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Sunday, September 2 at
10 a.m.
Worship Leaders:
Darryl Fields and Linda Cooper
Worship Associate:
Melinda Lee
"This I Believe"
This I Believe
was a five-minute CBS Radio Network program in the early 1950s, originally hosted by journalist Edward R. Murrow. The show encouraged both famous and everyday people to write short essays about their own personal motivation in life and then read them on the air. The show became a cultural
phenomenon that stressed individual belief rather than religious dogma.
For many of us, our "beliefs" are more about a journey we've been on. These very personal journeys toward better understanding may have been long, meandering and complex. And many of us may be aware that our ideas even now in our later years
are still
evolving. But this Sunday we take some time to sift through those efforts...that energy...through those many layers of schooling, of thoughts and experiences, of trying to make sense of things... to listen to some of our congregants who have prepared their stories to share with you about "This I Believe."
Our Unitarian Universalist framework honors many
sources of wisdom: our own direct experience of the mysterious, prophetic voices, world religions including Jewish and Christian teachings, humanist ideas, science, reason, and Earth-centered traditions. But in the end, in our UU tradition, it is the responsibility of each of us to craft for ourselves a worldview that makes sense to us as an individual...that gives our actions some direction for making meaning in our life.
On Sunday, September 2 our worship service will be a celebration of this work each of us does throughout our lives--the work of making sense out of it all. Come be with us.
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Visit the publication
archives on our website!
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| Greetings from Rev. Susan Milnor |
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Greetings, Members and Friends of First UU Society of Burlington! I'll have more to say in the first Steeple, but let me say I've been getting my feet on the ground and starting to become familiar with your energetic congregation. You'll be receiving updates as we have them on a number of things.
My schedule in general will be in the office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, sermon writing at home on Friday, where I need to be on Saturday, at church on Sunday, and off, on my personal sabbath, on Mondays. You need to make an appointment if you want to meet with me, as I will have many meetings scheduled on work days. I do not schedule meetings or appointments on Mondays or Fridays during the day except in emergencies. The best way to make an appointment is by email:
[email protected]
.
Our ingathering service will be September 9 at 10:00 a.m. with one multi-generational service. We will move to two services on September 30. That means one service at 10 a.m. on the 16
th
and 23rd.
Blessings,
Rev. Susan Milnor
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Join Us for Worship This Sunday!
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Sunday, August 26
at
10 a.m.
Worship Leader:
Worship Associate:
Judy Brook
"The Fire Sermon"
Our minister emeritus Gary Kowalski returns on August 26 to recount his experiences working as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical responder in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Being a first responder, he discovered,
means more than driving a big red truck. It means facing grief, fear and depression,
but also offers glimpses of altruism, teamwork and courage that show people at their finest.
Rev. Gary's talk is excerpted from his book
Old Men and Fire
,
available from Amazon. All proceeds benefit his outfit, Hondo Fire & Rescue. A talkback will follow the service in the Susan B. Anthony Room.
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| Classes for Newcomers |
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 Andre Mol, Developmental Assistant Minister for Pastoral Care and Membership
We offer two classes for people who are new to us and would like to learn more about Unitarian Universalism, find out about our activities and meet other newcomers.
New UU Part 1: Getting Acquainted
This 1 ½ hour class is offered every month. The class provides an overview of Unitarian Universalist history and beliefs, including our Seven Principles and Six Sources. It's a great introduction to UUism and also a good way to meet others.
Upcoming class:
- September 9 (11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.)
New UU Part 2: Getting Connected
This is a 2 ½ hour class that provides information about activities, programs and ministry teams here at First UU. It also includes time for getting to know each other, and an overview of the process for becoming a member of the congregation. Getting Connected is offered on a Saturday morning several times per year. Attendance at Getting Acquainted is required before taking Getting Connected, except for people who have already been a member of a UU congregation.
Upcoming class:
- August 25 (10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
For questions or to register for any of these classes, please contact Andre Mol, Developmental Assistant Minister for Pastoral Care and Membership (
[email protected]).
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| Supporting UVM Nurses |
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Please support our nurses,
Monday, August 27, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Community Picket at the main (ACC) entrance of UVM Medical Center.
