January News & Views
- 4 days ago
- 20 min read
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
From the Minister's Studio
“You can’t be neutral on a moving train.” -Howard Zinn
The New Year has arrived, and I think many of us are glad to wrap-up 2025. The anxiety and chaos that has become our daily bread in this country won’t stop because it’s a new year, of course, but the beginning of something always gives us a little boost of hope that change happens, no matter what. How it changes is largely up to us and how bad we want it. Ask 80% of people who made a resolution this week how they’re doing with that in March.
We kick off the Soul Matters themes for 2026 with Practicing Resistance, a topic rife with complexity. The small group resources this month says, “Bottom line: practicing resistance is tricky business and takes multiple, even contradictory, forms.” Indeed! When I think of practicing resistance, my mind jumps immediately to politics and how we can create change in our country to defend democracy, justice, and freedom. And, friends, we have some HARD WORK ahead in that realm. But there’s also the small everyday practices of resistance we see; from stickers, flags, and t-shirts, to music, poetry, comedy, and the arts, making ourselves and our world better. Marking ourselves, so we know who to trust.
There’s also the other side of the coin, where resistance is futile. A change IS a-gonna come, like it or not, so learn how to make the best of it. (For instance, if we are all lucky, we WILL get older.) The natural world shows us all the time how we can’t resist the powers of wind, water, fire or earth when they turn on us, but we can find ways to get through and persist when we get smart and work together. I’ll be exploring all of this on Sunday, from the American Revolution to Star Wars, so I hope you’ll join us.
Many thanks to our brave band of polar plungers (Colin Green, Jack Vitale, Margaret Kennedy and me) that came together on New Years Day to jump in the ocean on West Rodney French Blvd, and to Lynn Whitney for giving us refuge and refreshment, as well as Pamela Bullard who made food, and Deb, Steve, Torrey, Kara and little Billie and Gwen who came to cheer us on and document our craziness. We raised over 600 dollars! It was colder than a witch’s…bathing suit, but I just couldn’t resist. It was like a little jump-start to my system to kick me into gear for a new year of practicing resistance and preparing for the changes that are sure to come.
May this year bring us closer, so we may rise to the challenges to come together. May you find the courage to dive in to whatever drives your passion, even when it’s uncomfortable. And may love lead the way, now and always, as we stand by our principles and practice resistance to that which makes any of us less free.
So May It Be, and a happy and healthy New Year to everyone—Karen
Soul Matters: Welcome to Practicing Resistance
...it starts when you say We
and know who you mean,
and each day you mean one more.
– Marge Piercy, from The Low Road
Out of all our themes this year, resistance is among the most complex. But it also may be the
most simple.
Let’s start with the complexity.
Sometimes resistance involves bravely picking up a picket sign; other times it asks us to
courageously put down our masks and allow who we really are to see the light of day.
Sometimes it involves defeating the enemy; other times it’s a matter of noticing that treating
“them” as the enemy defeats us all. Often the path of resistance asks us to stay in it for the
long haul, but just as often it’s about taking that first tiny step. Most of the time it requires us
to fight to the bitter end, and yet there are many moments when we need to stop resisting and let go. Resistance certainly takes the form of speaking the truth to power, but often what the world needs even more is for us to speak the truth in love.
Bottom line: practicing resistance is tricky business and takes multiple, even contradictory,
forms.
But beyond this complexity lies the simplicity of Marge Piercy’s words. In all cases, she reminds us, practicing resistance starts when we say “We!” For instance, the power of our picket sign resides in the fact that it hangs alongside those of others. Being who we are usually begins with another person loving us for who we are. Both the long haul and our first courageous step are made possible by reaching out to receive a helping hand.
It’s all one big reminder that none of us resist alone.
Or maybe what really needs to be said this month is that none of us have to resist alone.
Yes, we certainly need pushed and prodded this month. But maybe what we need most is to be reassured. Reassured that when the road gets too treacherous and the forces against us grow too big, others will be by our side. Maybe it’s not more courage that is required, but more connection. Maybe what we really need to hear is not simply “Resist!” but “I will resist with you!”
