COMING UP THIS WEEK!
SCRAMBLED TRIVIA NIGHT
Saturday, February 29 | 5:30—7:30 pm | Gathering Room
Celebrate leap day with breakfast-for-dinner and a fun, engaging team trivia challenge with prizes for the winning team.

FEATURING:
  • Breakfast-for-Dinner
  • Team Trivia - with prizes for the winning team!
  • A lottery ticket raffle
  • You can wear your pajamas!

MENU:
  • Pancake bar (gluten-free available)
  • Scrambled eggs (dairy-free)
  • English muffins (gluten-free available)
  • Bacon
  • Vegetarian sausage
  • Fruit salad
  • Banana muffins (gluten and dairy-free)

This fundraiser supports our senior youth group’s local service mission in partnership with Cultivating Community, a Maine non-profit focused on sustainable food systems and empowering New American farmers. Our high schoolers will spend three days this June working at community and school garden plots and orchards weeding, pruning, mulching, building garden beds, picking up trash, and shed organizing. 
FIRST SUNDAY MEET & GREET COOKIES
Sunday, March 1 | 11:30 - 11:45 am | Kitty Corner
We welcome you to First Universalist every Sunday, and on the first Sunday of the month we would love to have any newcomers (or those who still feel new, or have any questions) join us for cookies in the Kitty Corner right 
after the Worship service. The Kitty Corner is right at the bottom of the stairs! We’ll be there just a while for a friendly hello. No other agenda and not a formal meeting!
UUA GA? WHAT’S THAT?
Wed., June 24—Sun., June 28 | Providence, Rhode Island
It’s the Unitarian Universalist Association’s annual bash known as GENERAL ASSEMBLY. GA is in a different city each year, and this year it is in Providence, RI, June 24-28! (Sound too long? Lots of people go just for the Ware Lecture on Saturday night or Sunday morning worship.)

Imagine singing and worshipping and learning about all kinds of amazing UU stuff (think peace, love, and justice) with thousands of other UUs. We could even get a van load of people from Yarmouth to go down together for a day. Words can’t describe how powerful and transformative it is…. let’s go!

Hot Soup Lunch & Meeting
Sunday, March 1 | 11:30 am—12:30 pm | Common Room
Come if you would like to learn more about attending 
General Assembly this year in Rhode Island! Hosted by the Board of Trustees. For more information, please write to Board Clerk Sarah Witte: sarahcoffinwitte@gmail.com.
FINANCIAL TIMES OF FIRST U
WORSHIP
HOW TO RECOGNIZE A GOOD MINISTER
Sunday, March 1, 2020, at 10:30 am
Rev. Frieda Gillespie, Interim Minister
Sam Chandler, Music Director
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
NECK DEEP IN THE SEARCH PROCESS
An update from the Search Committee who are now in the part of the search known as "pre-candidate" visits. Click through to learn more.
CARING CONNECTION
Many years ago First U started a program called Caring Connection, by which we as members and friends at the church could support each other in difficult times, providing meals or rides or just friendly visits. Caring Connection has continued, but with many new friends and members who may not be familiar with its existence. 

We maintain a list of names and contact info of people who would like to give help and support as it works with their availability, and at the same time, we are open to requests if someone is in need. When we receive a request, the information is sent to those on the list, and volunteers can sign up for a slot or two that fits their availability.  

If you would like to be part of this network, please contact Joy Ahrens (jahrens1@maine.rr.com) or 207-807-6899, and we can add you to the list. It helps if we have both phone and email contact info. And if you are in need of support, please also reach out by contacting Joy, Rev. Frieda, or the church office! Don’t hesitate to be in touch if you have further questions. Many thanks!
SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 18, HEART IN HAND GALA
First Universalist’s famous Heart in Hand Gala, a gorgeous prix fixe dinner and live auction, is returning on Saturday, April 18, 6-9 pm. This gourmet meal and opportunity to bid at the live auction has limited seating and is only available by reservation in advance with your kind contribution of $75/person. Gluten-free and vegan options available. Childcare available upon request.
YOGA IN THE SANCTUARY
Saturday mornings, 10 - 11 am
Yoga classes continue at the First Universalist on Saturdays led by our new yoga teacher, Marni Prince. She replaces Lois Howlett, our long time yoga teacher, who is moving to North Carolina. Marni is a trained Vinyasa Yoga teacher who has recently moved into Yarmouth. Cost: $10. Classes will be 10:00 - 11:00 AM. Any questions, please contact Marini Prince at marniprince@gmail.com or Sarah Witte at sarahcoffinwitte@gmail.com.
RELIGIOUS EXPLORATION
PROGRAMS THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 1
10:30 - 11:30 am - Junior Youth Group (Common Room)
10:30 - 11:30 am - Children's Chapel (begin in Sanctuary)
10:30 - 11:30 am - Nursery Care (the Nursery)
In Children's Chapel (kindergarten - fourth grade), the month of March is about the fifth UU principle, all people need a voice, our UU commitment to democracy and allowing everyone to have a voice and a vote. This is one of the ways that we as UUs are people of open minds. We will explore this topic through games, activities, play, stories, and questions. 

