What’s Going On
Vigil of Love and Support, March 30
On the eve of International Trans Day of Visibility, please join your neighbors and friends at a special VIGIL OF LOVE AND SUPPORT for our Trans Community:
Sunday, March 30 at 4:00pm
Woburn United Methodist Church
523 Main St., Woburn.
This event is being hosted by Pastor Bill Hoch of the Woburn United Methodist Church. Additional sponsors include Woburn PRIDE, LexPRIDE, Know Your Neighbor Woburn, WMHS Spectrum Club, Woburn Welcomes, and Mystic Valley NAACP.
Additional Faith Leaders taking part include Rev. Derek White (he/him), North Congregational Church, Rev. Raphaela Mueller (she/her), Montvale Congregational Church, and Rev. Emily Hamilton (she/her), Lutheran Church of the Redeemer
MUSIC to be provided by:
JOHANNA TULLOCH (she/her)
Lead Singer, “Trophy Wives”
ANDREW GIORDANO (he/him)
Singer, Broadway Actor
TODD THIEERAULT (he/him)
Piano Accompanist/Music Director
Hear from guest speakers including Lead Speaker, Dr. AC Goldberg (he/him), Intersex/Transgender Professor, Northeastern University, and Internationally recognized Trans Activist and Thought Leader and others, including:
Lizebeth DeSelm (she/her, they/them)
Chair, Melrose Democratic City Committee:
Former Melrose School Committee Member
Billie Bee (she/her)
Writer, Carographer, and Leader of the
Sleepy Cities Club Trans Support Group
Siobhan Mazor (she/her)
Member of Kahai B’raira
Secular Humanistic Jewish Congregation
Noah Mammino (he/him, they/them)
Spectrum Club, Woburn Memorial High School
Lifeline Screening, May 19
- Carotid Artery Disease Screening
- Atrial Fibrillation Screening
- Peripheral Arther Disease Screening
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening
- FREE Hypertension Screening
Call 888-814-0466 or click here LLSA.SOCIAL/HSCA to reserve an appointment at Crawford on May 19, and use code HSCA001.
Life Line Screening services may be eligible for reimbursement using a Health Savings Account (HSA). To confirm HSA eligibility for a specific Life Line Screening service, you can contact your health insurance provider or the Life Line Screening company directly.
Last Hope K9, April 5
Last Hope K-9 will hold an adoption event at Crawford on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Last Hope K-9 rescues dogs from high-kill shelters and places them with loving foster families who give them love, attention, and the medical attention so many of them need, until they can find their “forever” homes. Visit https://www.lasthopek9.org/ to learn more about the organization and the dogs that are up for adoption. You can also apply to adopt online. Learn more about the adoption process, here.
Prayer Service of Solidarity
The New England Conference of the United Methodist Church has planned an online prayer service for those looking for ways to show solidarity with our immigrant neighbors during this harrowing time. The service will be held on Thursday, January 30 at 7:00pm via Zoom. We will “pray for our immigrant neighbors, who are particularly vulnerable at this time. Following the prayer service we will share information on the current policy changes initiated by the Trump Administration and how they impact our neighbors and our ministry.” Leaders will also offer some best practices for how to be in ministry with those who are vulnerable, and take questions.
If you’d like to take part, see more details and register on the NEUMC website, HERE:
UMCOR Responds to Fires in LA
In this email, sent on Monday, January 13, 2025, Pastor David Arruda, Disaster Response Coordinator for the New England Annual Conference, shares a bit about emergency response efforts underway to help those displaced or otherwise affected by the wildfires in CA.
“In partnership with Methodist churches, UMCOR set up relief centers that provided evacuees shelter, food, and essential supplies. Volunteers, guided by compassion and solidarity, offered material aid, an empathetic ear, and comforting support to those burdened by loss…Congregations worked tirelessly to deliver donated items, prepare meals, and offer their buildings as temporary shelters, exemplifying the true spirit of Christian compassion.”
Read the full email HERE.
He also says, “for those of you who feel moved to support these vital efforts, donations to UMCOR’s U.S. Disaster Response and Recovery fund directly aid such ongoing projects. DONATE HERE..
2025 Chili Cook-Off
Join us for Crawford’s annual Chili Cook-Off, benefitting New England Justice For Our Neighbors, on:
Saturday, February 8, 2025, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
at Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church
34 Dix Street, Winchester, MA
Crawford’s annual Chili Cook-Off brings together community from our church and beyond for an evening of fellowship, yummy food, and inspiring stories about the important work of New England Justice For Our Neighbors (NEJFON).