Maybe it is as simple as that.
Twenty Archetypes of Resistance
SATYA DOYLE BYOCK, January 26, 2025, Reflecting Back
There is no way to capture how awful the last week has been for democracy, humanity, and very basic human decency. I’m worried about literally millions of immigrants, millions of federal employees, women in the military, Anthony Fauci, and, gosh, all of us.
I hope you’re okay. Whether you are in the direct line of fire at this moment or just seeing it unfold in the news, there is no container big enough to process all this cruelty.
I find that as I attempt to metabolize the news and feelings, I’m in a rapid alchemical process, morphing a bit like this, trying to uphold my daily responsibilities and rise to the moment all at once. At the root of this awkward inner morphing seems to be a question of my best role in these times. Where am I needed? How can I best serve?
This is a long-haul battle we’re all in. It will ask each of us to mature in ways I don’t think we can yet imagine. We will each be called to rise to the challenge of finding that intersection between self and society that best reflects who we are. My goal is to stay out of fear, stay present with my loved ones and in my work, and also contribute to protecting our country and its people—lawful citizens or not.
In trying to make sense of my best role, I’ve been pondering something I’m calling the Archetypes of Resistance: What are the ancient roles that go into the enduring work of transformation, peace, equality, and freedom?
No single role is superior or more important than any other. Each person has a part to play in the larger work. But by seeing these archetypes individually, we might get a better sense of how our skills and personalities can best contribute to the whole. Rather than dissociating in the face of overwhelm or diving in over our heads, these archetypes offer a way to explore how we can get to work individually.
See the list below. I have a feeling I’ll be refining this over time. Keep in mind that the examples I offer are just a few of the countless people doing incredible work today, in history, or modeling for us in our myths and stories. (Some of the examples are also organizations: very little of the work we do is done alone.)
What is your role? Which two of these archetypes most speak to you and the work you’re called to do?
The Healer: Whether offering therapy to people in need, serving on the front lines as a medic, providing abortions for women in dangerous locations, or defending our public health, the Healer protects us in body and spirit, bringing their skills and training to help ease suffering and ensure survival. Examples: Ma Linn Ni Zho, Paul Farmer, Dixon Chibanda, Mahmoud Abu Nujaila, Anthony Fauci, Laura Kaplan.
The Musician: Emma Goldman didn’t quite say “If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution,” but what she actually said expressed it more clearly: movements for a better world must also contain joy. The Musician may help us process emotions and celebrate, or lift the spirits of a neighborhood amid devastation when all else seems to be lost. Or, they translate the pain into something we all need to hear and create a rallying cry to motivate change. The Musician helps to remind us of life beyond grief and human creativity in the worst of times. Examples: Vedran Smailović, Nina Simone, Joan Baez, and every musician who inspires you.
The Cook: Without physical and spiritual nourishment, we all whither. The Cook is a person in the community at any scale, in a refugee camp, a restaurant, a church basement, or a home, providing food to sustain bodies and beings. The Cook brings their talents in the kitchen into the dining space as well, knowing that alongside a shared meal is community and connection. Examples: Jose Andrés, Black Panthers’ Free Breakfast Program, Soup & Bread, and every bakery, small restaurant, and home cook who you love.
The Neighbor: Sometimes, the most important role in any of our lives is that of the Neighbor, a person who helps to hold the community together and is available to offer a cup of tea, an ear, a meal, or even a bed in times of need. The Neighbor is often an underappreciated hero, but one who is remembered deeply in the hearts of the people they touch. Examples: Mister Rogers, the person whose door you could knock on growing up, the person nearby who you trust today.
The Observer: Systemic change rarely happens quickly, and it takes incredible courage to observe suffering and share it with others so that it doesn’t happen in the dark. The Observer brings to bear their capacity for presence by witnessing what is unfolding and recording it for the rest of us. In this role, they serve to document events and lives for the present and for the future. Examples: The Marshall Project, ProPublica, Jessica Valenti, and honestly, so many people I don’t know where to begin.
