CHANNELS
First Universalist's weekly newsletter
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SOCIAL EVENT & TRANSITION TALK
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COME ONE, COME ALL TO A FIRST U SOCIAL EVENT
An open invitation to old friends and new. An opportunity to meet Rev. Frieda, our new Interim Minister, ask questions you may have about the transition, and share some good food. Look for sign-up sheets downstairs on Sunday and choose the time which suits you best. Rev. Frieda and the transition team are hoping everyone can join us at one of these gatherings. We look forward to seeing you there.
- Sunday, September 30 @ 4 pm in the Common Room at First U. Hosted by Sue Ellen Bordwell and Nancy Read
- Tuesday, October 2 @ 7 pm at Ben and Marianna Tupper’s home, 167 West Elm St., Yarmouth
- Friday, October 12 @ 6 pm at Nancy Austin’s home, 40 Sandpiper Cove, Yarmouth
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FINANCIAL TIMES OF FIRST U
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KISSING THE BOO-BOO
Sunday, September 30, 10:30 am
Rev. Frieda Gillespie, Interim Minister
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FAITH FORMATION & RE PROGRAMS
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PROGRAM SCHEDULE THIS SUNDAY, SEPT. 30
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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FALL 2018 PROGRAM SCHEDULE NOW AVAILABLE
Read one, read all: the
Fall 2018 Program Schedule for September - December 2018 is now available complete with dates, times, and locations of your favorite First U programs!
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ADULT CONVERSATION CIRCLES: NEW DAY, NEW TIME
Yes, Adult Conversation Circles (also known as Adult RE), facilitated by Rev. Frieda Gillespie, will be moving to the 1st and 3rd Mondays, 6 - 7 pm. Children are also welcome to come to play games, do activities, and connect with their UU peers in a safe, inclusive environment. The next ACC and UU Games evening will be held on
Monday, October 1, at 6 pm.
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OUR WHOLE LIVES PROGRAMS OFFERED THIS FALL
For Middle Schoolers (7th - 8th grade) - Thursdays, October 11 - November 15, 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm, held at First Parish, UCC in Yarmouth.
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What is Our Whole Lives? The
Our Whole Lives program is a comprehensive, accurate, and developmentally appropriate human sexuality curriculum available for kindergarten aged children through senior adulthood. Developed to meet or exceed the National Sexuality Education Standards, OWL empowers participants to make informed, responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior.
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HELP DECIDE THE FUTURE
At First U, we offer all ages programs because we believe that we are all lifelong learners and explorers. Now, we’re looking for a team to help envision and guide these programs. If you help to launch our RE Council, your ideas and efforts would be focused on:
- growing our great adult, youth, and children programs
- deciding what topics we should focus on exploring
- assisting with some logistics of programming
- promoting some of our great programs like Our Whole Lives, Neighboring Faith Communities, and Adult Conversation Circles
This new council would meet every 2—3 months, would work on small projects or developing ideas in between meetings, and would be future-focused. Questions? Interested? Contact Gwen Matthews, Program Assistant, at
gwenatfirstu@gmail.com.
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UUs, FAMILY, AND FRIENDS: SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, November 2, 5-7 pm is our first MAINE FARM SUPPER of the year. The farmers are kicking back with a scrumptious menu. Please invite your peeps - they’ll be glad you did! The farmers welcome anyone to pitch in with cooking, serving, and washing up. Be in touch. More details will be coming soon or for more information, please write to Sarah Witte at
sarahcoffinwitte@gmail.com.
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A VERY SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: VISIT TRANSYLVANIA & OUR PARTNER CHURCH IN GYEPES, ROMANIA - APRIL 2019
Explore the roots of our Unitarian faith; immerse in the beauty of Transylvania; connect with our Gyepes friends; meet some of the
students we have sponsored over the 20+ years of our partnership.
In person connections are the backbone of keeping our partnership alive. Over 40 First U youth & adult ‘pilgrims’ have visited our Gyepes partners over the past 10 years. We come back changed, with a new depth to our faith and commitment to keeping the partnership thriving for future ‘pilgrims.'
- Estimated Cost: $2500-$3000 per person, reduced by fundraising efforts the group wishes to pursue, (and perhaps your frequent flyer miles)
- When: Spring 2019 – likely about April 12-22 (includes school vacation week) OR April 19-28 (Easter is 4/21).
- We seek at least 6-8 people who are definitely interested in this opportunity. If enough respond positively to this survey, we will hold an informational meeting on Oct 7 following worship.
IF INTERESTED, please contact Marge Titcomb (mjtbean@aol.com or 207-846 -4765). You can also talk with Marge about this opportunity during Coffee Hour.
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Join us for the next Music on Main: The Casco Bay Tummlers. Featuring long-time First U congregant, Steve Gruverman, and First U Music Director, Sam Chandler, come experience live klezmer music in our renovated sanctuary. Treats and coffee served at intermission. All are welcome. Music on Main exists as a fundraiser to support First U's projects and programs, to welcome the community into our space, and to bring world-class music to Yarmouth. Please tell your friends to tell their friends!
