We offer many ways for you to get connected to our church community through educational programs, social action, covenant groups, special events and much more. Whatever your interests, you are likely to find others within our community who share them.
For information or to join the Adult Programs Committee, contact Gage Heath at adultprograms@uuac-sherborn.org.
Please explore the web site to find music, social action and religious education programs and events. On this page you'll find:
Afternoon at the Theater
Members and friends of the church attend live theater events in the local area. Watch the announcements for our next event.
Appleseeds Coffeehouse
The Music Committee presents a Coffee House one or twice a year. In an informal setting, church members and other local performers share their talents, including well-known local bands, like Jason Nelson's HoneyMac and Woodwork. Proceeds benefit social action initiatives and the music program.
Book Discussion Group
The book group meets monthly to discuss a current book over good food and in great company. Meetings are hosted by book group members. Watch the Crossroads newsletter or the weekly email update - This Week at UUAC - for the next Book Discussion Group meeting date and book title. New participants are always welcome!
Buddhism Group
The Buddhism Group is an opportunity for people to study Buddhist teachings and practice Buddhist meditation. The group meets Wednesday evenings in the Cooney Room, from 7- 8:30pm. Time is divided between meditation and discussion of a Buddhist topic from a reading. Beginners with an interest in Buddhism and meditation are always welcome. For further information, contact either Rita Ghilani at rghilani@aol.com or Alan Cantor at alan@alancantor.com.
Covenant Groups
Covenant groups at UUAC provide an opportunity for spiritual connection with a small group of 6-10 people. Through monthly meetings, covenant group members are invited to share their spiritual journeys, develop caring relationships, and minister to one another and the larger community. Each group is led by a trained leader, who facilitates discussion on a chosen topic. Interested? Contact Pam Kading Webb at pskwebb@comcast.net or Jane Detwiler at jud@detweb.net. To register, see Covenant Group Registration.
Film Night
Occasionally, members and friends of the church gather to view a DVD and discuss the film afterwards in the context of UU principles. Examples of Film Night offerings include: "An Inconvenient Truth", "Why We Fight", and "Axe in the Attic". Watch the announcements for our next event.
Flower Arranging Workshop
This annual event is usually led by our own very talented Cathie Healy of "Art in Bloom" fame from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Please watch the announcements for our next program.
Getting to Know Us
Are you interested in learning more about our church? Do you have questions about Unitarian Universalism? We can provide the answers in our 'Getting to Know Us' session, held one Sunday per month following the service. Contact Katherine McHugh at communications@uuac-sherborn.org for more information.
Is This All There Is?: Building a Theology for the Everyday
This class is offered usually once a year.
Led by Rev. Detering and Dr. Gail Donaldson, this six-week program will help you to clarify your own spiritual and religious beliefs, and to also educate about the great thinkers and rich history of our faith tradition. Nathan and Gail will guide you through a series of daily questions which will require some effort on your part. While you may spend only a few minutes every day on this quest, these questions and daily reflections will ultimately help each of us learn how our Unitarian Universalist faith can help guide us in our everyday life.
Our Whole Lives (OWL) for Parents - offered to parents of children taking Youth OWL
At UUAC, our religious education program offers Our Whole Lives (OWL) for our 7th and 8th graders. Grounded in a holistic view of sexuality, Our Whole Lives provides not only facts about anatomy and human development, but helps participants to clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.
Parenting through the pre-adolescent years and on through adolescence can pose challenges and concerns. As a UU community of faith, we can embrace the challenges and celebrate joys of parenting adolescents together in a supportive environment.
Developed and taught by UUAC member, Jane Detwiler, Our Whole Lives Trainer and Sexuality Educator. Jane is an AASECT-certified Sexuality Educator with 20 years experience in the field of sexuality. Sessions will be held on four Sunday mornings from 8:45-10:15 and will include a few of the topics addressed in the youth curriculum.
- What is Spiritual about Sexuality Education? Circles of Sexuality and Our Whole Lives Values: Self Worth ,Sexual Health, Responsibility, Justice and Inclusivity
- Anatomy, Physiology and Puberty: Not just the basics!
- Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation (possible panel presentation)
- Relationships and Communication
The Power of the Quilt
New quilts are gifted to women for use during chemotherapy and to children in need of comfort. Quilts are made by members of the UUAC, members of the Rhododendron Needlers Quilt Guild, and by friends of The Power of the Quilt Project. The UUAC hosts three Quilt-a-thons a year in Unity Hall. A Quilt-a-thon is an assembly line method of making multiple quilts on the same day. This creates a regular supply of quilts for distribution throughout the year.
Yarn Spinners
Yarn Spinners gathers the first Monday of each month in the church library for knitting and, yes, the spinning of yarns, the telling of the stories that make up our lives. We knit for Project Linus, a national organization that distributes hand-knit blankets to infants and children who are hospitalized or otherwise in need of the warm embrace of a hand-crafted blanket.
Roots
Roots is a class on our Free Church Tradition and Unitarian Universalism. Reverend Nathan Detering leads the class in exploring the differences between orthodox and liberal ways in religion; why doubt, skepticism, and free inquiry are prized tools in religion; and how seeking, searching, questing, and questioning form the core of who we are as a people of faith. For more information, please contact Katherine McHugh at communications@uuac-sherborn.org.
Unsung Heros
An unsung hero is someone who has not yet been honored or praised for extraordinary efforts. This is an honor we offer to an exceptional member of our congregation who has often worked behind the scenes at the church.
Women's Drumming Circle
Many women from UUAC take part in the Women's African Drumming Circle led my Marytha Paffrath. Marytha offers beginners' drumming classes and women can join the group for the new year (there is a fee for participating). West African rhythms are taught and played on djembes, and community blossoms within the sharing of music. At least once a year, the women share their powerful rhythms in a Sunday service at our church!Marytha is the principal percussionist for Libana, the acclaimed world music ensemble whose memorable concerts convey a profound sense of hope, peace, celebration and universal community. Marytha teaches children, teens and adults, and brings her engaging, humor-filled guidance to workshops coast to coast. Please contact Marytha at Drumzatlibana@gmail.com for more information the Women's Drumming Circle and available classes.