For more info: Gene Bergman, FUUSB Economic Justice Task Force
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| Interfaith Connection Cafe |
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Thursday, August 30
at 6 p.m.
FUUSB Community Room
Join members of Burlington's interfaith community for an evening of dialogue and connection.
This gathering will focus on thoughtful topics participants will explore together such as religion in the public square or working together with people across differences. Using a structured approach, all present will be invited to engage in the evening's topic as a way of learning together, across faith communities, about important topics that affect us all.
This event, sponsored by Vermont Interfaith Action, has been created to help foster interfaith relationships and dialogue in the Burlington area.
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| FUUSB Offices Closed September 3 |
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Please note that the First UU Society offices will be closed on Monday, September 3 for the Labor Day holiday.
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| Pride Parade and Festival 2018 |
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 Zoe Hart
This year's Pride Parade and Festival are being held on
Saturday, September 8
. This is a change from recent years when it's been held
on Sunday
afternoon, but we'll still have a strong First UU contingent. The parade starts at
12:30 p.m.
with marchers gathering at
12:00
at the Hood plant parking lot on King Street between Church Street and South Winooski Avenue. The festival starts at
1:00 p.m.
at Battery Park. Looking forward to seeing you all there.
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| From the Racial Justice Team |
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Rededication of the Black Lives Matter Banner -
September 9 - immediately following Ingathering Service:
Dear Friends,
As you will recall, five months ago on Sun
day, March 4 we installed and dedicated our Black Lives Matter banner. We anticipated at the time that some people might take issue with it and that we, like other UU congregations, might experience vandalism or theft.
On the morning of Wednesday, August 1 we discovered the banner was missing and initiated our response plan. First steps included putting up a replacement banner and notifying the congregation about the
theft. Next steps include a gathering for staff and congregants to process thoughts and feelings about the theft and the racism it reflects.
We also have scheduled a rededication ceremony for the new banner following the Ingathering service on Sunday, September 9, led by Rev. Susan Milnor. At that time we will issue a press release covering both the initial theft and the rededication ceremony.
As more details become available, we'll share them through the eNews and Facebook page.
If you have questions, feel free to contact the Racial Justice Team co-leads, Gabriel Ely (
[email protected]
) or Sally Russell (
[email protected]
). We know that incidents like this may bring up anxiety or concern. If you would like pastoral support contact Andre Mol (
[email protected]
).
Siding with love,
The Racial Justice Team
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| Formation of Pastoral Care Associates |
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Andre Mol, Developmental Assistant Minister for Pastoral Care and Membership
Part of caring for each other within our society includes providing a listening presence and spiritual companionship in times of need. This is often referred to as "pastoral care" and many of you have benefited from receiving such care from our ministerial staff. However, the needs of a congregation our size, with over 500 members, require the additional support of specially trained lay members known as Pastoral Care Associates.
This fall we will be forming a team of Pastoral Care Associates at FUUSB. These associates will work closely with our ministers and our Care Network to provide pastoral care to members of our society. We will be holding an orientation session on
September 12 for anyone interested in the team to help answer basic questions and to help those attending determine if they would like to serve as an associate. More formal training and ongoing supervision with our ministerial team will begin in October.
If you are interested in serving as a Pastoral Care Associate or want to find out more information, please reach out to Martha Molpus, Lead Pastoral Care Associate (
[email protected]), or Andre Mol, Developmental Assistant Minister for Pastoral Care and Membership (
[email protected]).
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| "Meet and Greet" with Rev. Susan on September 16! |
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Jill Allen, Transition Team
SAVE THE DATE:
Come meet and greet with Rev. Susan after the service from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 16 in the Sanctuary. Rev. Susan hopes to meet you! See you there!
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| Family Ministry Registration |
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 Erika Reif, Religious Education Assistant
Fall is almost here and so it is time to register children and youth for classes and YUUth group!
As we take our first steps towards a Family Ministry model of faith formation, you may notice a change in the language we use; what we referred to in the past as Religious Education classes will now be known as Family Ministry classes, but will remain very similar in practice.
We will also be rolling out some new opportunities for families to grow in faith together throughout the year, so expect to hear more about those soon!
