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Thanks for taking a moment to check out these events in our shared life & the wider world.

If you’d like something included in an upcoming newsletter, let Jeffery know! You can reach him at: office@waucc.org or 773-935-0642 (text or call).

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If you’d rather join by phone, just dial 312-626-6799 and enter the Meeting ID: 917 3218 6458.

Support Palestinian Refugees

This May 15, Palestinians commemorate 75 years of displacement and dispossession. The Nakba, or “catastrophe,” is how Palestinians remember and refer to the events surrounding the declaration of the establishment of Israel in May 1948, when more than 400 Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed, and more than 750,000 Palestinians became refugees, fleeing to the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and other countries.

Those original refugees and their descendants today number more than 5.5 million people registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which was created in 1949 to serve the needs of Palestinian refugees. The total number of Palestinian refugees is over 7 million. Many of these refugees still live in overcrowded semi-permanent refugee “camps” in the Middle East with no clear future, despite UN resolutions affirming their rights to return to their homes and compensation for their losses.

While humanitarian principles require that U.S. assistance to the Palestinian people should not be restricted for political reasons, unfortunately that has not been the case in recent years. In FY 2012, the U.S. allocated almost $400 million for UNRWA, which was diminished to zero by FY 2019. The Biden administration, with Congress, has taken significant steps to restore, partially, this assistance, however much more is desperately needed.

UNRWA is confronted with an increased demand for services resulting from a growth in the number of registered Palestine refugees, the extent of their vulnerability and their deepening poverty. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions and financial support has been outpaced by the growth in needs. As a result, the UNRWA Program Budget, which supports the delivery of core essential services, operates with a large shortfall.

To help meet the needs of Palestinian refugees, Congress should support UNRWA robustly – at least at pre-2016 levels ($390 million) – and to ensure the continuation of that funding for 2023 and beyond.

Click HERE to Take Action Now!

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This month, the Book Club is reading & discussing
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

Join us on Zoom
at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 20th
for a lively conversaion!

Questions? Click here to reach out to Claudette Richards.

Coming Soon!

We are DELIGHTED to share that our beloved
Chris & Craig are being honored at this upcoming
Heartland Alliance & Kovler Center event.

The Wellington table has been filled,
but fret not! There’s still an opportunity for you to purchase an individual ticket however the deadline is midnight tonight May 17th!

You can purchase an individual ticket by clicking Here.

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Music 4 the Soul!

for the May 21st service,
click on the button below to enjoy an audio recording
curated by our Music Director, Chris Inserra.

Given the ongoing migrant tragedy unfolding, this week’s song is a 1996 Voice’s recording. The lyrics were inspired by stories Craig Mousin heard in his legal work with  
National Immigrant Justice Center clients including some of the biblical lines where we are called to welcome the stranger. 

Chris Inserra added the music and her group Voices recorded Not in My Backyard (Step By Step, 1996). One hope we share is that the song reminds us that many asylum-seekers do not leave their homes simply from domestic issues, but often our domestic and international actions bear some responsibility for the causes of migration.  

Let us hope we may know the power of healing
and welcome those in harm. 

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SAVE THE DATE: Sept. 15-17

For a “Waggle Dance Off” at the church retreat!
This will be our opportunity to compare potential future sites selected by members of the community and decide which one to pursue!

Questions? Check in with any member of the Church Council – Kryss Chupp, Jordan Dobrowski, Shelby Hatch, Brenda Friedman, Colleen Harper, Debbie Southorn, Jim Morris, Karen Graham, Roland Dehne, or our NEWEST Council member – Congregational Life Chair, Claudette Richards!

Wondering what we’re looking for in a new space?
Click here to access the form that outlines what we ask when considering a spot. 

What’s Up?
Congregational Life 

Would you be interested in a Civil Rights Pilgrimage this fall? 

The Academy for Spiritual Formation is organizing a seven-day/six-night Civil Rights Pilgrimage, The Long Road Towards Justice and Beloved Community. It would be great to have a group from Wellington participate!

Click here for more information.

If you are interested in participating in a group trip to see the Tony Award Winning musical The Gospel at Colonus presented by the Court Theatre, with regular running from May 20-June 11, please respond to Claudette by Monday May 22.

Sometimes you just need a document! Click below if you’re looking for:

• This Sunday’s  BULLETIN
• The latest version of the CHURCH DIRECTORY
• The approved CHURCH COUNCIL MINUTES

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