When we ask ourselves to “Reimagine Thriving”, what does that mean?  Why reimagine?   Can’t we just imagine and get on with it? Here’s why it’s important to reimagine: most of us already imagine thriving, and that usually means imagining what it means for me and people like me to thrive: for people of privilege, that means imagining thriving for people of privilege; white people for white people, Americans for Americans, global majority for global majority, and so forth.  

"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion." Albert Camus

This is the last newsletter of 2025! Inside you will find a message from Karen & Jess....amongst other cool things.

The Hospitality Committee wants to thank everyone who contributed to the successful Thanksgiving potluck luncheon on Sunday. People brought food, washed dishes, and the Sunday School kids decorated tables with place settings and flowers! We all created a festive, warm, and welcoming meal.

Thank you to all those who attended Saturday's concert with Eddie Dillon, Mike Laureano, and Seamus Galligan. It was a small gathering, but we made almost $300 for the Tryworks restoration.

THE BURIAL OF THE OLD by Wendell Berry The old, whose bodies encrust their lives, die, and that is well. They unhinder what has struggled in them. The light, painfully loved, that narrowed and darkened in their minds becomes again the sky. The young, who have looked on dying, turn back to the world, grown strangely alert to each other's bodies.

When beloved community comes together, we truly make a difference! Recently, the news regarding the delay in the release of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits for the month of November has sparked significant concern among many families who rely on this essential support for their daily nutrition. The impact of this delay is profound, as it affects not only individual households but also the broader community.

Join us this Sunday for our monthly Social Justice Service with guest, Sidney Murray II, New Bedford Human Rights Commissioner. Committee Chairs will be available after service on Sunday, October 19, to discuss what their committees are up to and plans for the future. This is a great opportunity to mee the Chairs and sign up for volunteer opportunities that may interest you. We will also be saying farewell to Eileen Sorrentino before she moves away.

Committee Chair Fair on Sunday, October 19 & A Goodbye to Eileen Committee Chairs will be available after service on Sunday, October 19, to discuss what their committees are up to and plans for the future. This is a great opportunity to mee the Chairs and sign up for volunteer opportunities that may interest you. We will also be saying farewell to Eileen Sorrentino before she moves away.

I know, you never intended to be in this world. But you’re in it all the same. So why not get started immediately. I mean, belonging to it. There is so much to admire, to weep over… Do you need a prod? Do you need a little darkness to get you going? Let me be as urgent as a knife, then, and remind you of Keats, so single of purpose and thinking, for a while, he had a lifetime. Mary Oliver

I know, you never intended to be in this world. But you’re in it all the same. So why not get started immediately. I mean, belonging to it. There is so much to admire, to weep over… Do you need a prod? Do you need a little darkness to get you going? Let me be as urgent as a knife, then, and remind you of Keats, so single of purpose and thinking, for a while, he had a lifetime. Mary Oliver

Please join us in congratulating Rev. Karen LeBlanc for being honored with the YWCA's 2025 Women of Distinction Award. She was nominated by RE Director, Yasmin Flefleh-Vincent, for being simply amazing! The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards inspire others to achieve by recognizing the leadership of women in a variety of areas. YWCA Women of Distinction have brought key issues facing women, girls, and people of color to the forefront. The awards recognize outstanding women al

Committee Chair Meeting Sunday, September 14 Attention Committee Chairs! There will be a meeting with the trustees this Sunday, September 14, at 12:30 PM to discuss the church year and the upcoming Chair Fair on October 19.

This is a quick "Welcome back!" newsletter. We will be back to the official editions of The Compass next week. I am always looking for interesting news, guest articles, and photos for the newsletter. Please send submissions to admin@uunewbedford by Mondays at 12:00 PM for the weekly Wednesday edition.

Last full newsletter of the church year! Karen's last day in the office is June 26. She can be reached on her cell for pastoral care. She...

Join UUNB in a National Day of Protest on June 14th! Details inside the newsletter.

I've Got a Song! A Living History & Stories from the McCarthy Era, with a Q&A following the Service. “They believed in a better life for the working class. They were among the first Americans to perceive the fascist threat of Hitler’s Germany. But as anti communist hysteria swept the country following World War II, people in the communist movement found themselves either denying their principles or defending them....

This Sunday, June 1, we welcome guest, Matt Meyer with his sermon titled, "Holy Curiosity." Join us for service of song and silence, grounding ourselves in ritual and reflection. We’ll breathe deeply, letting go of what has not served us, and invite each other back to love.

This Sunday, May 25, we welcome Jerry Rooney from the Whitfield-Manjiro House as our guest speaker for Social Justice Sunday.

Imagination’s great gift is improvement. At least that is what we’re taught. Its deep magic lies in the way it can reshape our reality.