find your ______ at first u
THE ANNUAL CAMPAIGN: KICK-OFF CELEBRATION EVENT
TOMORROW: Saturday January 4th, 5:30 - 7 pm
All members and friends are warmly invited to come to First Universalist to launch our Annual Campaign. (Yes, it’s earlier this year!) We’re having an informal wine and cheese party with an array of finger-foods and beverage options. Enjoy a bit of humor as only our own Nancy Dix can deliver!
The Board and Stewardship Committee are organizing this early campaign to be fully confident in our ability to make a compelling offer to minister candidates considering us in the coming months. let’s talk about our commitment to the world of justice and hope we are building together.
Find (and express) your faith.
Children are welcome too - there will be kid-friendly mac & cheese available among the food/beverage offerings.
“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way.
On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”― Arundhati Roy
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DONATIONS OF COLD WEATHER CLOTHES BEING COLLECTED
For the next First Tuesday: THIS TUESDAY, January 7
We'll be collecting donations at the church of cold weather clothing (hats, gloves, coats, boots, etc.) and personal care items (toothpaste, tooth brushes, sanitary pads, shampoo, etc.) for Preble Street Resource Center. Please drop off your donations during office hours or on Sundays before/after church. Thank you!
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FINANCIAL TIMES OF FIRST U
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WORSHIP THEME: COURAGE
Sunday, January 5, 2020, at 10:30 am
Rev. Frieda Gillespie, Interim Minister
Sam Chandler, Music Director
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At a UU Church you are not told what to believe or how to find what you are looking for. But we will support you as you look for what you need, in order to live your best life. Is it hope? Is it strength? Is it courage? Is it inspiration? Is it community? Is it all these things? In the next few weeks we will be exploring
COURAGE and what it means to seek your UU identity.
Please keep an eye out for a special letter from the Board. We call each other into community and generosity with our Annual Campaign this month. Your participation – at whatever level possible – is the lifeblood of First Universalist.
“Love, shine through us. Help us to hold ourselves and one another in stubborn hope, in the fierce insistence that we are whole and wholly beautifully.” – Rev. Elea Kemler
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UU PATHWAY TO MEMBERSHIP
If membership calls to you, or you have questions about this faith and our community, you are warmly welcomed to attend the following events. Of course you always have the option of exploring and discussing your spiritual journey with Rev. Frieda, solo style. May a way be found, and the courage to take it step by step!
What is First Universalist Church? on
January 20,
6:30 -9:00 pm
We will share our own stories. What brings us together here? Why become a member? (Besides being able to vote when we have a new ministerial candidate?!) How do we belong and how does First Universalist belong to us? Childcare provided. Hosted by the Board of Trustees and Congregation Connections.
Membership Celebration Sunday on
Sunday, Feb. 2, 10 - 10:30 am
Come at 10 am for coffee, treats and book signing before worship. Worship service that morning includes words of welcome and commitment, spoken in unison by congregation and new members. We welcome, celebrate and thank you!
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PROGRAMS THIS SUNDAY
10:15 am -
Junior Youth Group (Common Room)
10:30 am -
Children's Chapel (begin in Sanctuary)
10:30 am -
Nursery Care (the Nursery)
4:00 pm -
Senior Youth Group (Gathering Room)
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PARENT GUEST VOLUNTEERS ON SUNDAY MORNINGS
Curious about Children's Chapel or Junior Youth Group? Want to get a better sense of what's happening downstairs during the service? Now you can
sign up for a Sunday to visit with and help out in Children's Chapel (K-4th grade) or Junior Youth Group (5th-8th grade)! No requirement to volunteer; just an opportunity for interested parents, grandparents, or guardians.
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WHAT'S UP IN RE PROGRAMS?
In
Children's Chapel, this January is all about being free to learn together (our 3rd UU principle). Each Sunday, we’ll try out a different spiritual practice and learn together which practices we connect with. This first Sunday of the new year will be all about music.
In between all the fun, friendship, and food, the
junior youth group (open to all in grades 5—8; friends are welcome!) is beginning
Riddle and Mystery, a UU program for middle schoolers to search for their own understanding of life’s big questions.
Senior youth group (open to all in grades 9—12) is planning to lead a worship service this Spring and narrowing down their service mission trip options for this Summer and beginning to prepare for that trip.
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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.
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UU THE VOTE
Sunday, January 12, 3:30 pm
"In moments of moral crisis, Unitarian Universalists know
we are called to show up. And 2020 is one of those moments.”
This is how the UUA introduces the nationwide organizing campaign that will be launched online on Sunday, January 12. Many of us regard the November 2020 election as the most important of our lifetime, and UU the VOTE is designed to help us integrate electoral engagement into the justice work we are already doing in our communities as people of faith. The UUA predicts, “We will UU the Vote for trans lives. We will UU the Vote to confront white supremacy. We will UU the Vote for the future of the planet, for migrant justice, for reproductive rights, and more.” Please join us at 3:30pm on Sunday January 12 downstairs at the church to learn what the UUA has in mind and how we can be a part of it.
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3D (DINNER-DISCUSSION-DOCUMENTARY) NIGHT
Saturday, January 25, 5:30 pm, in the Gathering Room
The next 3D (Dinner-Discussion-Documentary) event is coming in January! Be sure to sign up ahead of time for this home-cooked free supper with vegetarian options (catalpa.girl@gmail.com) and stimulating conversation!
Our documentary film this time is a 2017 look at the Palestine/Israel situation. Whether we know a little or a lot about this topic, it presents an opportunity (like South Africa and Ireland did) to take a fresh look at communities trying to craft new responses to old conflicts.
This Is Palestine was released in June 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank and the tenth anniversary of the blockade of Gaza. We hope that stimulating AND respectful discussion will follow this screening.
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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.
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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 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.
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