RE Update for June 4

Jun 2, 2023 | , , ,

RE Work Party on Sunday

We could use a few more volunteers for the work party in the new RE outdoor space this Sunday from 11:30 am -1:00 pm. There is still more work to be done and I invite volunteers to assist with the following tasks: filling the sandpit, assembling the new fencing, sanding and painting picnic tables, and planting some flowers in the raised beds. Please join in If you are able to help. It would be great to have a little more work done before Camp Murray, when our children will enjoy a camp day in Murray’s backyard.

RE June Calendar

  • Sunday, June 4 – Religious Exploration for Children and Youth Group for Teens. Following service join us in the backyard for work on the RE space from 11:30-12:30. Volunteers Needed!
  • Sunday, June 11 – Camp Murray for children and teens.
  • Sunday, June 18 – Flower Communion, multi-generational service.

Programs for Youth in grades 7 and up

If you are a young person in 7th grade through high school (or the parent of a youth), you’ll find many opportunities available at Murray Church to connect to a group of youth with similar values and experiences. Our offerings include special highly-regarded programs, Youth Group, and opportunities to connect with volunteer and justice work in the church community.

OWL sexuality education program for 7th to 9th graders

Honest, accurate information about sexuality changes lives. It dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds self-acceptance and self-esteem, fosters healthy relationships, improves decision-making, and has the potential to save lives. For these reasons and more, we are proud to offer Our Whole Lives (OWL), a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education curricula for this age group. Our Whole Lives helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their relationships, sexual health, and behavior.

Coming-of-Age for our 9th graders

This beloved rite-of-passage program invites teens to go deep exploring their own beliefs as they wonder “who am I” and “who do I want to be”.

Youth Group for our teens

Our Youth Group offers a varied program that includes learning about our faith, service projects, discussion of social issues, plus time to have fun together. Our youth are also offered many opportunities to participate and volunteer in many areas of our church community. Programs and activities are chosen by the group and are designed to help provide a deeper opportunity to connect to our world, explore issues of importance to teens, and come to understand and appreciate one’s self more fully.  The youth look forward to collaborate to plan bigger projects such as service trips and/or camping with other U.U. youth.

Contact the Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world

Desmond Tutu

What We Can Do
How We Take Action to Lessen Our Impact

Massachusett Climate Solutions Forum

Jan 15, 2022 | , ,

We want to alert you to the Massachusetts Climate Solutions Forum, Tuesday, January 25, at 5:30 p.m. sponsored by Murray Church, State Representative Jim Hawkins’ office, and UU Mass Action.

Please register for this Zoom forum.

Download this PDF, it has the information about the forum and a list of the 6 bills that will be discussed with links to fact sheets.

These bills are recommended by a coalition of over 200 environmental agencies (Mass Power Forward). Included is the “100% Clean Act” which speeds up the targets dates and mechanisms for the transition of our energy grid, heat, transportation, and housing efficiencies. These are the biggest fossil fuel contributors in Massachusetts. Other bills focus on Climate justice initiatives for underserved communities.

The timing of this event is important because bills must be passed out of committees by Feb 2nd, per House rules, otherwise, they die there.

Showing up is important because we need to demonstrate community support for climate action. Knowing they have our backing is useful as our Reps fight against paid lobbies and opposition from leadership and others who prefer the status quo.

Green Sanctuary logo

We are a Green Sanctuary

Murray Unitarian Universalist Church is a Green Sanctuary accredited by the Unitarian Universalist Association.

The Green Sanctuary Program provides a path for congregational study, reflection, and action in response to environmental challenges. It provides a structure for congregations to examine their current environmental impacts and move towards more sustainable practices in ways grounded in Unitarian Universalism.

In May 2017, we submitted a proposal, with 12 projects in four focus areas: Worship and Celebration, Religious Education, Sustainable Living, and Environmental Justice. Once our projects were completed, we submitted our evaluation and were awarded accreditation in June 2020.

Recent Climate Actions by Our Team

Our team meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. via zoom. Anyone is welcome to join us. Use the contact form below if you have any questions or would like to be part of the team.

Find out how we are taking action

We have a page called Take Action where our members and friends share the actions that they take, large or small, that are intentionally done to help lessen their impact on the Earth.

Green Heating and Cooling for Our Homes

A virtual event hosted by the Murray UU Church Climate Action committee

An Introduction to Heat Pumps, Tuesday, May 31, 7 p.m.

An introduction to heat pumps, with Jim Nail, from HeatSmart Alliance, a volunteer organization dedicated to accelerating the adoption of energy-efficient heat pumps in Massachusetts’ homes and buildings. “Heat pumps” may sound like an exotic new technology, but they are already widely used in Europe, Asia, and increasingly the United States. And here in Massachusetts, they are the preferred form of heating and cooling to help the state fight climate change — and for homeowners burning oil, propane, or using electric resistance heaters to save money.

That said, replacing an existing heating/cooling system or water heater can be a time-consuming and confusing process, especially if you aren’t familiar with heat pumps. Jim will bring you up to speed on what heat pumps are, why they are the best choice, the incentives available through MassSave to lower their cost, and the steps to take to upgrade your home to them. In addition, he will describe the HeatSmart Alliance whose volunteer coaches can guide homeowners through this process.

Massachusetts Climate Solutions, a Virtual Legislative Climate Justice Forum

On January 25, 2022. Our Murray Climate Action Team co-hosted this event, in collaboration with Attleboro’s State Representative Jim Hawkins and our UU Mass Action advocacy program. Four state legislators were on the panel, including Representative Jim Hawkins, Senator Paul Feeney, Representative Adam Scanlon, and Representative Joan Meschino, who authored one of the bills that we reviewed. We educated the community about legislative solutions for climate change and environmental justice, via a platform of six bills that are supported by a large coalition of organizations: Mass Power Forward.

Murray Climate Change Café

This was via zoom on Nov. 8, 2021. Co-led by Robi Rose, Barbara Clark, and Judy DePue. Climate Cafés are safe spaces for people to get together to talk and act on climate change, to share our concerns and our hopes, along with options for action and sharing of actions others are already taking.

Field Trip

We went to the “Revive the Roots” farm in Smithfield, RI to learn about their use of regenerative agriculture practices on September 27, 2021.

Here are some regional resources for climate action

Have a question? or want to be part of the Climate Action team?

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