What’s Going On
Holy Week and Easter 2022
It may seem as though we just entered the wilderness of Lent, but Holy Week will soon be upon us. Mark your calendars… we hope you will join us for some or all of our services/celebrations during this most important season for the church.
Palm Sunday, April 10
We will again parade with our palms through the neighborhood, led by a lively New Orleans brass band. Gather at the church at 9:30 a.m. for the short parade. (Palms will be provided.) We’ll end up back at the church for the start of our Palm Sunday worship at 10:00 a.m, including more special music from our choir, organist, and the Occasional Brass.
Maundy Thursday, April 14
We will gather around the fire pit (weather permitting, otherwise inside) for a service of Holy Communion and Tenebrae at 7:00 p.m. Update: The weather forecast is for rain, so we will meet inside for worship at 7.
Easter, April 17
- 6:00 a.m. Sunrise Service around the fire pit (weather permitting, otherwise inside)
- Easter breakfast immediately following the Sunrise Service in Gifford Hall
- 10:00 a.m. Worship Service in the sanctuary, featuring live music by the Occasional Brass Quintet
- Easter Egg Hunt for the kids immediately following the 10:00 service
Ash Wednesday Service Details
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
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
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!
New Fundraising Goal for Resettlement
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.
Winter Clothing Drive
Crawford Memorial UMC is collecting clothing for the Malden Warming Center, Dwelling Place, the homeless on Boston Common (if Covid allows), and possibly other area shelters. We ask that you donate only winter coats, winter hats, and gloves/mittens in new or like-new condition…we are donating clothing that gives dignity. Please bring in your donations by January 9. Clothing can be left in the church lobby or in the bin on the front porch. Contact the church office (office@crawfordumc.org) if you have any questions. Thank you!
Christmas Eve at Crawford
With services and live music both indoors and outdoors this Christmas Eve,
we hope you will join us wherever and however you feel most comfortable:
5:00pm Service of lessons and carols, indoors and
streamed live on Facebook and YouTube
6:30pm Community-wide Carol Sing outdoors,
on our front steps (dress for the weather!)
NEW! 7:00pm Outdoor service, back by popular demand! NEW!
30-minute service of lessons and pre-recorded music
10:30pm 30-minute concert of Christmas selections
by the Occasional Brass Quintet
11:00pm Service of lessons and carols, indoors and
streamed live on Facebook and YouTube
All are welcome! Please wear a mask to help keep everyone safe.
Our Christmas offering this year will be donated to two of our favorite charities: Mission of Deeds and the Woburn Council of Social Concern. You can donate with a check or cash in person, through our website here, or by texting CrawfordXmas to 44-321.
Giving Tuesday: A Suggestion
This “Giving Tuesday,” please consider making a donation to New England Justice for Our Neighbors. They need our help to continue providing immigrants and refugees with pro-bono legal assistance in pursuit of legal residency.
New England Justice for Our Neighbors has been busy this fall. With the loosening of the COVD protocols the clinics have been open and receiving calls. The Lowell-Lawrence clinic met with 12 immigrants last month, Worcester is again seeing immigrants, and Springfield continues to be very active. NEJFON hired a part time executive director to help connect clients with much needed resources, and explore options for expanding our clinics in New England. NEJFON also contributed $10,000 to assist UMCOR with Afghan evacuees.
To help, text CrawfordJFON to 44-321
Or visit their website for more information and more ways to give.
2021 Holiday Faire
Our annual Holiday Faire will return on Saturday, November 13. It will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and will feature many favorite offerings from over the years: Crawford’s Famous Apple Pies, the Scrumptious Cookie Bar, baked goods, holiday decorations and other items not found in local stores in the Christmas room, gift ideas, handcrafted goods, vintage jewelry, white elephants & books, toys, and holiday items. This year’s breakfast & lunch snack bar will still feature favorite soups, apple crisp, and more, but all items will be takeaway only — no dining in. Proceeds from the faire will benefit Church operations and ongoing missions.
Help Needed Friday 10/29
In preparation for our Blessing of the Saints service this weekend, we need volunteers to help locate the graves of Crawford founders, family, and friends. Randy has compiled a list of names and the reported locations of their grave sites. We need help finding each of the graves and marking them with butterflies in advance of our service on Sunday. Volunteers are asked to meet at 11:00 a.m. this Friday, at the flagpole which stands at the entrance to Wildwood Cemetery (34 Palmer Street, Winchester).
If you can help out, please sign up.