranger, and for loving the least among us. UniteBoston isn’t perfect, but by building bridges between Christians from all backgrounds, UniteBoston seeks to embody and witness to the the boundary-breaking, reconciling love of Christ. One of the greatest examples of this is the UniteBoston worship night that includes a diversity of Christians all worshipping Jesus together. Jesus has brought peace and reconciliation to the world; because of this, together we can rejoice!

UniteBoston has a small budget (Approximately $50,000 annually)  and only one paid staff person, but we make a big impact! Staff time and supplies are needed in order to mobilize the Christian community to further gospel movement through our programming. We are seeking to raise $12,000 by Thursday November 8th and we are at 25% of our goal. We would be honored to have your support to build on the momentum that God is bringing forth in this ministry!

Here are a few ongoing costs that you can contribute to:

-$50 allows us to take a local pastor out to lunch

-$40 per month pays for our Quickbooks Accounting Software

-$17 per month pays for our UB Team Zoom Video Calls

-$50 per month pays for our Icontact Newsletter Subscription

-$100 pays for pizza for the UB worship team after rehearsal

Plus, if you become a monthly donor, you will receive a new UB waterbottle! And, if you tell three people about UniteBoston, Kelly will give you a big hug! 🙂

Come and join us for UniteBoston’s Fundraising Party on Thursday November 8th from 6:30 to 8:30pm at Bethel AME Church, 40 Walk Hill Street, Boston. This is UniteBoston’s fourth annual fundraiser – a night of live music, food, and stories, as we celebrate the increasing sense of momentum and unity. There is no cost to attend, but there will be an opportunity to give at the event. Space is limited, so please RSVP via Eventbrite soon!

Donations can be made by visiting www.uniteboston.com/give, or checks made out to “UniteBoston” can be sent to UniteBoston, P.O. Box 961162, Boston, MA 02196.

We are excited to come together with Christians throughout the city to celebrate the increasing sense of momentum. Each person is a valuable part of this united gospel movement – thanks so much for committing to join with us in this!

Worship Night Featured in the Boston Pilot

The 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.”

 

“Unity in Christ” Sermon

Prashan 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!

2018 Summer Worship Night

Pastors 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 Church

 

 

We 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: 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!


Give to Further Christian Unity

DONATE!