The Civil Servant: While democracy is under attack, some of the most courageous people are those on the front lines of politics day after day, speaking truth to power and working hard to defend our institutions even in the most dire of circumstances. Not only do they protect what laws and services they can, they also offer hopeful reminders of leadership and courage for all of us. Some of them are quite public; others are working silently within the halls of bureaucracy. Examples: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Vaclav Havel, Justin Jones, and so many more.
The Orator: In dark times, we all need inspiration and guidance. Countless great speeches throughout history have offered us a light towards which to walk and much-needed hope in humanity when all feels lost. Orators provide clarity for the mission and encouragement in the labor. Examples: Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Abraham Lincoln,Martin Luther King Jr.
The Benefactor: All movements require money and reliable financial support; sometimes, that money comes in the form of crowd-funding, and sometimes, it comes from very wealthy donors who are aligned with the cause, even placing themselves at risk to get resources where they need to go. There are times when this is a public role, and times when the benefactor themselves is hidden in the resistance. Examples: Queen Marie-José, Mon Mothma.
The Keeper of Law: At their best, the structures of justice exist to protect the most vulnerable among us. People who protect the law in times of resistance exist at every level of the system, from defending voting rights, to courageous judges standing up to unconstitutional rulings, to lawyers defending immigrants and law clerks laboring in the background. Examples: Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, Anthony D. Romero, and so many more who have shown up in force over the last eight years to protect the rule of law.
The Prophet: Often, the one who can tell the future is gathering information from what is right in front of all of us, putting the pieces together that the rest of us can’t see. Sometimes, they’re receiving information and guidance from someplace else entirely. Because they so often think differently, we tend to think they’re crazy until the final moment when we realize they were right all along—it’s hard to know who knows and who just purports to know. The Prophet is always watching out for the rest of us and protecting things for the future. Examples: Cassandra, Octavia Butler, Detective Spooner, Deborah.
The Wisdom Keeper: While so much is being destroyed, it’s critical that whatever wisdom and culture can be protected, be protected. The Wisdom Keeper protects our books, languages, and cultural treasures for the future, as well as for needed inspiration, information, and orientation in the moment. The Wisdom Keeper may work as a librarian, archivist, or oral storyteller; they are the sages sharing the highest lessons with those who can receive them. Examples: Abdel Kader Haidara, Joseph Bruchac, Ayana Jamieson, Mustafa Jahić, Sonnet Kekilia Coggins, and all the librarians in our communities and schools fighting book bans and protecting access.
The Leader: When you’re lost in the woods, it is a great comfort to know that someone up ahead has a flashlight and a compass and feels comfortable being in the lead. A true leader is not invested in leadership for the sake of fame or prestige; they take on the role because they’re able to orient towards integrity and morality in the scariest of times, and model that orientation for the rest of us. The danger for all of us is expecting them to be perfect; the best leaders are humans alongside us. Examples: Alexei Navalny, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Greta Thunberg, Judy Heumann, Harvey Milk.
The Writer: On every level, communication is critical in times of resistance, whether to convey facts and information or inspire through poetry and storytelling. The Writer shares the news as clearly and factually as possible, provides inspiration to keep the people’s souls afloat, and distributes needed intel. They help us stay oriented to reality, as well as to the deeper callings at the root of change. Examples: James Baldwin, Hannah Arendt, Audre Lorde,Timothy Snyder, Sonia Sanchez, White Rose.
The Defender: Not all protectors carry weapons, but some certainly do. The Defender may be a soldier or an officer protecting our institutions and communities in some of the scariest moments, possibly putting their life on the line. They can be our saviors when the side we’re up against has all the weapons—the danger is in knowing when to put the guns back down. Examples: Michael Fanone, Eugene Goodman, Chani.
The Seed Keeper: Some people are oriented to fighting back in the moment, and others are thinking far into the future, anticipating what will be destroyed and protecting what needs to be protected. The Seed Keeper may be saving actual seeds for future harvest, or they may be acting like seeds themselves, going deep underground—or away from society—to protect knowledge, artifacts, or life for another time. They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds. Examples: Rahibai Soma Popere, The Indigenous Seed Keepers Network, The Altadena Seed Library, Yoda.