I invite you all to register your children from the littlest nursery goers through seniors in high school with this
link to our database. Returning families are already known to the database, and I encourage you to create a log-in for yourselves; newcomers can register as guests.
It is very helpful to our planning process to get children and youth registered at the beginning of the year when possible, so your prompt action will be greatly appreciated!
Please contact me with any questions you may have about this process at
[email protected].
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| Help Grow Souls! Help with Faith Formation! |
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 Erika Reif, Religious Education Assistant
It's that time of year again! Fall is right around the corner and
Family Ministry at the First UU is in the process of recruiting stewards for 2018-19. We need volunteers to work with every age group from preschool through high school.
Whether you have taught a Religious Education class in the past or not, here is your opportunity to deepen your own faith while helping others form theirs. You do not have to be a parent to participate, and volunteering with children or youth is a great way to strengthen the ties between younger families and the rest of our beloved community!
If you are interested in leading or assisting in a preschool through 7th grade classroom or acting as an advisor to our YUUth group, please take a moment to
fill out this form
and Andrea, our Director of Family Ministry, will be in touch to discuss the specific opportunities that match your interests.
We are very excited to be offering two 8th Grade OWL classes this fall! In order to keep providing this invaluable opportunity to our youth and the youth of the larger community, we need more dedicated volunteers! Specifically, we are looking for individuals, 25 and older, who are willing to attend a weekend-long training and join our 8th Grade OWL teaching team later in the year or in fall of 2019.
Trainings are held in
Auburndale, Massachusetts, outside of Boston. FUUSB will cover the cost of the class and accommodation.
Please contact Andrea Spencer-Linzie,
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| Request from the Library Team |
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Lynn Douglas
From your library committee: We have gathered some homemade videos of FUUSB events that would be wonderful to preserve. If you are able to convert VCR tapes to DVD, please contact Lynn Douglas at
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| Reminder: New Evening Book Group Starting! |
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 Debbie Landauer
September 14 (through end of "Trunk")
October 12 (rest of book)
6:30-8 p.m.,
Susan B. Anthony Room
Our first selection is The Overstory by
Richard Powers. Further selections will be chosen by
participants! No RSVPs required.
All are welcome!
THE OVERSTORY
"In his twelfth novel, National Book Award winner Richard Powers delivers a sweeping, impassioned novel of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of...the natural world..."
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| Run for JUMP on September 22! |
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Join us for the annual Run or Walk for JUMP on September 22 at 10:00 a.m.!
This year the run will be as fun as ever and has set a goal of raising $15,000 to support the work of JUMP (Joint Urban Ministry Project):
- Vouchers for transportation, food, clothing, household goods, laundry, utilities, ID's and prescription co-pays
- Thoughtful, caring support and informed referrals from JUMP staff and volunteers during JUMP's Drop-In Center hours: 9 a.m. to noon, Tuesday through Friday.
- Food bags, personal hygiene items, cleaning products and toiletries for neighbors in need
Run for JUMP
is a fun event for students, adults, children, grandchildren and the entire family as it includes an open 5K run, a 1K run for kids under 14, and a 1K walk - all on Burlington's beautiful Waterfront. Become an event sponsor or register as an individual to participate. Help those in need while also having fun! FREE PARKING!
Local businesses, including many restaurants, donate prizes for the top finishers, top team, age group winners, and youth and adult fundraisers. Every participant will have an opportunity to win terrific raffle prizes.
Register online at:
or download a registration form at:
Also, forms will be available at event.
For more information or to sign up to volunteer:
visit
www.jumpvt.org
or please contact JUMP Director Wanda Hines at 777-3821, or email
[email protected] if you would like to serve on the event committee, volunteer on race day from 8 a.m. - noon, or help recruit participants. We need your help to make the run the best it can be!
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| Lost and Found Items |
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 Mary Williams, Society Administrator
Just a reminder to check our lost and found areas for items you may have left at the Meeting House:
- Main office: glasses, keys, jewelry, and other small items
- Coat rack area (outside the Parlors): coats, water bottles, food containers, etc.
- Community Room - lost & found bin: all other items
Thank you!
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