Previous Events
Unitarian Universalist Statewide Forum on Immigrant Rights
Location: Arlington Street Church, UU
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Speakers from immigrant and immigrant rights organizations: Centro Presente and MA Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice. The award-winning 20 min. documentary “Detained” about the New Bedford ICE raid (Immigration & Custom Enforcement) will be shown.
Learn about Welcoming Massachusetts initiative, the New Sanctuary Movement, moratorium on ICE raids, immigration reform and what you and your congregation can do. A Latino lunch will be provided. RSVP to Audra Friend at afriend@uua.org; be sure to include the name of your congregation and your town/city and put “ Immigrant Rights Forum” in the subject line.“Majority Speaks: Global Perspectives in Mission”
Location: Andover Newton Theological School
As interest and involvement among Unitarian Universalists in international engagement increases, we can benefit tremendously by learning from lessons of the past and new visions of the future for this work from an interfaith perspective.
The conference is designed for lay leaders and local church mission committees, as well as pastors who are interested in developing missional churches. Download the informational flyer for more details.Installation of Rev. Marjorie J. Matty
Location: First Universalist Society of Salem
The First Universalist Society in Salem will install the Rev. Marjorie J. Matty as their settled minister at a ceremony beginning at 4:00 p.m. Reception to follow.
Spiritual Parenting Workshop for Parents of Children with Special Needs
Location: Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lynn
If you are a parent, teacher, religious educator or minister— take advantage of this important learning opportunity. This workshop will explore how to change our thoughts about our child rather than trying to change our child. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lynn is sponsoring this event at no cost, but you must RSVP in order to receive workshop materials. Please do so to Rebecca Kelley Morgan before or on April 30.
From Sally Patton, Embracing the Spirit of the Child: "As a parent of a child with a special needs label, I struggle to balance using the label to get needed services with refusing to see my child as defective as the label implies. Many parents continually struggle to do this, but most succumb to the relentless message that their child has deficits which need to be fixed, ameliorated or managed. Each time we, as parents, refer to our children by their diagnostic labels, we are saying they are less than whole, we are taking something away from their humanity. We are saying that the label we give this child is more important than anything else. And when we do this, we are giving permission to others to do the same. The change in helping others to seeing the whole child instead of a mass of deficits to be fixed must first start with parents. Seeing past the label to the whole child, using language that focuses on the positive instead of the negative, and avoiding generalizations and assumptions that come from the use of labels can be immensely freeing and healing for all concerned - child, parent, teacher and therapist."