Enjoy the pictures from our vibrant celebration of our children on June 2nd!

After a successful helping hands trip to the Jenkins-Man house this past winter, word got out that our WCUC Youth are pretty adept at crawling into small spaces and working together as a team to clean out and relocate attic boxes. They were “hired” again for similar work to be done for a donation towards the cost of our new heating system. On Sunday after church, the youth made their way over to Ann and Tom Bailey’s house for another attic adventure. The pictures will speak for themselves, but please pay special attention to the “ancient” Bible they found with Bailey birth records from the early 1800’s! It was a fun and very productive afternoon.

During these first two Sundays of Lent, the children have been busy in Sunday School exploring our Lent theme of The Body Remembers. Beginning each class with mindful breathing and a yoga meditation for our bodies (the kids declare “it is so calming,” and “I feel soooooo relaxed”), we have moved through body awareness and how our bodies, minds, and spirits are connected – both to ourselves and to one another. The first Sunday of Lent we focused on the Body of Christ and the children created The Body of WCUC with all its essential parts and connections, and the second Sunday of Lent we focused on hunger and how to meet the needs of others with what we have. We even prepared a special treat for the congregation during coffee hour, feeding everyone a tasty snack made with very few ingredients. The snack was so popular I got requests for the recipe, so here it is!

No Bake Energy Bites

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup nut butter (your choice!)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Measure (roughly) 2 tablespoons of mixture and form into a ball. Makes about 24 Energy Bites. Chill to firm. Enjoy!

On Sunday, we honored our three third graders with their special bible gift from WCUC. To celebrate, our three bible boys helped to host coffee hour after worship! Special goodies and expertly passed hors d’oeuvres delighted the congregation, and crumbs and spills were cleaned away in mere seconds by our attentive coffee hour hosts. A wonderful celebration for all!

One of the many great donations to our church auction was a promise by the youth group to spend a few hours helping out someone in need of their energetic and resourceful labor. This promise was fulfilled on Sunday as we traveled to the home of Polly and Keith Jenkins Man to help them begin the process of packing up for their move to Lincoln Commons. The kids climbed up into a small attic space to bring down boxes and other assorted items, and then into an even smaller cubby storage area to do the same. Next were the highest cupboard shelves in the kitchen and finally outside to rescue a beloved garden toad from its frozen spot in the snow. All of this, plus a pizza lunch and fun chocolate sticks for hot cocoa, made for a fabulous and productive afternoon.

WCUC hosted a weekend of beautiful Advent events for adults and children, including a candlelit labyrinth walk and meditation on Friday evening and our Advent in the Light event for families on Saturday evening. Both brought peace and joy to all!

In a world where many feel isolated, disconnected, or even invisible, it’s increasingly important for our church to find ways to bring people together. Now that we’ve made it through the pandemic and we’re not forced to look at each other only on computer screens, our in person gatherings feel even more special. Whether we’re at Walden Pond for walking prayer enjoying the company of others in nature, at With Us Wednesdays sharing stories and laughter, or baking pies together for church members who could use some extra cheer this year, the people of WCUC – young, old, and young at heart – are finding comfort and joy in this weary world.

Our second-annual Instrument Exploration event was a hit! Children and adults alike explored a wide variety of well-known and not-so-well-known instruments thanks to Nan’s large collection. Check out the pictures and videos of all the amazing music!