CHANNELS
First Universalist's weekly newsletter
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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TEAM
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ARE YOU INTERESTED IN WHAT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE?
Do you enjoy creating learning and growth opportunities? Would you like to connect with others behind the scenes to help develop bolder leadership? Do you get a strange sense of satisfaction from composing well articulated internal documents?
We're forming a new Leadership Development Team and want you to be on it! This team needs both networkers and policy wonks, bold thinkers and enthusiastic do-ers, and those who take pride in moving our congregational leadership forward.
Please come to a quick informational meeting - a one-off - this Sunday, February 17, right after worship. Pizza will be provided, and your kids are welcome to come and have a slice, too. Ask us questions and let’s see what happens. RSVP to Joanna Landsman (
jslandsman@gmail.com) or Sarah Witte (
sarahcoffinwitte@gmail.com). Thanks! We’re excited too!
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Forgiveness
with Rev. Frieda Gillespie
February 10, 2019 at 10:30 am
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Volunteers needed for our February 24 service, “Building a welcoming community for immigrant neighbors,” Claudette Ndayininahaze and Carla Hunt will look at our growing local connections to the New Mainer community. If you have personally mentored, hosted, or worked with New Mainers, please invite them to join us for the service and coffee hour. We are also looking for volunteers willing to transport guests to and from Portland. Contact Nancy Austin at
naustin@gmail.com if you if you are inviting someone or are willing to transport guests.
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BEING A SPIRITUAL SEEKER
What does it mean to be a spiritual seeker? One answer: The freedom to be you, to explore, to embrace your truths, to engage, and grow in
community. In this first year of transitioning to a new settled minister, we ask WHO are we? We are sharing our truths with humble intent to heal, learn and grow. We are finding joy in the growth, and joy in welcoming new seekers each week.
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fact: The average commitment is $1600; with most households in the $500 to $5,000 range.
reflection: No one has ever become poor by giving. — Anne Frank
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Program Schedule: February 17, 2019
10:30 am
Children's Chapel (begin in Sanctuary)
10:30 am
Nursery Care (the Nursery)
No junior or senior youth groups this week due to school vacation.
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CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS
NEW! During our 10:30 am Children's Chapel time, most Sundays will now feature two program offerings for children (kindergarten - fourth grade) in a pick-your-own-adventure style. For kids who are interested in a relaxed experience, the
Blue Group will try out meditation, do yoga, read books, make crafts, and engage in acts of service. For kids who are feeling like more movement-based activities, the
Green Group will play games, do hands-on projects, spend more time outside, and engage in acts of service. Come check it out and choose your own path each Sunday!
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YOUTH PROGRAMS
COMING SOON! Our junior youth group (5th - 7th graders) will begin the
Our Whole Lives program, a human sexuality and relationships curriculum, on Sundays from 10:15 - 11:30 am. This is a secular program and ALL 5th - 7th graders are welcome to attend. This OWL session will start on Sunday, February 24 and run for seven weeks through Sunday, April 7.
Parent Meetings
are being held this week. Please contact Gwen at
gwenatfirstu@gmail.com for more information.
Senior youth group
meets on Sundays from 4—5:30 pm. All high schoolers are welcome and encouraged to join us as we develop our belief statements and plan/prepare for our coming mission trip.
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FAMILY PROGRAMS
NEW! The
Let’s Talk About series continues on
Sunday, March 24, 3:30—5:00 pm with Let’s Talk About Sex, a primer for parents, grandparents, and all who influence children ages 0-9, with Jennifer Wiessner, LCSW, CST ("Raising Sexually Healthy Children" workshop coordinator). This series is free and open to the public.
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YOUR SEARCH PROCESS QUESTIONS, ANSWERED!
Sunday, March 17, during coffee hour
Curious about what goes into selecting our next called minister? Please join us on Sunday, March 17 (Pi/e Sunday) to meet Rev. Margaret Beckman, our UUA-appointed Transition Coach. Rev. Beckman will be in the pulpit that day and will also lead a Q&A session during coffee hour. Members, friends and newcomers are all welcome! Afterwards, she will meet with Rev. Frieda and the Board to kick off the search process.
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FROM THE INTERIM MINISTER: WHY HEALING CIRCLES?
It has been asked, "What are the healing circles for?" In general, they are for anyone who wants to voice and clarify emotions such as anger, disappointment, fear, and sadness related to their past experiences at First Universalist. The church members are coming out of a period of conflict, division, and confusion and are now endeavoring to make sense of what they've been through in order to be ready to fully embrace a new settled ministry. These are folks who stayed through difficult times and persevered when others left. In order to go forward joyfully and openly they have needed and continue to need a forum to express and share what has happened in the past 11 years. You might imagine that this congregation is mired in these issues, but rather they have courageously opened up and taken responsibility to fix problems going forward. In the process they are naming the ways in which this church can rebuild trust and transparency. This is what this transition time is for and it WILL create a much better, freer start for the minister coming next. Stay tuned for further healing circles and timeline activities. We welcome input from all.
