Join us for worship on
Sunday, April 21 at
9 and 11 a.m.
Multigenerational Easter Service
Worship Leader:
Rev. Susan Milnor, Interim Senior Minister
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Need Spiritual Support?
If you think you may need spiritual support for anything that touches a tender spot in your spirit, please call our
Spiritual Support Line
at (
802) 870-0447
.
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Visit the publication
archives on our website!
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Join Us for Worship This Sunday!
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Sunday, April 14 at 9 and 11 a.m.
Worship Leader:
Rev. Susan Milnor, Interim Senior Minister
Worship Associate: Judy Brook
"Gratitude as Right Action" - Gratitude Sunday
Platitudes on gratitude (!) make me uncomfortable. It's not very helpful to tell people to feel grateful, is it? It's more helpful, for me at least, to approach gratitude as a spiritual practice and as a route to action. On this Gratitude Sunday, the final in our official Stewardship Campaign, we will honor our Family Ministry teachers, be graced by Kira Lawson, one of our youth, singing an original song; and reflect in the sermon on the action of gratitude in our lives, both personal and congregational.
It's not too late to email me (at [email protected]) a brief thought on what you have been grateful for in FUUSB over your time here. I'm especially looking for what others might not have lifted up yet. These will be shared during the service, but can be anonymous.
Don't forget the free Pancake Breakfast provided after both services by our fabulous Youth and our great Stewardship Team. The breakfast is a way of saying thank you for all you give, including your presence and support. Now is the time for pancakes!
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Stewardship Update!
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 Nancy Knox
Our campaign is going well;
THANK YOU
to everyone who has pledged so far!! We are so grateful for your love and support of our First UU!! For those who haven't, it's not too late; there's still time - The end date of the campaign is Sunday, April 14. NOW'S THE TIME!! Here's how to pledge:
- Pledge card - You probably got one in the mail, or you can pick one up (and drop it off) at the stewardship table in the Parlors this Sunday.
Our $1000 challenge is happening -
16
people/households have signed on to increase their giving for next year by
$1000
or more -
WE ONLY NEED
4 MORE
to get an additional $1000 from an anonymous pledger - We can do this, with your help -
WE'RE ALMOST THERE!
At the end of the campaign, we'll do a RAFFLE for local gift cards - Pledge by April 14 to have your name included in the drawing!
(See the pancake breakfast on April 14 info elsewhere in this newsletter; a collaboration of the YUUth group and the Stewardship Team!)
We have more stories to share! Here's one from Mark
Kuprych:
Hello, my name is Mark Kuprych, I've been a member of FUUSB for about 20 years and welcome this opportunity to talk about why I choose to give in the stewardship campaign. It is important to me. When I first moved to BTV in '93, I wanted to meet progressive people but wasn't particularly interested in being in a formal religion. Having previously been Catholic, then Presbyterian, I only half-jokingly said, "If I'm joining ANY church, it's either going to be some liberal Unitarians, or find a black Baptist church and sing some serious gospel music." In BTV, you can't not notice our beautiful meetinghouse at the top of Church Street, and so I went in. Over time, I joined the choir, got involved in programs and the Property Committee and eventually co-chaired
PropCom for 4 or so years. PropCom was a good fit for me because its mission fits my sense of preservation and my sense of service to community. I still attend my small ministry group and love it.
In my day job, I'm a landlord. I've rebuilt my two old buildings from bottom to top, inside and out and I know that these structures are NOT permanent, even though they may appear so. They have to be fixed and cared for regularly or they will deteriorate. My experience as a landlord provides a glimpse into how people view things, like their living accommodations. Many people consider buildings, roads, infrastructure as permanent-- that they were always here and always will be. People rarely think about how or why a bridge got built--all we really care about is using it.
I don't want either our UU community or the Meetinghouse to deteriorate, so I choose to pledge. I know regular payments to our Society allow us to plan for and staff a place I want to grow with. I believe also that our building, this community, this concept of a liberal, progressive, open, loving faith-community--is not permanent. Unlike mainstream religions, it can be more accurately seen as an ongoing project, or even an illusion--it only exists if we actively and constantly create it. There are PLENTY of examples in America now that show how quickly basic rights and liberties can disappear; that alone is a huge reason I choose to pledge towards a greater UU Community.
I like to think of my monthly pledges as a form of inoculation--they bolster the health and fitness of both our local and the greater UU body. I'm not sure how to determine what exactly IS the value of a liberal faith community, or a liberal United States, but I suspect life is uglier without it. I'd rather pay an amount each month along with others to ENSURE that it exists, rather than possibly have it disappear.
It is our collective pledging and giving that allows FUUSB to plan for - and create - the kind of community we wish to live in.
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Gratitude Sunday Pancake Breakfast
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 Kim Hier
Join us on April 14, "Gratitude Sunday," when the Yuuth Group in partnership with the Stewardship Team will be offering a FREE pancake breakfast after the 9:00 and 11:00 services in the Community Room.
