Mission and Justice
March 2018
One Great Hour of Sharing® (OGHS) “More Than We Can Imagine”
OGHS is the Lenten Offering of the United Church of Christ. It is at work all around the year, all around the world – sharing resources and changing lives. The UCC works with domestic and international partners, to provide support to health, education, refugee, agricultural, and emergency relief initiatives. We will receive and dedicate the OGHS offering on Sunday, March 11. Please prayerfully consider your gift between now and then. For much more information including about Matching Gift programs, donating to a specific natural disaster or refugee emergency, staying updated, and watching videos see www.ucc.org/oghs and www.facebook.com/onegreathourofsharingucc.
Local
Arlington Food Pantry
Bring non-perishable food items and household goods to church by Sunday, March 4. Find high-need items here: arlingtonfoodpantry.org/donate-food
NEAT (Neighbors Eating All Together)
The next NEAT dinner at St. John’s Church (74 Pleasant St) is Saturday, March 24 from 5pm-6pm. This dinner is a community dinner, open to all and free of charge. If you’d like to volunteer, look for an email to chat, or please speak to Kate Lindheim. Thanks!
Birthday bags for Youth Villages/Germaine Lawrence
Each month we drop off a birthday party in a bag for a dorm at Youth Villages, just up the street from PACC. Youth Villages is a residential program for girls with emotional and behavioral issues from ages 12-21. Birthdays can be difficult days and a reminder of loss for the girls at Youth Villages. The birthday bags help the girls celebrate their special day and are fun for the whole dorm. Each birthday bag contains 3 boxes of cake mix, 3 containers of frosting, birthday candles, cupcake liners, festive matching or coordinating plates and napkins (set of 20), and a special treat (examples include a bag of lollipops, nail polish, adult coloring books and colored pencils, bubbles, temporary tattoos, glow sticks). All of these items are then packaged in a large gift bag. If you’d like to donate any of these items, you can leave them in the blue bucket under the table in the narthex. This is an ongoing collection because we donate a birthday bag each month throughout the year. If you have any questions, please ask Kate Lindheim. Thank you!
Somerville Homeless Coalition’s Community Supper
We’ll provide the meal for the Somerville Homeless Coalition’s community supper on Monday, March 26. Look for an email to chat with all the details.
A Nation of Immigrants Community Seder
Sunday, March 4, 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm, Campus Center Ballroom, UMass Boston. See Mike or Betty Rich or go to www.eventbrite.com/e/adls-11th-annual-a-nation-of-immigrants-community-seder-tickets-40099365281 for details and to register (FREE).
Mystic LGBTQ+ Youth Support Network
See Queer Mystic’s Newsletter, here https://tinyurl.com/yckrgs88 , for news and events in March and beyond, including QUEER NIGHT, Saturday, March 3, 7-8:30 pm at Fox Library in Arlington; DRAG PROM Saturday, May 19, 7 -10 pm at the Arlington Senior Center.
Wider Church
Super Saturday
March 17, 2018 – 8:00 am – 3:45 pm
Minnechaug Regional High School, Wilbraham, MA
A day of stellar workshops and UCC community featuring the dynamic Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis as keynote speaker. Dr. Lewis extends a profound, moving, even funny invitation to join her in working for racial equality. Workshops focus on everything from living into our LGBTQ welcome to growing a vibrant church to learning about the Sanctuary movement. Past attendees have come back excited and equipped to do new things here at PACC! Register at www.macucc.org/eventdetail/super-saturday-march-2018-9985355 Deadline March 3. Talk to Mike Rich to register as a group at a discounted rate.
Eumenical Lenten Carbon Fast
“Only by coming together can we solve the climate crisis. Our churches, as tight-knit, morally-driven communities, are an excellent place to begin! God is calling us to be the change we long to see. Let us engage this spiritual discipline, grateful for all God has entrusted to us, and trusting that with God all things are possible.” The Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Massachusetts Conference Minister and President. www.macucc.org/carbonfast
An Evening with Traci Blackmon
April 3, 2018, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
University School of Theology Community Center, 745 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
The Rev. Traci Blackmon is the Executive Minister of Justice & Witness Ministries of The United Church of Christ and Senior Pastor of Christ The King United Church of Christ in Florissant, MO. This event is free and open to the public due to generous support from the Lowell Institute. For more Lowell Lectures, please visit www.lowellinstitute.org.