The Code Maker: There are code breakers, and there are code makers. When communication becomes dangerous and public information networks can’t be trusted, resistance movements need people who can communicate without the risk of being heard. This may mean hand signals, morse code, or a spoken language that very few people know; it may also mean mastery of digital spaces that can’t be hacked. Code Makers help protect lives and resources by passing information along that cannot be easily known by others outside. Examples: Navajo Code Talkers, The Bene Gesserit, Signal.
The Artist: The Artist helps us to see things we can’t otherwise see, and face things we can’t otherwise face, they help to metabolize the pain in the world and turn it into beauty, or use art to protest in ways that marching alone can’t do. The Artist may work in any medium but uses their work to serve the soul, transform grief, and create in the face of destruction. Examples: Nina Bunjevac, Maria Alyokhina, Augusta Savage, Rae Davis, and the artists throughout history who have most deeply inspired you.
The Organizer: Even when we’re ready to dive in, not all of us are equipped to gather the community together to get to work. The Organizer is skilled at knowing what needs to get done, is tapped into the networks of care and support, and helps us get educated and, well, organized. They are advocates working on the ground in our neighborhoods, or they’re heading up organizations to provide needs institutionally. Examples: Stacey Abrams, Sonya Passi, Garrett Bucks, Ai-jen Poo, Alice Wong, Alicia Roth Weigel.
The Underground Guide: Much of the labor in resistance movements is invisible by default, but its lack of visibility doesn’t reflect its level of importance. Being an Underground Guide means protecting vulnerable people, creatures, and resources from danger without ever being known or seen; it means taking risks and knowing how to play one role above ground and another at night or in the shadows. Underground Guides need to build networks, knowing who they can trust, and how to communicate to keep people safe and connected to the resources they need. Examples: Harriet Tubman, Jane, Miep Gies.
The Soul-Tender: Every movement needs places for soul-tending, gathering spaces that help to replenish the sense of depletion and hopelessness, with leaders to remind us of our integrity and the larger story of creation and destruction unfolding over time. The Soul-Tender may be a religious leader or secular guide who isn’t afraid to tap into the spiritual and non-rational spaces to convey hope, without losing connection to the here and now. Examples:Michael Meade, Sharon Bros, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Richard Rohr, Chani Nicholas, and your faith communities and soulful spaces.
Download the entire Soul Matters packet below.
Forms of Resistance
The 7 Jobs Capitalism Asks of All of Us:
1. Measure Self-Worth by Work: Don’t believe in the inherent goodness of people. Instead, decide that everyone’s worth is only as much as they achieve.
2. Accept that Oppression is the Norm: This starts with adultism the moment we are born and conditions us to accept that all other forms of oppression and privilege are just a fact of life, for the rest of our lives.
3. Believe the Dream: Believe that to be American means that your success is eventual, and that any failure is your own individual fault.
4. Get Numb and Numb-er: Close off your feelings and just suck it up. Find a form of addiction that is either secret enough or socially acceptable enough so that you can get by. Then tsk-tsk anyone with a less hidden addiction, blame them for the problem, and offer them no support.
5. Isolate: grow increasingly more distant from people and community. Develop a nuclear family from whom you may attempt to get all of your needs met, and lash out at them when it doesn’t work.
6. Disassociate from your Body: Make your mind and body separate entities. Find pieces of yourself to love and pieces of yourself to hate. Attempt to buy things to close the gap. Tell yourself that you only deserve rest, pleasure and play when you’ve worked for it.
7. Assimilate: Strive to look like, act like, and be like the typical white U.S.-er you are supposed to be. Forget your history, forget your religion, forget your ancestors: they are no longer a part of this narrative. Stop trying to pursue the art, community and visions you once had: they no longer matter.
The 7 Forms of Resistance All Around Us:
1. Movements: Collectives, groups, organizations, neighbors and friends can get together and learn about oppression and envision liberation. Organizing has worked over and over again throughout history and will continue to.
