What's Happening
at First Parish -
Our Weekly Newsletter

June 19 - 29, 2019


 We aspire to be a beacon
of liberal religion, strong community,
and transformative service.

We aspire to be a Beacon of…..
 … Liberal Religion
Sunday June 23 
Summer Solstice Sonnets and Sundaes Sunday
Celebrate the beginning of summer with some of our First Parish poets reading poems for the season, and special music provided by a church member. There will be a story for children. The service will be followed by a make-your-own sundae celebration of summer. 

Please note that this is our last service at 10:30 am before summer services at 9 a.m. begin July 7. There will be no service on Sunday June 30.
Summer Services -
To the Stars
Our theme for summer services this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing and all the ways we "hitch our wagon to a star," as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it. If you would be able to provide music for a service, please speak with the chair of the Religious Services Committee. Summer services begin at 9 a.m. July 7-August 25.
From the Parish Committee
The Parish Committee met on June 6, 2019, and lit the chalice as a symbol of the beacon that this church has been for so many years and will continue to be into the future.
 
We welcomed incoming Co-Chair, and the outgoing Co-Chair is staying on the Parish Committee as newly-elected Administration and Leadership Liaison. 
 
Former and continuing members of the Parish Committee welcomed, and we were given an overview of their roles, responsibilities, and goals for the coming year. Goals include advancing the work begun this year on governance, policies, record keeping, and communication.  It is important that the PC completes the work on governance and structure to enable it to fulfill its main role of setting and achieving our mission and vision. It is the hope of the Parish Committee to propose simpler and more flexible governance structures and policies that support the true work of the church. The Parish Committee will continue the work on governance over the summer and into the fall and will hope to make recommendations to the By-Laws Review Committee during the 2019/2020 church year.
 
The Parish Committee discussed the 2019 Annual Meeting and there was general consensus that, as a self-governing congregation, we need to do a better job of communicating the importance of this meeting. We will be working on ways to encourage increased attendance and more discussion and participation from the membership at large.
 
The Parish Committee is working on reconstituting a Religious Education Committee and creating a Concerts Committee.
 
Parish Committee
 
Parish Committee meetings are open to all members of the church. If you have any questions about the church or church governance, suggestions for improvements, or if you have an idea for an activity or ministry that you would like to spearhead, please reach out to the Parish Committee with your question, suggestion, or proposal!
Religious Education at First Parish 2019-20
With our joyful RE Sunday behind us, it's time to direct our attention to plans for next year. In our three year rotation of themes (World Religions, Bible stories, and UU history, tradition, and practice), this coming year is our UU year. We are taking a slightly different approach this year, with curriculum September-January focused on history and tradition, and then in the spring using the hands on curriculum In Our Hands , a peace and justice curriculum which will involve the RE participants and discussing what they can do to make a difference in the world and choosing projects, depending on their age groups, to carry out.

In the fall, preK-2 will learn about the church and their place in it with the curriculum Chalice Children ; grades 3-5 will travel in time to learn about our UU ancestors and perhaps visit Concord, MA, to learn more about Emerson, Thoreau, and the Alcotts. The junior high group will look at values and ethics through the framework of the TV series Buffy the Vampire . High school students are invited to participate in our Coming of Age program, the UU version of a confirmation or a bar or bah mitzvah. Senior high students are also invited to participate in the SciCohRockWell youth group.

Teachers and leaders are needed for all these programs and for In Our Hands in the Spring. Teachers are asked to make a 10 Sunday commitment over the course of the year.

For planning purposes it would be very helpful if you could register your children at you earliest convenience, using the form ( please click here ) and either scanning it and sending it back to the church office, mailing it, or dropping it off. You may also pay the RE registration fee on-line ( click here for payment ) , or mail or bring in your check. If the fee is a hardship, please speak with Bill or Pam and it will be waived.

-Bill Ketchum
... and Transformative Service
Supporting Scituate's METCO Students and Families Next Monday June 24, 2019
On Monday, June 24th, 6:30- 8:00 pm, there will be a second meeting about the new Friends of METCO program and re-starting a local host families program and other ways to strengthen the two-way relationship between Boston and Scituate families and students. All interested community members are invited to attend. This new program has grown out of the work of Scituate's Unity Council.
Calendar for June 19 - June 29

Wed. 19th
10:30 am Fididdlers

Sat. 22nd
1:00 pm Memorial Service

Sun. 23rd
10:30 am Worship

Wed. 26th
10:30 am Fididdlers
Save the Date

July/August
Summer services begin
Summer game night
Weeding and ice cream gathering
Our Mission
Liberal Faith: We commit to participate side-by-side across generations  in worship, religious education, social activities, environmental protection,
and social justice work—learning, sharing, and growing together. 

Strong Community : We commit to care for one another, nurture the light that shines within each of us, and support each other’s individual search for truth and meaning.
 
Transformative Service: We commit to pursue diversity, justice, equality, reason, and discourse;
provide inspiration through music, creativity, and the arts;
and work cooperatively to affect positive change in our community and beyond.