In Junior Youth Group (fifth - eighth grade), we are continuing with Riddle & Mystery where we explore big questions and come up with our own answers. Next, we will be exploring what it means to be UU and try to determine what the differences are between faith, spirituality, and religion. 

During Peace Play for Littles (ages 0 - 3 and their big person) on Wednesdays, 10:45 am - 11:15 am, our stories, songs, rhymes, and play will relate to the themes of community, peace, kindness, justice, and caring for our planet.

Save the Date: RE Happenings!
  • Sunday, March 22, 10:30—11:30 am Senior Youth Group will help to lead our worship service
  • Sunday, April 26, 4:00—5:30 pm Combined Junior/Senior Youth Group with Ministerial Candidate
  • Sunday, May 31, 10:30—11:30 am Children and Youth Sunday, including Bridging of our High School seniors
  • Sunday, May 31, 11:30 am—12:30 pm RE Family Picnic to celebrate our year together in religious education programs at First Universalist. 
REGISTER FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH PROGRAMS ONLINE
This year, there is the option to  register online for children and youth programs! Please register your children if they participate in any programs.
PEACE & JUSTICE WORK
MUUSAN NEWS
(Maine UU State Advocacy Network)
MUUSAN is asking us, as a supporting member, to urge legislators to support these two bills:

Land for Maine’s Future (LMF): L.D. 911
LMF land conservation program protects over 600,000 acres in Maine, including over 325,000 acres of working farms, forests, and waterfronts, miles of recreational trails, and critical wildlife habitat. FACT SHEET
Call or email legislator NOW and ask them to vote for this funding. Contact information below.

Strengthen Maine’s Municipal Recycling Program: L.D. 2104
Product packaging, including plastic, cardboard, glass, and metal, makes up 30%-40% of the materials managed by Maine’s municipal waste management programs. LD2104 would make manufacturers – not Maine taxpayers – responsible for the cost of recycling these materials, making recycling more effective, sustainable, and equitable.  FACT SHEET
Committee hearing is Feb 26. Call or email your legislator; ask them to urge the committee to adopt this legislation.

State Senators

State Representatives

UU Principle #7 at work: these pieces of legislation speak to the affirmation and promotion of our respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
VOLUNTEER AT PREBLE STREET
First U has a standing commitment to staffing Preble Street Soup Kitchen for their dinner service as they feed homeless and low income people who rely on Preble Street for a hot meal. Help prep and serve dinner with your fellow UUs from 3:30—6:30 pm on this coming first Tuesday of the month, March 3. Sign up in advance by contacting Ruth White at rwhite7@maine.rr.com (please remember to contact Ruth even if you sign up directly with Preble Street so that we can ensure we have enough 
volunteers attending to meet our commitment to Preble Street—thank you!). 
FIRST TUESDAYS IN ACTION IS ON HIATUS
Due to staffing issues, First Tuesdays in Action (at First U) is currently on hiatus - we will let you know when it is able to start back up again.
FROM THE COMMUNITY
MUUSAN IS HIRING
The Maine UU State Advocacy Network (MUUSAN) is hiring a part-time administrative coordinator based out of Augusta, ME. Click for a full job description and details on applying.
MAINE YOUTH CLIMATE STRIKE, March 3
Maine Youth Climate Strikes group will be gathering all day on Primary Day, March 3, to ask voters to vote with climate, and the future of non-voting youth, in mind. Their main action will be taking place from 12:00 - 1:00 pm and UUs are invited to attend to fight for the future of our planet.
FROM THE CHURCH OFFICE
EQ UU AL ACCESS: NEW FRAGRANCE POLICY
As part of First U's continuing commitment to radical welcome and inclusion, we are implementing fragrance-free worship . Please refrain from using perfumes, colognes, lotions, etc. with fragrances on Sundays. By using unscented products, you help to create a welcoming space for people with sensitivities and allergies to fragrances. Thank you!
WEATHER CANCELLATION INFORMATION
First Universalist service and public event cancellations are announced on WSCH Channel 6, WMTW Channel 8, and WGME Channel 13, as well as on Facebook.
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.
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 Matthews, Program Assistant, 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.
  First Universalist Church of Yarmouth | 207-846-4148 | office@uuyarmouth.org | www.uuyarmouth.org