Explore how to raise anti-racists kids in this interactive workshop offered in person and online. Instructors at Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for Students (IDEAS), Rebecca Smoler and Caroline Han, will share valuable insights and facilitate discussions on topics such as racial socialization, internalized bias, cycles of oppression, and how to model dismantling of these cycles for the children in your life.

Workshop is on Saturday, October 14, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at First Parish in Wayland.

SIGN UP HERE

Join us after service on Sunday, September 17 for a Welcoming Picnic in the courtyard (or indoors if necessary). Let’s welcome Rev. Deborah Bennett as our Interim Minister, and let’s welcome each other back to the regular church year. Please bring a dish to share, if you can. We will provide drinks. You can sign up to bring something by clicking here. See you there!

On Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. MetroWest Climate Solutions will host a moderated roundtable discussion with three sustainability professionals from local towns:

• Julie Gagen, Sustainability Coordinator, Weston
• Jillian Wilson Martin, Director of Sustainability, Natick
• Abigail Shute, Sustainability Manager, Wayland

The session will be offered at First Parish Church in Weston (349 Boston Post Rd, Weston) and via Zoom. To register, click HERE.
Photo by Alan Rodriguez on Unsplash

Arts Wayland Jazz Series at First Parish

First Parish in Wayland will host an Arts Wayland performance on Sept. 10 at 3 p.m. Nando Michelin and Ebinho Cardoso will present their new repertoire of songs using poems by Manoel de Barros. This concert will feature an exciting mix of Brazilian popular music and jazz. The colorful songs are a vehicle to feature beautiful poems and the musicians’ mastery. This event is part of Arts Wayland’s Jazz Series, under the direction of Neil Olmstead, Berklee College Professor.

Born in Uruguay, Michelin came to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music, where he currently teaches. His discography includes over 14 CDs as a band leader, mostly original compositions, and several more as a sideman.

Cardoso is a virtuoso on his instrument. Due to the uniqueness of his music and technique, he is one of the most respected Brazilian bassists. Composer, arranger, singer and producer, Cardoso uses a typical element of the electric bass, showing its range of possibilities.

Lumanyano, a graduate of the South African College of Music and sought-after session musician, will perform on drums. Bassist and composter Ian Ashby holds a master’s degree in global jazz and has performed extensively internationally.

Tickets ($15) are available at Arts Wayland or may be purchased at the door before the performance.

Photo by Tolga Ahmetler on Unsplash

You are invited to join us on a walking tour on Saturday, June 17 from 9:30-11 a.m. celebrating the educational institutions that surround First Church in Roxbury. Hear stories of activism influencing the generations of youth learning within them. Rev. Stephanie, Susan Crowley-Bechtel, and Lea Anderson will arrange carpools for anyone interested.

We will gather at First Parish in Wayland at 8:40 a.m. to carpool. Or meet us at the UU Urban Ministry at 10 Putnam Street, Roxbury at 9:30 a.m.

While the tour ends at 11:00 a.m., there will be the opportunity to stay and shop or eat lunch at local businesses. If you are interested in joining the tour, email smay@uuwayland.org. Click this link to learn more about tours being offered through the summer.

Please join First Parish in Wayland for a fun and kid-friendly yard sale on June 3, 9:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. The church is located at 225 Boston Post Rd., at the intersections of Routes 20, 27, and 126.

You’ll find antiques, books, costume jewelry, native plants, décor, kitchenware, and other useful or fascinating items. Please plan to pay with cash. Kindly bring your own bags.

Ten percent of sale proceeds will be donated to World Central Kitchen, which provides meals in response to humanitarian crises. World Central Kitchen has earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating – four stars.

Parking: Except for handicap parking spots, parking is not available in the First Parish parking lot. Please park in the Trinitarian Congregation Church lot across the street.

Were you a fan of our April Rummage Sales? You can read more about that beloved tradition here.

On June 6 at 7:30 p.m., join MetroWest Climate Solutions and special guest the Rev.Mariama White-Hammond for a discussion on the intersection of climate change and questions of equity. As a lifelong resident, pastor, and activist in Boston, Rev. Mariama will explore the question of how residents of the suburbs can most effectively take action to promote greater climate equity.

The session will be offered at First Parish Church in Weston, 349 Boston Post Rd, Weston. If you prefer to join us online, register at tinyurl.com/CitySuburbs2. Please re-register if you previously signed up for the May 2 event, which was cancelled due to illness.

