Acting for Social and Ecological Justice
First Parish in Hingham (Old Ship Church) Unitarian Universalist
Values of our minds and hearts becoming the work of our hands.
A church has not fulfilled its purpose unless the values we claim to affirm are expressed in the individual lives of members and in our shared life as a religious community. Here at Old Ship we strive, however imperfectly and incompletely, to bring the values of mind and heart into the work of our hands. Our shared social values are expressed in Old Ship's third purpose, which affirms our intention to act for ecological and social justice; and by Unitarian Universalist Principles which call us to work for justice, equity, and compassion in human relations, and toward the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all. With all this to inspire and encourage us, Old Ship contributes to a variety of organizations and engages in social service and outreach in a variety of ways, from local to global. We could of course always do more, and we hope this collection of information is a step in that direction.
Old Ship Committees and Groups Acting for Peace, Social Justice, and Ecological Sustainability
Welcoming Congregation Committee
The Welcoming Congregation Committee helps Old Ship to become more welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. Sponsors workshops, speakers, and social events toward this end.
opportunities: Join the committee; participate in planning particular committee-sponsored events; attend WCC events.
Green Sanctuary Team
The Green Sanctuary Team as hosted classes, publishes ?green tips? in the newsletter, and stays in touch via e-mail. We are working with the UUA to become a certified Green Sanctuary.
opportunities: join the team; attend classes; encourage Old Shippers (and Old Ship) and others to live in more ecologically sustainable ways.
Peace Seminar
Peace Seminar meets monthly to consider issues of war and peace, violence and nonviolence. Films, readings, speakers, and conversation will all be part of the mix, all aimed at inspiring our actions to help create more peaceful communities and a more peaceful world.
opportunities: attend our monthly gathering, second Fridays at 7:00 in the Parish House parlor
Social Outreach Committee
The Social Outreach Committee is appointed by the Board of Trustees and considers requests for grants to outside organizations from our Saniter Trust Fund and makes grant recommendations to the Parish for vote at our annual meeting each May. Grants are usually in the $1-2000 range. The committee also decides how to allocate the operating budget line item for social outreach.
Grants were provided this year to the following organizations:
Dalit Women of Nepal, Wellspring Multi-Service Center, Lakota Kids, South Shore Habitat for Humanity- Hingham Committee, Cradles to Crayons.
Religious Education
Our religious education programs for children, youth, and adults all have service and social justice dimensions; many of our adult classes are open to the public and frequently explore interfaith themes, thereby we hope contributing to interfaith understanding.
opportunities: Teaching and learning. (see Religious Growth and Learning area on this site)
Past Old Ship Committees and Groups Acting for Peace, Social Justice, and Ecological Sustainability
Racial Justice Working Group Encourages Old Ship members and friends to learn about racism and to help create racial justice.
opportunities: Join the committee; participate in planning particular committee-sponsored events; attend RJWG events.
Study Action Committee
The Study Action Committee educates Old Shippers concerning current social justice resolutions passed by the annual General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
opportunities: Join the committee; attend committee sponsored events; take action concerning the GA resolutions passed or being considered.
Unitarian Universalist and community organizations we support with our money, time, and/or energy:
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee We contribute in a variety of ways to the UUSC's global and domestic programs in support of human rights, peace and social justice. A portion of our Christmas Eve offering is designated for the UUSC; we promote the annual Guest at Your Table program to generate financial support for UUSC; and we host Old Ship's Coffeehouse Off the Square, a monthly folk coffeehouse whose proceeds benefit the UUSC.
opportunities: volunteer at the Coffeehouse; become a member of the UUSC; form an Old Ship UUSC Committee to educate the Old Ship community about the Service Committee.
contact for Coffeehouse: Jim Watson, 781-749-1767 further information about the UUSC: www.uusc.org
Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry The Boston-based UUUM primarily serves the needs of youth in Roxbury, and women and their children who are victims of domestic abuse. We support UUUM through a fall fund drive for their Renewal House program and through a portion of our Christmas Eve offering to UUUM's general program fund.
opportunities: volunteer to tutor in UUUM's Roxbury programs; form an Old Ship UUUM Committee to educate the Old Ship community about the Urban Ministry; contribute financially.
Bikes Not Bombs A Jamica Plain based program provides community-based education and assists development projects with recycled bicycles, related technologies and technical assistance, as concrete alternatives to the militarism, over-consumption & inequality that breed war and environmental destruction. Old Ship has organized bike collections and we are in our second year of donating 25% of our plate collection on Sunday mornings to BNB.
opportunities: donate a bike directly, or through Old Ship when our youth organize collections; contribute on Sunday mornings, or directly to Bikes Not Bombs www.bikesnotbombs.org.
Hingham Interfaith Food Pantry Based at Second Parish in Hingham the food pantry serves primarily Hingham families in need. Old Ship supports the Food Pantry through donations of food and other staple goods.
opportunities: bring food to our food pantry collection boxes near the front entrances to the Parish House or Meeting House; help to coordinate and publicize our collections; volunteer at the Food Pantry: 781-740-8180.
Wellspring Multi-service Center Based in neighboring Hull, Wellspring has a variety of programs to support people in financial, physical, or emotional need. Old Ship contributes primarily through donations to their food pantry.
opportunities: bring food to our food pantry collection boxes near the front entrances to the Parish House or Meeting House; help to coordinate & publicize our collections; volunteer at Wellspring: 781-925-3211, www.wellspringhull.org.
Father Bill's Place Old Ship supports this shelter in Quincy by preparing and serving meals twice a month.
opportunities: volunteer to be part of a team or to create a new team to prepare and serve a meal; help to coordinate.
Friends of the Homeless of the South Shore Old Ship hosts the annual holiday party for the Friends of the Homeless and we give a portion of our Christmas Eve offering to Friends of the Homeless
(Director Rev. Herb Newell ucb4u@comcast.net.)
opportunities: contribute directly to or volunteer with Friends of the Homeless, donate furniture to furniture bank.
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First Parish in Hingham (Old Ship Church) Unitarian Universalist
107 Main Street, Hingham, MA 02043 - 781-749-1679
oldship@verizon.net - www.oldshipchurch.org
minister: Rev. Kenneth H. Read-Brown - oldshipkrb@comcast.net - 781-740-4979