2. Self-Care and Community-Care: We can decide we are worth it and we are vital just because we are alive.
3. Tell Our Stories: We can tell our personal stories and the collective story about the white supremacy, colonialism, patriarchy and Christian hegemony that founded this country. With our stories we can refuse to be lied to.
4. Healing: We can use therapy, support groups, co-counseling, somatic practices, art therapy, and more to get ever bigger, bolder, stronger and more powerful. We can use the wisdom gained from our healing to create better policy and support communal healing through practices like reparations for slavery.
5. Connection: We can dare to cry, laugh and share our real feelings with all of the people in our lives without placing a limit on the number of people our hearts can love.
6. Love: We can refuse to buy into the idea of spreading self-hate. Even in our hardest moments, we can remember we are a human with a human body and we deserve the goodness all humans deserve.
7. Art and Culture: Artists can rise up everywhere all the time to say we will not accept this world, we will build a better one. We can choose to learn about our ancestors, their histories and traditions, and find ways to reclaim them afresh for ourselves.
By Talia Cooper
Moving Forward with Hope: January 2026 Update from Side With Love
Love At The Center: Reimagining the World As It Could Be: Mon, Jan 19, 2026 through Mon, Feb 16, 2026
At a time when fear, violence, and extraction dominate our politics and our planet, we practice another way. We believe love is not fragile; it is fierce. It grounds our organizing, fuels our imagination, and sustains our communities. Over five weeks, we will move through a journey from imagination to action, rooting our freedom dreams in faith and bringing them to life in our world.
Each week, we will have a written reflection from Side With Love staff; a conversation with a UU theologian; a multigenerational family activity; reflection questions for journaling; a meditative body practice; and a coloring sheet connected to the weekly theme.
Our weekly themes are:
Week 1: Reimagining Thriving0opiu0-
Week 2: Grounding in Context
Week 3: Mobilizing Action
Week 4: Nurturing Community
Week 5: Exploring Possibilities
A new year always invites reflection and resolve. As we step into 2026 together, we do so in a world that feels tender, fragile, and full of possibility all at once. At Side With Love, we enter this new year rooted in the same truth that has always guided us: love is not passive. Love shows up. Love organizes. Love tells the truth and strains toward justice.
That’s why we begin each year with 30 Days of Love—our annual invitation to practice love as a public, courageous, world-shaping force. Beginning January 19th, congregations and individuals across our movement will be showing up for democracy, dignity, and collective liberation in ways both big and small. This is how we remind one another that love still has work to do—and that we are stronger when we do it together.
May this new year meet you with courage for the hard work, tenderness for your own becoming, and companions for the road ahead. May your love be practiced boldly, your hope be rooted deeply, and your joy be sustained in the long work of justice.
The Side with Love Team
Trustees Meeting
The monthly Board of Trustees Meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 13, at 6 PM. An agenda will be sent out to members on the Monday before. Please feel free to join us in person at the church office or virtually by Zoom.
Garden Committee
We will meet on January 11, after the church service,to review a garden memorial request for Nancy Crosby.
Social Justice Committee Meetings: New Day!
Join the SJC virtually on every other MONDAY at 6:30 PM. Be part of the change you would like to see in your community and beyond. View the online calendar to view the dates.
What does it mean to be a people of Resistance?
January 4: Resisting the Pressure to Fit In, Elmer - The Patchwork Elephant by David McKee
January 11: Resisting the Unhealthy Parts of Screen Time and Social Media, Bye Bye Wifi, by Mari Meyers
January 18: Resisting Racism (MLK Day), Unstoppable: Women Who Changed the World, Fannie Barrier Williams
January 25: Resisting "Monkey Mind", Breathing is My Superpower—Read Aloud by Reading Pioneers Academy
This month, we highlight our UU value of Justice, with its call to “dismantle racism and all
forms of systemic oppression.” In doing so, we celebrate and remember inspirational UU leaders like Fannie Barrier Williams, whose courage and advocacy for equity continue to inspire us today.
