It was a night to remember. Live music, backyard games galore, festive food and drink, and a giant corn maze. Happy to report that all of the youth made it out of the maze before dark. This is one of our favorite annual youth group traditions. Fun for the young and the “young at heart”!
The October 13th edition of The Concord Bridge highlighted our big climate-friendly initiative. Take a look!
Thanks to all the folks who gave and gathered to help us dedicate our gifts to Mission Partners and engage in service together on October 1st! Together we gave $47,629, made cards and sweets for delivery, worked with Art for All to upcycle political signs into mental health messages, painted kindness rocks, sorted donations for Cradles to Crayons, and made pollinator homes.
On the third Wednesday of every month, the parlor at WCUC is transformed into a community space where members and friends come to enjoy refreshments, conversations, and games/puzzles. The space is open from 10:30am – 12noon and is open for adults of all ages and abilities. Transportation is also provided by volunteers so please email Joyce (joycedegreeff@gmail.com) if you need or could offer a ride. Our next two gatherings will be on November 15th and December 20th.
Families, friends and church members came together as Team WCUC raising over $1500 in support of the Minute Man Arc March. It was a great day for fellowship and community.
Minute Man Arc (MMArc) is a human services agency that supports people of all ages who have disabilities providing therapeutic services, day programs, and a variety of supported residential options. West Concord Union Church (WCUC) and MMArc first began to partner back in the 1980’s when the first group home opened on West Street. Since that time, WCUC has hosted Sunday Fellowship, a ministry of worship and friendship for people with disabilities. Minute Man Arc is WCUC’s largest mission partner.
To open the March, State Senator Jamie Eldridge and State Representative Simon Cataldo spoke warmly about their experiences with Minute Man Arc, especially the self-advocates who regularly meet with them. Cataldo shared his excitement about a bill he co-sponsored to increase pay rates for direct care workers employed by the Department of Developmental Services. As a whole, the March raised over $125k. Enjoy the photos!
Our WCUC families enjoyed a gorgeous Sunday afternoon climbing trees, picking apples, and sampling cider donuts from Carver Hill Orchard. The picking was more sparse than in years past because of a May frost that destroyed about 80% of the crop, but the kids declared this year “the best ever” because they got to scramble up trees and use the giant pickers to grab apples at the tops of the branches. Nothing like a challenge for motivation! You can see from the pictures that we managed to pick PLENTY of apples. 🙂
It was great to be back in our sanctuary with the Senior Choir, Sunday School Youth Class, our lovely piano, and one another!
Children, youth, and teachers receiving a blessing before their first class of the program year!