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WELCOME TO THE WORSHIP COUNCIL
The Worship Council helps create and sustain a vibrant, meaningful spiritual practice each Sunday. We are looking for church members to help! Some roles are finite, and others are open-ended, without committee meetings or long-term commitments.
Would you like to:
- read poems or passages on occasion,
- play a musical instrument or sing,
- help plan lay services,
- worship weave,
- support the minister and guest speakers
- or… be a full-fledged Worship Council member looking at the whole year?
We work as a team with Rev. Frieda Gillespie. Talk to any of the council members (Reverend Frieda Gillespie, Nancy Austin, Jeanette Newton, Joy Ahrens, or Anne Turner, as well as Sarah Witte and Meghan Nathanson) about any interest large or small in serving this vital need. Or send emails to Frieda Gillespie
flgillespie@gmail.com, Nancy Austin
naustin63@gmail.com, or Jeanette Newton
medfordjen@aol.com. Or join us at the next meeting, this Sunday, September 23 at 12:00 pm after the service.
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MEET THE TRANSITION TEAM
What is a transition team? A group of congregants who work with the interim minister in a variety of ways to assist with the ministry of the church in this time of change.
What does the transition team do? The transition team leads the congregation with the help of the interim minister in doing the transition work of the congregation. One of the first tasks the transition team has is hosting a series of social events for members and friends to get to know the interim minister and her to get to know us.
Who is on the transition team? Rev. Frieda Gillespie, Nancy Austin, Sue Ellen Bordwell, Nancy Read, and Karen Carlisle.
How was it formed? The transition team is appointed by the Interim Minister with the consent of the Board. The team is still open for more members—contact Rev. Frieda at
flgillespie@gmail.com if you’re interested in joining or speak with anyone on the transition team for more information.
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YOGA STARTING UP AGAIN
The Fall Yoga Session continues each Saturday at the Church from 10:00 - 11:15 AM. Ten dollars donation suggested per class. One-half of the proceeds go to a charity agreed with the class, and one-half to the Church. This is a multi-level yoga class. You can modify or stop at any time. Newcomers welcome. Any questions contact the Instructor, Lois Howlett, at loishowlett2@gmail.com or tel 847-3055.
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WHAT ROLE COULD YOU PLAY?
The Member Services Committee is looking for a few good folks to help welcome newcomers and plan events for our current members and friends. In particular, we’re seeking:
- In-reach Lead: Focused on maintaining connections with current members and friends and planning fun events.
- Outreach Lead: Focused on reaching out to the community through publications, signage, or events.
- Greeter Lead: Focused on leading our greeter team and welcoming new folks who come through our doors.
- Organizer: Focused on calendars, scheduling, meeting organization, and big picture planning.
- 2-3 Support Folks: Committee members who assist in visioning, planning, and implementing events, programs, parties, and publications.
All roles will receive lots of support. If you join, you’ll be engaging in a
particular spiritual calling of care—care for those who are here and those who are yet to arrive. Questions? Interested? Contact Joanna Landsman at
jslandsman@gmail.com or Gwen Matthews, Program Assistant, at
gwenatfirstu@gmail.com.
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COFFEE CALENDAR: FALL 2018
Check out the
Coffee Hour Calendar for this Fall to see what date your group has! And if you're new to this whole Coffee Hour thing, be sure to view the information on hosting and brewing coffee available in the church kitchen.
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JUSTICE WORK: FAITH IN ACTION
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LET'S RE-COMMIT TO OUR PREBLE STREET PARTNERSHIP
With a new church year underway, it's a good time to remember the folks at the Preble St. Resource Center, where up to 400 people are served 3 meals a day, every day of the year. Our church has been sending volunteers to help for nearly 8 years! New volunteers will be gladly welcomed.
We are committed to filling at least 6 slots on the first Tuesday of every month, starting with October 2. Joining together, we have a chance to make new friends, and to deepen our commitment to UU values.
The job does not include bringing food, but helping to prepare and serve it. We report for duty at 3:30 and stay till 6:30. You are encouraged to commit to the entire 3 hours, but there is some flexibility for those who must come late or leave early. To volunteer, find the lists in the Gathering Room and look for empty spaces or contact Phyllis Chinlund at pchinlund@gmail.com. Once you sign up you will receive detailed information by email.
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GET OUT THE VOTE
Voting happens on Tuesday, November 6! Be sure you are registered to vote and urge others to register. UUs cherish our right and responsibility to vote as an article of our faith: our Fifth Principle is "the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process in our congregations and at large."
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Please click below to view these community announcements:
- UUA New England Region
- Habitat for Humanity
- Open Heart & Peaceful Harbor Sanghas
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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 fill out this form
or
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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