For over 10 years, New England Justice for Our Neighbors has provided free, expert legal aid to low- and no-income immigrants, specializing in humanitarian-based cases. Their clients include unaccompanied minors, asylum applicants, and victims of violence. They currently serve immigrants across Western, Central, and Northeast Massachusetts, providing both in-person and remote appointments.Their work helps families stay together, victims of violence escape further harm, asylum seekers find a safe haven, and unaccompanied minors begin a new, more promising future. The effects of legal status ripple out from our clients themselves, who are often heads of household, to their children and eventually additional generations.
Bring your family and friends, and your appetite! Taste as many chilies as you like, then pair a bowl of your favorite with salad, cornbread and dessert provided by our members, We always have a wide range of chili types available for tasting. We invite you to taste them all and then “vote” for your favorites with your contributions.
There is no charge to attend, but good will offerings will also be accepted at the door. Your financial contributions allow JFON to help families and children find a safe home in the US. The money we raise through this event helps support free legal counsel for immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in the area, provided by New England Justice For Our Neighbors, in their clinics located across Massachusetts (Lawrence, Lowell, Springfield, and Worcester). Visit newenglandjfon.org for more information.
Think you have a winning chili recipe?
We have room for a dozen or more competitors, and we’re hoping for a wide variety of entries — including chicken, pork, beef, vegetarian, and vegan. Spice levels range from from sweet and mild to flaming hot. To enter the competition, sign up online here, or contact the church office by calling 781-729-5056.
Cradles to Crayons at Crawford
We are happy to partner with Winchester Girl Scout Troop 77025 by serving as a collection site for their service project collecting new and gently used clothing (all sizes, all seasons, all types) for Cradles to Crayons! Cradles to Crayons is a non-profit organization that aims to eliminate children’s clothing insecurity — the lack of access to appropriate, affordable, and adequate clothing. By the end of their fiscal year in late March, they are on track to distribute 400,000 packages to kids across the Commonwealth living in families at/below 200% of the federal poverty level ($62,400 for a family of 4). Donation bins are outside of the church’s front doors. Please put your donations in the bins outside, where they will be collected regularly by the scout leaders. Do not leave them in the lobby outside of Gifford Hall. Drop offs will be accepted through Jan 26.
When:
Through January 26
Where:
Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church
34 Dix Street, Winchester, MA
What:
New or gently used clothing, winter coats, and shoes
New PJs, socks, and underwear
Celebrate the Gift of Christmas at Crawford
Please join us on Christmas Eve
We will celebrate with a service of lessons and carols at 5:00 p.m. and again at 9:00 p.m. Both services will feature a retelling of the age-old Christmas story, singing beloved carols, and special music by Occasional Brass and Strings.
And, as is tradition here at Crawford, we invite you to join us in a Christmas Carol Sing-along from 6:30 to 7:00pm in front of our church, led by our Chancel Choir member, Kate Frisoli, and accompanied by members of the Occasional Brass. Caroling is outdoors so do dress for the weather!
Bring Your Baby Jesus
Throughout Advent, we have spent time talking about the characters found in a typical nativity scene and offering blessings over a different categoy (the beasts, the angels, the shepherds, etc.) each week. We invite you to bring the baby Jesus figure from your home nativity with you to either Christmas Eve service for a special blessing.
Disaster Response Training Survey
“In response to the recent series of disasters throughout the United States, there has been a significant increase in interest in the New England Annual Conference (NEAC) offering Early Response Team (ERT) and Volunteer in Mission (VIM) training. These trainings represent an excellent opportunity for individuals to develop essential skills that contribute positively to disaster response and relief efforts within our communities.”
Does this sound like something you’d be interested in? Learn more and complete the NEAC’s survey HERE (by January 12, 2025).
Unite With Light, Winchester
Sunday, December 8, is Winchester’s 6th annual Unite With Light (rain date: Sunday, December 15). Members of Crawford will gather after our Sunday morning worship service to assemble the luminarias, and again in the afternoon to place them along the retaining wall on the Church Street side of the building and light the candles. While casting a lovely glow, the luminarias have a greater purpose than just beautifying Winchester. The proceeds from the sale of luminaria kits are donated to a charity of the organizers’ choosing. Crawford’s 100 luminaria kits for this evening and another hundred for Christmas Eve were purchased with a generous donation by a Crawford member. All proceeds raised by Unite With Light-Winchester this year will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of MA & RI, helping to grant wishes to children living with serious, chronic illnesses. Learn more about Unite With Light – Winchester and see photos from past events on their facebook page, HERE.