United Parish of Upton – to join us

Uplifting service at 9:45am every Sunday – child care available! Open & Affirming / Reconciling both United Church of Christ & United Methodist

Rev Lourey Savick, Jessica Murphy is the Christian Education Director for the United Parish of Upton and Beth Alletto will join Joe in studio on Monday the 29th.  Be sure to tune in or live stream on TuneIn.

Rev Lourey Savick

Pastor Lourey has been serving United Parish of Upton since July 2016. She is clergy in the United Methodist Church, a diverse worldwide denomination that encourages faith in both heart and head. She earned her M.Div from Boston University School of Theology, and her BA from Wartburg College (affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America).

She is delighted to continue learning as the pastor of this blended Open and Affirming United Church of Christ and Reconciling United Methodist Church congregation.

Jessica Murphy is the Christian Education Director for the United Parish of Upton.  She is responsible for ensuring spiritual growth among all generations of the church in a way that promotes love and respect for all God’s Kingdom, without bias or judgement.  Jessica joined the United Church of Christ after learning about the denomination’s call to advocate for justice and discovering the wider welcome that came with acceptance for all throughout the greater church.  Though education and writing curriculum is her area of expertise, Jessica’s passion lies in outreach to the community and beyond.  Since becoming a member of The United Parish of Upton in 2012, she has organized many grassroots fundraising efforts to support neighbors in need, creates programs in the community to ensure safety for children, and attends as well as promotes many events that involve Justice in Action.  Her life goal is to inspire people to discipleship by leading through example, so that they too will know that Jesus loves us all – just as we are.   Jessica’s crowning achievement is her two amazing children who’s beautiful, open souls remind her every day that true love does not discriminate or place any limits on its bounty.

Beth Alletto joined the United Parish of Upton in 2006 and is currently serving as United Parish of Upton Leadership Council Chair. She nourishes her faith by participating in Sunday worship services, church ministries and community outreach activities. Behind the scenes, she co-manages the church social media Facebook, Instagram and Twitter sites.

She has previously served as Treasurer and Admin Clerk and feels that she can bring her whole self to the church as United Parish of Upton is Open and Affirming/Reconciling – truly welcoming all just as we are – created and loved by God.

The United Parish of Upton – Open and Affirming / Reconciling

 In January 2013 the United Parish of Upton overwhelmingly affirmed the following statement:

We the members of the United Parish of Upton (UCC/UMC) believe that all people are created in God’s image and that Jesus commanded us to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

We affirm that each individual is a child of God and that together we are called to become one body with many members and many different gifts.

As an Open and Affirming/Reconciling congregation, we embrace and welcome persons of every age, race, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, family structure, physical or mental ability or disability, educational background or socio-economic status into the full life of the church.

We invite all to find a spiritual home in the United Parish of Upton and to share in the leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, sacraments, responsibilities, and blessings of participation in our congregation.

The affirmation of this statement of inclusion, welcome and celebration followed a two year process of inquiry, dialogue and honest soul-searching. Though we did not always see all things in the same way, we arrived at a point of faithful and loving consensus. The United Church of Christ calls ministries like ours “open and affirming.” The United Methodist church calls us “a reconciling ministry.” By whatever title, we are proud to display the rainbow on our walls and windows, printed pages and homepage.

Spring 2014 the United Parish sent its first contingent to the Boston Pride parade to march with other “Open and Affirming” congregations from the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ.

We’ve since then marched in both the Boston Pride and Worcester Pride parades!  Those who march say it’s the most fun-filled, joyous celebration of life and acceptance of all just the way God made us.