- Rev. Frieda Gillespie
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MUSIC ON MAIN CONCERT SERIES FEATURING OLD ELEVEN
Friday, March 8th at 7:00 pm
Music on Main Concert Series exists to bring world-class music to our small-town community, welcome new and old faces into First U's beautifully renovated space, and bring in funds to support the projects and programs of First U. This month, join us for a night of traditional bluegrass music with Old Eleven. You might recognize many of the musicians if you've been to Gather for Bluegrass Brunch on Sunday mornings or taken an acoustic music lesson at 317 Main Community Music Center. Tickets by cash or check are $15 per adult, $12 for seniors and $10 for youth. Funds received from tickets are split between the musicians and our church. See Lily O'Brien after church to reserve your ticket!
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CIRCLE SUPPERS
Saturday, February 16th & Friday, March 29th
We are rolling with monthly circle suppers! Why? Because it's great to get to know each other, new and longtime friends. Here's what you do: (1.) Check out the suppers offered - more info is in the Gathering Room at church. (2.) Sign up for one. (3.) Get a call or email from the host to set up the potluck supper. (4.) Show up with your food. (5.) Eat, laugh, and be happy. (6.) Know a few more people at church!
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FOUR QUESTIONS FROM THE FAITH-IN-ACTION COUNCIL
The Faith in Action Council knows that the members and friends of this congregation are deeply engaged in and committed to the work of social justice, both through our church’s projects and through individual activities in the wider community—but we’d like to know just where that work has taken you!
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Please complete the survey online,
or on paper at church and leave your response in the basket or the church office, about the social justice work you may have been or are now engaged in, wherever and of whatever kind, and what further ways you might envision for us as a congregation to put our faith into action. We look forward to hearing from you!
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HELP NEEDED AT PREBLE STREET
We are short of filling our commitment to send volunteers to
Preble Street Soup Kitchen
to help serve dinner on the first Tuesday of every month. Please sign up in the Gathering Room for March 5 from 3:30 to 6:30. Or contact Phyllis Chinlund at
pchinlund@gmail.com
. Many thanks from Faith in Action Council
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CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, February 16, 2:30 - 4:30 PM
Creatures Great and Small: Celebrating Our Love for Animals is a fundraiser to support HART adoption center and shelter for cats. Featuring live storytelling by Cathy Furness and acoustic folk music by Carolyn Currie. Refreshments provided. Tickets: $10/adults, $5 children (ages 9-17, event is for ages 9+). At First Universalist Church in Yarmouth. Tickets available at
www.hartofme.org or at the door.
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IMMIGRANT LEGAL ADVOCACY PROJECT, March 22
ILAP is proud to present their spring fundraiser,
CeleSoirée 2019
, a musical performance by Palaver Strings at Ocean Gateway in Portland. Tickets may be purchased at
https://ilapmaine.ejoinme.org/celesoiree2019
.
CeleSoirée
supports ILAP’s direct legal services, educational outreach, and advocacy throughout Maine.
100% of funds raised from this event are put to work providing legal guidance and representation to our immigrant neighbors and their families.
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NNED SPRING ASSEMBLY, April 5-6
With Nurturing Connections as our underlying theme, we invite you to the NNED 2019 Spring Assembly and Annual Meeting Friday evening April 5th and Saturday April 6th at the UU Church of Concord, NH. Registration opens February 1st –
contact NNED Administrator Ann-Marie.
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What do we want Unitarian Universalism to be? It is a time when we are asking big questions in our faith, and GA 2019 will be focused on digging into those questions together. It is a critical chance for congregational leaders and passionate UUs to set new goals and aspirations for our religious community.
General Assembly is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association. Attendees worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend; congregations must certify annually to send voting delegates. The 2019 General Assembly will be June 19-23 in Spokane, Washington.
Learn more at
www.uua.org/ga
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WEATHER CANCELLATION INFORMATION
First Universalist services and event cancellations are announced on WSCH Channel 6, WMTW Channel 8, and WGME Channel 13, as well as on Facebook.
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Pastoral Emergencies
If you have a pastoral emergency, you can contact Rev. Frieda Gillespie on her cell phone at 508-207-7566. Please note that most weeks she will be in Yarmouth Sunday - Tuesday and working from her home office in MA Wednesday - Friday. Saturdays are typically her day off, but she will answer calls for pastoral emergencies.
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Submit Your Announcement
To have your church or community event included in this newsletter or in print on Sundays please email the information to Gwen at
gwenatfirstu@gmail.com
by Wednesday at 12 pm to have it included in that Friday's edition of Channels or the Sunday Morning News.
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