Enjoy fresh hot pancakes and the company of friends, while we express our gratitude for our wonderful UU community! Please consider a donation to the Yuuth Group Service Trip Fund.
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20s/30s Chalice Circle
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 Christina Ensalata
The UU 20s/30s Chalice Circle will meet this
Sunday, April 14 from 4-6 p.m. in the Parlors. The Chalice Circle is open to all young people in their 20s and 30s. Come, make new friends, enjoy discussing meaningful topics, and enjoy chilling with your fellow UU young folks!
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The Annual Easter Egg Hunt Approaches!
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 Erika Reif
We ask that each family bring in one dozen filled plastic
eggs
per child participating. Due to several life-threatening food allergies among the children, please fill the
eggs
with non-food items only. Ideas for
egg
-fillers are: stickers, tattoos, chalk, flower bulbs, coins, bouncy balls, small toy figures, and rings/bracelets. Get creative! It's fun to see all the great ideas that pop out of the
eggs
.
Regardless of weather, the
hunt
will take place in the Memorial Garden at 10:15 a.m. on Easter Sunday, April 21. If you can volunteer to hide
eggs
and to help with the event, please contact Erika Reif at
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Family Ministry Volunteer Opportunities
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Broaden Your Horizons! - Explore Volunteer Opportunities in Family Ministry.
Family Chapel:
Every first Sunday of the month, parents, other adults, youth and children gather in the Community Room for 15 minutes of multi-generational worship and story. Children light the chalice, ring the chime, learn the words to songs and worship rituals. Children participate in "joys and sorrows" as well as read the opening words, the closing words, or a prayer. We strive to have an interactive worship time that connects with the theme of the worship service in the Sanctuary or perhaps a justice event or holiday that is happening.
If you're interested in leading multi-generational worship and enjoy supporting the leadership of children and youth, come and check out Family Chapel on May 5
in the Community Room at 9 or 11 a.m. There will be a short introduction and training for volunteers on May 5th immediately after the 11:00 Chapel service.
Family Game Night and Potluck:
On the f
irst Saturday of every month,
children, youth, and adults of all ages gather in the Community Room to have a potluck dinner and play games! Have you played solitaire with 8 people? Come and join us; it's a blast! Up for some ping pong, one on one, or round robin?
We're looking for volunteers who will take on organizing this monthly event! It's pretty simple: just making sure the word gets out, with posters and eNews, that plates, silverware, cups, salt and pepper are out on the buffet table on the night itself, and reminding fellow game-players to pitch in to put away games and load the dishwasher when it's time to go.
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| 2019 COTS Walk |
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D
ear First UUs:
Sunday, May 5 is the annual COTS Walk. This is a picture of last year's small but enthusiastic UU team. We hope to have a bigger turnout this year and need your help. Please visit the COTS (Committee on Temporary Shelter) website
at this link, click the "Join a Team" button, and enter our team name, First UU for COTS, to join our team.
Stop by the table in the Parlors this Sunday if you need help registering for the walk or sponsoring the team. Thank you for your support!
Nina Harrington
802-660-2670
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| Sunday Service Schedule Update |
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On
Sunday, May 19
, we will begin our
one-service
summer schedule. Join us for worship at
10 a.m.
on
Sundays!
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Proactive and Gracious Follow-Up
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Valerie Wood-Lewis
In March, FUUSB was honored to host Jennifer Greene, a Long Island UU nationally involved in social justice like gender issues, wealth inequality, and climate action. Her work in these and other areas led her to create DOVE courses (Demonstrating Our Values Through Eating), which were well attended here at FUUSB and will likely be offered again, and to serve on the UU Animal Ministry Board.
Eating, Jennifer presented a compelling talk and slideshow, starting with a wonderful video about Cesar Chavez's great grandniece, "Cesar Chavez: Respect for All." While many people are familiar with Cesar as a champion of farmworkers' rights, less well-known about Cesar is that he extended his circle of compassion and justice to include animals, leading him to become vegan. The film interviews Cesar's family and fellow activists, and spotlights his great-grandniece, an inspiring example of a young person speaking up for positive change today.
(See it online at
After the screening, Jennifer presented a slideshow about the socio-psychological factors that affect our food choices (l
earn more at
carnism.org), along with information about the "Proactive & Gracious" food policy her congregation on Long Island adopted last year.
Accompanied by delicious vegan refreshments, the screening and presentation planted seeds of compassion and sparked meaningful conversation about possible next steps in terms of animal advocacy and food education. Suzie McCoy and Valerie Wood-Lewis will have plant-based food samples and more resources in the Parlors in weeks to come, and
proveg.com is a great source for recipes and more info.
In the weeks to come, look for non-dairy coffee creamers to try during coffee hour - Maybe you'll find a new favorite!
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