Rev. Mariama White-Hammond was appointed as Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space in April 2021. In this role, she oversees policy and programs on energy, climate change, sustainability, historic preservation, and open space. Over the course of her time with the City, she has supported the amendment of the Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO) to set carbon targets for existing large buildings and convened a city-led green jobs program.

Rev. Mariama uses an intersectional lens in her ecological work, challenging folks to see the connections between immigration and climate change or the relationship between energy policy and economic justice. She has received numerous awards, including the Barr Fellowship, the Celtics Heroes Among Us, The Roxbury Founders Day Award and the Boston NAACP Image award.

Join Arts Wayland at First Parish in Wayland on Sunday, June 4 at 4 p.m. for a concert by Summer Winds Quintet.

Summer Winds celebrates the outdoors through the centuries. Three Short Pieces of Jacques Ibert convey the gaiety and charm of 1930s Paris. Darius Milhaud’s Cheminée du Roi René (The Chimney of King René), one of the twentieth century’s most beloved works for woodwinds, is a pageant of medieval Provence. Jousts, jugglers, hunters, wild boars, and the haunting call of curfew recall a heartier and simpler time. Concluding the program is a world premiere performance inspired by dreams and the swirling resonance of woodwinds. Leaves to the Wind, a quintet for our time, honors the past with melodies from beyond.

GROUP BIO: Summer Winds performs music to inspire and delight. Drawing upon New England’s most accomplished instrumentalists, its players are heard in venues and distinguished ensembles throughout the world. Summer Winds is dedicated to conveying and expanding the richness of woodwind repertoire to today’s audiences.

For more information and to purchase tickets ($15), click here. Tickets will also be available at the door.

The Arts Wayland Jazz Series will conclude this season at 4 pm on Sunday, May 7 at First Parish in Wayland with Nica’s Dream Quartet. The vibrant Puerto Rican alto saxophonist Edmar Colon carries his luminescent lead lines above the firm footing of double-bassist Bruce Gertz, and the ever-subtle drummer Austin McMahan, with Neil Olmstead on keys. The deep swinging grooves of Horace Silver, Monk and Miles will contrast with sultry Brazilian sounds of Jobim/Gilberto. There’ll be no shortage of cool jazz standards in their repertoire. Thank you to the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Foundation and The First Parish in Wayland for their generous co-sponsorship of this event. There will be a reception with light refreshments immediately following the performance. Tickets can be purchased in advance here: Nica’s Dream Quartet – Arts Wayland

Come to SpringUP! at First Parish on May 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This annual event of The Uganda Project offers a chance to donate gently used items for shipment to people and organizations in Uganda, and an opportunity to come together with neighbors and friends while connecting communities an ocean apart. Games, activities, and multi-national snacks will be an added bonus if you can make it between 12:00 and 12:45 p.m.!

Clean, pre-sorted donations in the following categories will be gratefully accepted.

Women’s, Men’s, and Children’s Clothing: T-shirts, jerseys, slacks, jeans, shorts, non-fancy dresses and skirts, lightweight jackets and windbreakers, pajamas, caps, bathing suits, sneakers, practical shoes, sandals, sports shoes, and work boots. Backpacks, duffle bags, and large handbags are also very useful. (No infants’ clothing, high heels, or heavy winter clothing/boots, please.)

Children’s and Teens’ Books and School Supplies: Markers, crayons, pens, pencils, small pencil sharpeners, paints, and any kind of paper. Books for teens and children.

Bedding: Sheets, blankets, bedspreads, towels. Yoga mats are particularly good donations as well!

Kitchen Goods: Pots, pans, cooking utensils, silverware, plates, bowls, glasses (nothing electric, nothing fancy).

Toys: Small dolls, cars and trucks, stuffed animals, Legos, puzzles, games (packaged well so pieces don’t get lost).

Athletic Equipment: Balls and gear for tennis, volleyball, soccer, basketball. (Please deflate balls where possible.)

Craft Materials: Yarn, ribbon, lace, buttons, materials for embroidery, fabric, fabric dyes, and accessories used for sewing or knitting.

If interested in volunteering or learning more about The Uganda Project, email up@uuwayland.org. Many thanks to the Lydia Maria Child Fund for making these efforts possible. More information (including parking guidance) is available at  www.uuwayland.org or call 508-358-6133. First Parish is located at 225 Boston Post Rd. in Wayland, at the intersection of routes 20 and 27.

Arts Wayland presents in association with the First Parish in Wayland

Four Musicians. Inspired by the great composers.

The music of the Aryaloka String Quartet will feature music by Black composers Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, and Jessie Montgomery.

Tickets can be purchased in advance here: The Aryaloka String Quartet – Arts Wayland