Community (Page 4)
Tour the 2020 Art Quilt Elements Exhibition in our New SoulBite
One of our congregants is offering an amazing opportunity for you to tour the Art Quilt Elements Exhibition this year. In this internationally acclaimed show, three jurors have assembled an exceptional collection of fine art in fabric. As one of the featured artists, she will shed light on some of the deeply personal stories behind each of the 48 quilts on display. This new SoulBite is titled “Healing and Forgiveness in Fabric,” and is being offered on two different dates.…
Rev. Lee is Granted Full Fellowship
“We recognize and applaud all the ways in which you have grown and thrived through the continued transitions of the congregation you serve.” These words are from the Ministerial Fellowship Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in its letter granting Rev. Lee Paczulla Full Fellowship as a minister in the UUA. When Rev. Lee became our Executive Minister in July 2016, she was near the beginning of her ministry and in a period called Preliminary Fellowship. To be granted…
WellSprings Turns 13
On the last Sunday in January, 2007 WellSprings held its very first worship service. Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or are joining us for the very first time, please know that your presence is a vital part of what makes WellSprings work. You are appreciated, and we hope you’ll join us in wishing a happy 13th “birthday” to our beloved charged-full spiritual community.
Join Us On Christmas Eve!
This year, join us on Christmas Eve for a message about the astonishing outsiders who enter our world, turn it upside down, and transform it into something more holy, loving, and true. Both our all-ages services at 4:30 & 6:00 PM will be inspired by the instant-classic movie, “Elf!” (Please note that there will be no nursery services during these gatherings.) Because our Christmas Eve services are such a special event, we also hope you’ll sign up to bring cookies or snacks,…
HeartWorks Winter Coat Collection
Our community partner, Chester County Futures, has asked us to help them meet a special need this winter: among the high school students enrolled in their programs locally are 77 teens who need a cold-weather coat. The size breakdown of needed coats is as follows: Small 17 – Medium 33 – Large 20 – X-Large 6. In order to meet this unusual but very important goal for CCF, if you can place a collection box at your place of employment, we’d be grateful for that as well! Whether for…
Update from Your Board of Trustees
Sunday Morning Attendance UpdateWe’ve received some questions over the past several months about shifts in our Sunday morning attendance, and we want to provide some background and context for everyone in our community about this topic. If you’ve been around for a few years, you may recall a time that we regularly welcomed over 200 people on Sunday mornings. In 2016, our Sunday attendance exceeded 200 almost half the time. There is some curiosity about whether two Sunday services are…
Our Caring Book Returns
It can be powerful to name what’s on our hearts, when we come together on Sundays. Even if we want nothing except for a space to share (or a space outside of our own heads) – the simple act of lighting a candle or putting pen to paper can help us honor both the joys and the sorrows we carry. This Sunday, we’ll renew the practice of creating space in Bell Hall for our candles and Caring Book. Feel free to light a candle, or…
Ways to Work With WellSprings Youth
Serve to connect youth, families and the whole of WellSprings YouthBridge Core Ministry – join this new, tentatively-named core ministry to create new connections and opportunities for all WellSprings children, ages 0-17, their families, and our congregation, to grow together. Expected to meet monthly or more. Foster Teen Connection Teen Group – our fledging teen group currently meets several times a year for social or service opportunities. Past outings have included escape rooms, indoor obstacle courses, and game night. We…
“Entertaining Angels” Message Series Guide
Attached is the resource sheet for the upcoming message series, Entertaining Angels. Printed copies will be available at services beginning this Sunday. If you have any questions, please contact a member of the Spiritual Development Ministry:Majid Alsayegh, Sally Reeves, and Deb Soderland
Building a Bridge Into the Future
Imagine this:You rush to get everyone dressed and out the door (knowing you’ll be 10 minutes late, again) but knowing it’s worth it… because today is the first Sunday your teen will be worship leader at WellSprings. A fourth grader hands you a bulletin at the door, when you arrive, his dad close behind – and glancing back at the Tech booth, you notice your teen’s old babysitter (home from college for the summer) is running the sound board today! Families mill…
New Message Series Guides…
The Spiritual Development Ministry is excited to begin a new practice of providing the congregation with a thought-provoking collection of resources to accompany each new message series. These will include: a challenge, a spiritual practice, a discussion question, a journal/reflection prompt, links to some of the materials Rev. Ken & Rev. Lee will be using as they write their messages, and other resources for reflection. It is our hope that these materials will be used by individuals, families, small groups,…
A Letter From Rev. Lee
A Re-Introduction… My first Sunday at WellSprings was a cold, cloudy February morning in 2013. I brought along a friend, and we parked in front, taking that long, icy stairway to Bell Hall nice and slow. One of you handed me a folded piece of paper, I topped off my coffee, and found a seat in the back, hoping to go unnoticed. I was considering WellSprings on a short list of possible congregations to serve during my ministerial internship –…