Our Mission is to encourage diversity and mutual acceptance and work for positive change in ourselves and our community.
"We envision a congregation in which we practice the principles of our faith. We seek to enjoy peaceful reflection and inspiration in intellectually and spiritually satisfying church services. We aim to embrace the people and efforts of our church community by supporting our children and their programs, our committees and their goals, our staff and their efforts on our behalf, and each other."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
April Services - Welcome to the Gift of Interdependence
Registration is not required. Tap "Register Now" to see service details.
Interdependence, Rev. Karen LeBlanc
"Justice League" with Way Cool Sunday School and the SJC
See everything happening at UUNB on the website calendar!
Upcoming Events
Registration is preferred for the following events but not required.
Did you miss Sunday service? Watch it here!
We would like to thank all the individuals who organized, volunteered, and participated in this service. It's always a delight to host this service annually.
Photos from the Poetry Service
Photos by Kayla Conner
If you were at the Poetry Service or watched the video above, Everett Hoagland assigned homework to the audience. This poem by Langston Hughes is "timeless and timely."
Let America Be America Again
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek—
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean—
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home—
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."
The free?
Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay—
Except the dream that's almost dead today.
O, let America be America again—
The land that never has been yet—
And yet must be—the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine—the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME—
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.
Sure, call me any ugly name you choose—
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!
O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!
Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain—
All, all the stretch of these great green states—
And make America again!
Langston Hughes, "Let America be America Again" from The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. Copyright © 1995 by Langston Hughes.
Photos from the Earth Eve Parade on AHA! night, April 11, 2024
April 21: Caring for the Web of Creation, You're Saved by Something Green By Charlene Brotman, Dress Rehearsal “Justice League” Pancake Sunday 10:00 am
April 28 Way Cool Sunday School Hosts the “Justice League” 11 am, Teacher Appreciation
“Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.
If anyone would like to visit Ken Peirce, he is at Sippican Healthcare Center, 15 Mill St., Marion, Room #211. Cards, etc. are appreciated and we are sure Maggie wouldn't mind a how-do-you-do at her home, 330 Huttleston Ave., Fairhaven
Save the Date!
The Annual Meeting of the Membership has been scheduled for May 19, 2024, at 12:00 PM. This is not the official notice of the meeting - members will still be notified by mail as per the bylaws. Registration is NOT required.
Pledge Reminder FY 24/25
Pledge letters went out a few weeks ago, and we hope you will consider pledging your support by May 1 to help us plan our budget for FY 25. We have made it easier than ever to set up a recurring gift through our donation platform, GiveButter. They accept all forms of payment, even ACH payments, with approval from your bank.
Thank you to those who have already sent in their pledge cards!
Our TikTok channel is LIVE! The UMass students that Jess has been working with came in on March 23 and filmed footage for videos for us to share on social media. They will be watching the analytics this week and will use the results in their final presentation during class time on April 25. Karen will be taking over the account after that.
You're invited to the 40th Annual Jazz Service on June 30th. We are in the planning process right now but here is a tentative schedule of events. (p.s. we need volunteers)
Schedule of Events
Shop from a variety of vendors and artisans in the garden all day from 10 AM to 3 PM.
Jazz Service starts at 11 AM and will run 1-2 hours depending on the musicians.
Raffle
Refreshments (Possibly food trucks)
We are looking for vendors to set up in the yard during the 40th Annual Jazz service on June 30, 2024. The fee to set up is $35 and is open to anyone selling handmade items. Spaces are filling up! If you are interested in participating, please don't wait to reserve your spot. Please share this with artisans you may know and support.
Have a business or know someone who does? We are selling sponsorship ads in the program. Prices start at just $45! The money raised will help offset the cost of musicians. Click on the image below to get started. So far we have received commitments from The Fiber Optic Center, Tri-Town Against Racism, and Tony's Auto Detailing. We have extra printed copies of the ad packet in the office. If you would like a few please let the office know.