Soul Matters So Far at UUNB…
In September we were and still are a people of Building Belonging, Interdependence . We belong to each other. Our true belonging rests in a web of interconnection.
In October we were and still are a people of Cultivating Compassion, Generosity. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources.
In November we were still and are a people of Nurturing Gratitude, Generosity. We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
In December we were and still are a people of Choosing Hope, Generosity. “We draw from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love.”
Calendar Connections
January 2026
Click on the hyperlinked names of each event for more information or inspiration.
Interfaith
● Twelfth Night (Christian) - Jan. 5
● Epiphany (Christian) - Jan. 6
● World Religion Day (Baha’i) - Jan. 18, 2026
● Birthday of Thomas Merton - Jan. 31 (1915)
Unitarian Universalist
● Thirty Days of Love - Side with Love Campaign - Jan.15 - Feb.14
● Millard Fillmore’s Birthday - Jan. 7, 1800 (Unitarian President)
● The Edict of Torda is issued - Jan 13, 1568
● Joseph Tuckerman’s Birthday - Jan. 18, 1778
National & Cultural
● The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln - Jan. 1 (1863)
● Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - Jan. 19, 2026, third Monday of January
● Rowe vs. Wade Anniversary - Jan. 22
● International Holocaust (Shoah) Remembrance Day - Jan. 27
For Fun and On the Fridge
● National Hug Day - Jan. 21
● I'm Not Going To Take it Anymore Day - Jan. 7th
● Belly Laugh Day - Jan. 24
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.
Pluralism
We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.
We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.
Justice
We work to be diverse, multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large.
Transformation
We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.
Generosity
We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.
Equity
We declare that every person has the right to flourish with inherent dignity and worthiness.
We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.
Please share these events with your family and friends, and consider attending yourself. We would love to see you!
FREE Events Happening at UUNB
Being Human takes place every Friday at 11 AM. Please use the parking lot door.
There is also an open AA meeting, led by Walter Silvia, that takes place each Saturday at
noon in the Parish House.
We are excited to announce a FREE 4-session class on understanding US Govornment, taught by Fairhaven resident and local attorney Ellen Nelson, Esq.
Registration is required. See the event details by clicking on the "Register Now" button below.
The calendar on our website shows everything that is happening at UUNB. Updates are displayed immediately, so you will always know what is planned.
Save the date! You won't want to miss this.
After two years of anticipation, the curtain is rising once again on the newly renovated Zeiterion Theatre. For the first time, three of the city’s leading cultural organizations—The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, New Bedford Festival Theatre, and the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra—will share the stage in a one-night-only concert that honors the heart, soul, and future of the performing arts on the South Coast. This first-time landmark collaboration is more than a performance; it is a joyful homecoming that reaffirms the Zeiterion as a gathering place for creativity, connection, and community.
Together, these performances embody the energy and artistry that make New Bedford a cultural hub, marking the Zeiterion’s return with brilliance and heart.
Dear Friends,
You are invited to join Humanity at Work and Pilgrim United Church of Christ at an event celebrating One Year of Resistance on January 25th from 2-5 p.m. at 635 Purchase Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Humanity at Work strives to collaborate with community partners to create opportunities for and provide resources to marginalized individuals and families who have been harmed by immigration enforcement.
Pilgrim United Church of Christ has a rich history of and commitment to social justice, love, and service in the local community and beyond.
The celebration will include music, poetry, food, and inspiration for all. A donation of $25 is suggested per ticket. Please give what you are able. All proceeds help to continue this important work. Space is limited; please order tickets while they last. (See flyer below.)
We hope that you will join us! If you have questions about the event, please email: newbedfordunited@protonmail.com .
In Solidarity,
Shelley Quintin
Volunteer Organizer, Activist
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."
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
Thrift Shop ext. 12
Board Members & Officers
Steve Carmel, President
Charles Morgan, Vice President
Deborah Carmel, Treasurer
Trustees
Committee Chairs
Staff
The Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM
(508)994-9686 ext.12
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