Ash Wednesday Service Details

Ash Wednesday Service Details

by | Feb 28, 2022 | News

Why Ashes? Joe Iovino delves into the subject in an article he wrote for UMC.org in 2015:

“One Wednesday a year, sometime in February or March, you notice people at work, school, or elsewhere with a smudge on her forehead. Then you remember it is Ash Wednesday and they must have received the imposition of ashes. This practice we use to mark the first day of Lent may seem odd. People go to church mid-week to have a cleric place dirt on their foreheads.”

Read his article here.

This year, our service and imposition of ashes will be conducted in-person, in the sanctuary at 7:00 p.m. All are welcome! The service will also be streamed live on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The 17th Century Comes to Crawford, Sunday, February 27

The 17th Century Comes to Crawford, Sunday, February 27

by | Feb 22, 2022 | News, Uncategorized

On Sunday, February 27, Crawford will welcome Agnes Coakley and Nathaniel Cox – founders of In Stile Moderno – who will provide music for our service of worship at 10:00 a.m. All are invited to join us, whether in-person or via our livestream on either Facebook or YouTube.

In Stile Moderno is an ensemble for early music, which Coakley and Cox founded in Basel, Switzerland in 2012. Named after the “modern style” of music which emerged in Italy around 1600, the ensemble is dedicated to music of the seventeenth century, and combines fidelity to historical performance practice with a drive to make early music accessible and relevant to modern audiences. Both as a lute and voice duo and in larger formations with cornetto, organ, voice, and plucked instruments, In Stile Moderno has charmed audiences with their engaging performances of seventeenth-century music in Boston, Vermont, and New York, as well as in concert series in Switzerland, Germany, and France.

Their next concert, “Stay, Time: Lute Songs of John Dowland,” will take place on Saturday, March 12 at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Watertown, MA. Please visit instilemoderno.com for more information.

Saturday Morning Walks During Lent

Saturday Morning Walks During Lent

by | Feb 18, 2022 | News

The word “wilderness” is found 300 times in the Bible.  Jesus spent 40 days there before starting his ministry.  Our faith practice reflects this by entering into 40 days of what we call Lent for reflection and preparation before the celebration of Easter.  We thought this might be a great time to reflect on creation and our relationship to it.  We will host a walk each Saturday in Lent, beginning March 5 and ending April 9.   We will meet on the Sturgis Street side of Horn Pond (our local “wilderness”) from 8am to 9am for these walks. No need to sign up—just show up!

Just Breathe

Just Breathe

by | Feb 4, 2022 | Conversations

“Isn’t it strange that sometimes it’s easier to be busy than to be still and breathe? (Or is that just me…?)”
Joseph Woo, “Breathing In God” 

During coffee hour following a recent worship service that featured a 30-minute musical mediation lead by Santiago Barragan Noguera, we discussed meditation in general, and the impact of intentional breathing on our minds, spirits, and bodies. Here are some resources that attendees shared that day and in the days that followed.

New Fundraising Goal for Resettlement

New Fundraising Goal for Resettlement

by | Jan 27, 2022 | News

The Winchester faith community, including Crawford Church, has formed a Neighborhood Support Team to sponsor and assist an Afghan family in relocating to the Arlington area, where relatives already live. They are a young couple with five children. We thought we might have six months to prepare for their arrival, but we learned on Tuesday that they are arriving this week.

We’ve found temporary housing for them in New Ipswich, NH, for a month. The search for longer-term housing and other resources to support this family as they acclimate has just begun. Ascentria Care Alliance of Worcester, a social service organization, is leading and supporting our local effort. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to help an Afghan family.

2/15 UPDATE: New Fundraising Goal
The Winchester Interfaith Committee on Afghan Resettlement now has a better understanding of what it will cost to support the Afghan refugees coming to our area and has raised our fundraising goal from $25,000 to  $36,000. The good news is that the committee has already received donations totaling approximately $10,000. To donate, checks may be made out to Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church, indicating it is for Afghan refugees, then mail them to 34 Dix Street, Winchester, MA 01890. You can also donate by texting CRAWFORDCARES to 44-321. Or donate online here – Click on Pledge or Donate Now, choose Other, and specify Refugee Aid where indicated. The firt $8000 in donations made through Crawford Memorial UMC will be matched 100%.

Volunteers welcome!
Volunteers will also be needed to assist this family as they acclimate to their new home and life in the states. If you are interested in learning more about what is involved, let us know via our contact form.