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities in Our Church - Please contact Jess to sign up at admin@uunewbedford.org
Seriously. We need volunteers. Don't be shy.
We are looking for volunteers to form a committee, help with preparations, set up/clean up the day before and on the day of the jazz service, and work at the raffle table.
Sign-up sheets are in the Parish House for Hospitality and Ushers on Sundays. If you can take a week, please add your name to the list. Many hands make light work.
The International Perfume Bottle Association will tour the sanctuary and Tiffany mosaic on April 24 at 9:30 AM. It would be great to have a few knowledgeable volunteers to talk with our guests about the history of our church and the mosaic.
Speaking of Volunteers...First Citizens' Federal Credit Union FREE Recycling Event
***If anyone would like to volunteer to take some of the church electronics to this event, please let us know. We have a few larger items that Staples recycling service will not take.
First Citizens' is hosting a FREE Community Recycling Event on Saturday, May 18, 9 AM-12 PM at our New Bedford North Branch, 570 North Front St. (Rain Date: Saturday, May 25, 9 AM-12 PM)
Come securely dispose of those old tax records, bank statements, and more with shredding by Great White Shred. Get rid of old TV's, cell phones, printers, air conditioners, etc with disposal by The Junkluggers. We will also be collecting donations of non-perishable can and boxed food items at the event to benefit Saint Anthony of Padua Food Pantry- Food Distribution Center.
PLUS:
- There will be a Fire Engine on display with the opportunity to meet the mascot Sparky
- City of New Bedford Police Department (Official) will be present to conduct car seat safety checks
- Party Characters by Tabby will be available for children to meet a famous princess duo
- FUN 107 will be livestreaming and doing giveaways
- Moby Kit Rescue will be providing information about cat adoptions
News in the UU World and Beyond
Working to End Racism? Try These Free Tools from the UUA.
The Mosaic hub was launched by the Unitarian Universalist Association to help UUs dismantle racism and build something beautiful.
The Unitarian Universalist Association has launched the Mosaic, an online hub of connection, resources, and support for UUs dismantling racism and oppression.
Through resources, programs, training, groups, and gatherings, the Mosaic fosters belonging and liberation in UU congregations and communities. The name alludes to the idea that our work for collective liberation can be as colorful, multifaceted, and diverse as the tiles of a mosaic.
"The Mosaic Hub will provide both space and opportunity for Unitarian Universalists of all races to grapple with, grow into, and collaborate in addressing white supremacy head on," says Dr. Janice Marie Johnson, the UUA’s director of Ministries and Faith Development. "This is no ordinary thing! We are building on bold imagining started a dozen years ago. Some of you are familiar with the Mosaic Makers: Leading Vital Multicultural Congregations conferences that took place over the past twelve years on the national, regional, district, and cluster levels."
Resources from New England UUA
Accessibility and Disability Justice
It is Autism Awareness Month! Subscribe to the UPLIFT Access newsletter to hear more from the UUA's Accessibility Resources Coordinator Gretchen Maune.
The LGBTQ and Multicultural Ministries Office is hosting UPLIFT Access Monthly Resource Webinars to educate lay leaders on issues related to accessibility and disability justice. Register to join on April 25 and May 23.
Learn more about using self-descriptions in group settings or as a presenter on LeaderLab.
Our Promises
Each person is important.
Be kind in all you do.
We help each other learn.
We search for what is true.
Each person has a say.
Work for a peaceful world.
The web of life’s the way.
Build the beloved community, free from racism and oppression.
First Unitarian Church in New Bedford
71 8th Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 994-9686
Administrator ext. 10
Minister ext. 13
Karen cell: (508) 441-9344
Board Members & Officers
Steve Carmel, President
Charles Morgan, Vice President
Deborah Carmel, Treasurer
Cora Peirce, Clerk
Trustees
Committee Chairs
Staff
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